Thankfully today was forecast to be dry (and stayed that way!) but also quite hot and humid, so I got an early (7AM) start to try and beat the worst of it. It was already crazy muggy in the morning, but at least the mist in the air was pretty in the morning light. After an easy few miles into Massillon, I picked up the beginning of the Ohio Erie Canal Towpath Trail, which would be my companion for 90% of the day. It would alternate between crushed limestone (hardpack) and asphalt. I was a bit worried about the limestone considering the wet summer and previous day's rain, but the trail was in remarkably good shape. Most was perfectly fine, with only a few areas where there were mudholes that needed to be circumnavigated. The towpath is really quite a bicycle infrastructure achievement, not just because of its length and continuity, but because of the nice trailheads/depots (water and restrooms abound), the manner in which the connected communities have embraced it, and the sheer number of users (bothersome at times on the narrow trail, but we all were courteous to one another). The scenery was quite nice all day, meandering along with the Cuyahoga River and having the abandoned canal alongside as well, though it's really just a miles long swamp (amazingly bugs weren't a problem). That being said, it provides neat vegetation and plentiful history with abandoned locks and buildings, as well as plenty of historical markers and signs (the trip would have taken twice as long if I'd allowed myself to read them all!). The National Park area was of course scenic, and even downtown Akron was nice, with a beautiful, wide, lake-like spot in the river with a great boardwalk, and quaint little wish-they-were-living-on-a-lake homes along the canal. Amenities were plentiful, which considering the heat was much appreciated. So was the amount of shade, which was considerable for probably the first two thirds of the day. As the heat rose, the trail's exposure did as well, and I found myself having to stop a couple of times just to cool down. One such stop was at a living history type spot at a restored taven/inn. They were handing out samples of "shrub", an "artisanal drinking vinegar" which tasted much better than that sounds. It was lightly fizzy (the precursor to soda they said), berry-flavored, not overly sweet, and quite refreshing. The trail ends rather unceremoniously in Cleveland and you weave your way on streets and another section of trail through some industrial areas before climbing up over a freeway (truly murderous at this point; the riding had been flat and easy all day but the miles and heat were mounting) and dumping you out in Tremont. My Garmin was showing that the Christmas Story house was nearby and I spotted signs for it, so I had to detour to get a look. It was quite crowded so a quick picture was all I got. From there it was a bit of navigational adventure to get to my planned lunch stop at the West Side Market, as there was construction and detours. I thought my route would be affected and took one of the detours, only to discover that this dropped my below a road I wanted, thus leaving me to climb back up the steep hill I'd come down to (thankfully, at least) discover that my route would work. I arrived at the Market a sweaty disgusting mess and as quickly as I could, went in and grabbed my food (falafel from the place Zack had raved about; I'm pretty sure the two girls working were whispering about me and laughing) and got out. A few quiet scenic miles later, I was in Edgewater Park, which reminded me a lot of the Chicago lakefront. I stopped and ate my lunch, watching all the water-worshippers and really thinking seriously about jumping in. I did not, and carried on that last bit to Lakewood. After a rather significant climb up onto the cliffs along the lake (didn't know these existed!) I rode through the old money mansion areas on Edgewater and Lake. Amazing architecture abounds here, but like the rest of Cleveland, the roads still suck. Perhaps the funniest part about the wealth of the neighborhood is how the zoning required the one gas station I passed to be sunken and hidden behind a brick wall. William's first words upon my arrival: "are your balls still attached?!" I guess that about sums it up ;) As I told Whit when she asked, I wouldn't do it again unless someone asked me to join them. It was a great intro to overnight bike touring and I really enjoyed it, but being solo did make it less fun. I certainly enjoyed it more than the leg to Cincy last year (the route and scenery had everything to do with this) and it's a great adventure I'm happy to have completed and checked off my list.