Road Trip Day Five

"What you've done becomes the judge of what you're going to do - especially in other people's minds.  When you're traveling, you are what you are right there and then.  People don't have your past to hold against you.  No yesterdays on the road."

~William Least~

Aug 2nd, 2013

I was certain I  would sleep well last night, however I think the excitement of these trips makes a sound night's sleep next to impossible.  At any rate, I always wake invigorated; the bags under my eyes the only sign that I'm not getting enough rest.  I woke to the sounds of someone moving around the kitchen.  I was sure I had slept in until I grabbed my phone and saw that it was 8:30am.  I stepped out of the bedroom to find Brian cooking a hearty breakfast; oatmeal with a choice of toppings, eggs with cheese and spinach topping an english muffin, and a bowl of fresh blueberries and strawberries.  Talk about first-rate service.  This guy knows how to make a person feel at home.  Hell, I don't even get this kind of treatment at home.

We visited over breakfast and Brian suggested we hit a local Indy trail before I head out.  All you have to do is mention trails and I'm game.  We readied the bikes and set out for Town Run trail in Indianapolis.  It was a decent trail to practice speed and agility.  Even some technical spots thrown into the mix.  It's not a trail I would recommend anyone to travel far to see, but if you're ever in the area it's definitely worth a stop.  Of course in my book every trail is worth riding if you can make the time for it.  Brian claimed he hadn't ridden his bike on trails in two years, but I couldn't tell.  A trail ride is always better when you ride with someone who keeps a pretty equal pace, and he did.  

After the ride we headed back to his place where I decided to just load my things and set out again.  He convinced me to stay long enough for a quick lunch, but he couldn't talk me into a shower.  I'm an incredibly energetic person, and getting me to sit for long isn't an easy feat.  He cooked us up some turkey burgers, and I was glad to be in the company of someone who also preferred healthy eating.  I laughed when he tried getting me to take more food with me for the road, as I had packed like a mother; better too much than not enough.  I conceded to taking a bag of fresh grapes and some pita chips, which I ended up finishing before I reached my next destination.  I left him with some of the homemade cream cheese filled zucchini muffins I had brought along.

We said our goodbyes and I set out for Salamonie Lake in northern Indiana.  When I arrived the attendant on duty informed me they don't have Class B camping at this location.  What the hell does that mean anyways?  When you're dealing with the general public, could you kindly refrain from using technical terms specific to your own occupation?  This is what I learned:

Class A:  Primitive camping with no showers

Class B:  Primitive camping with showers

Class C:  Electric sites with showers

I wanted to ride the Bloodroot trail, but there happened to be another trail just 45 minutes away in Fort Wayne that had better online reviews, so I passed and set back out on the road.  

By the time I arrived in Fort Wayne I knew a Plan B was in order.  I pulled up in front of a hotel and darted out of my car in the rain for the entrance.  I was soaked by the time I hustled the 10 steps it took me to get in the front doors.  I booked a room for one night, and drove around to the nearest entrance.  Armed with just my bag of clothes and toiletry items I darted to the door, and collapsed on the bed soaking wet and freezing.  Not for long though, because my baby was still strapped to the back of my car and I didn't want it sitting out in the rain.  My bike had the U-lock fixed onto it, so by the time I got it down I was seriously drenched.  

After a shower I was re-energized, so I opened my trusty Skout app to peruse locals for a new friend.  Skout is a chatting app that uses GPS to track your location.  I found two locals that seemed cool, and set out to join the first one that was interested in a meet-up.  We met at a local bar and grill just down the road from my hotel.  We visited over a beer until the place closed its doors around midnight.  He said he was headed to a dive bar to meet friends just down the road and asked if I wanted to tag along.  I drove separate and met him there for  a couple more drinks.  Him and his buddies were good company, and it sure beat staying in the hotel by my lonesome all night.  

Goodbyes are never easy in the presence of good company, but we said them anyways and I headed back to the hotel at about 3am.  Once again dry pillows and blankets were beckoning....and I gave in with great thanks.