[JtownJJA]

What better way is there to celebrate Columbus Day then to go exploring? In the spirit of Columbus, I set out on an expedition Monday. Hmmmm, there were a few differences. I had a map with a planned route, and a 1-day schedule, while Columbus didn’t really know where he was going, and he had “all the time in the world”. However, the fact that it was a day off from work made it a great day to get out and ride, even if the temperature was a bit nippy. Through the entire day, I only passed 2 other motorcycles, and they were together. (I guess the time is near when I’ll have to put the GS500F away for the winter.) As I headed out, I started wondering, “What am I doing? It’s too cold for this.” However, when the roads finally started having more hills and curves, it got a lot more fun. There was finally some excitement to keep me warm, including several outloud “WooHoo’s”.

A brief stop in Warsaw near the Walhonding River:

The hightlights of my trip included a stop at the Gospel Hill Lighthouse near Coshocton, and a few stops through Amish country, including the towns of Sugarcreek and Berlin.

A lighthouse, near Coshocton, Ohio? Yep. And what a steep ride it was up the hill to get to it. This was probably the steepest hill I’ve ever ridden up. This actually started to be the theme of the day as I found myself getting a lot of practice stopping and starting on steep inclines.

Views from the atop the lighthouse:

After leaving the lighthouse, I headed over to Coshocton, then up route 93 to Sugarcreek. My original plans were to eat lunch at one of the nice Amish restaurants, but my tight budget lead me to McDonalds. While there, I took some time to look through the travel brochures that were at the door as you entered. With a limited time schedule, I picked a few places for possible stops, and selected Heini’s Cheese Chalet near Berlin as a definite one.

On the way to Berlin, I stopped at Coblenz Chocolate. (My wife really likes dark chocolate.) This was a great place to get a few gifts for the family. What a chocolate-lover’s paradise!

As I was leaving, a quick look at my watch signaled that time was really flying by! A stop at Heini’s Cheese would have to be it for the day. The trip there included another steep hill up with a wonderful stoplight at the very top (and yes I got a red light). Then back down a steep hill on the other side, with the Cheese Chalet on the left, complete with GRAVEL parking lot. (OK, another challenge.)

If you like Cheese, and free samples, this is the place for you! Lots and lots of different kinds of cheeses, and there are free samples of almost every kind they had. Just grab a toothpick, and start down the first row, sampling cheese, fudge, or cream-cheese spreads (with pretzel sticks) all the way. After tasting a few, I couldn’t resist picking up a few things.

By now, the tank bag was full and it was getting late in the afternoon, so I hit route 62 to head all the way home. Just before I got into Danville, I came to a sign pointing out the longest covered bridge in Ohio. What a great picture opportunity…

OK, it was really getting late and I needed to get back on the road. As I was pulling out of my dirt/mud/gravel pull-off area for taking pictures of the bridge, I wasn’t paying attention to finding a good place to get back up onto the road, which was quite a step up. My first attempt failed and I almost dropped the bike over on it’s left side, but some quick pulling with all my might saved it. After backing up and calming down, I found a smoother spot to get up on the road. With that and more throttle, I was on the road again.

I knew it would be getting dark within the hour, so it was time to go straight home from there. I needed to get back to Johnstown for an evening meeting. All in all, it was a great day to explore, although some sunshine would have been a welcome addition. I may need to make this a Columbus Day tradition. If so, then Columbus Day will certainly move up a few spots on favorite holidays list.

[megaspaz]

nice! farking awesome riding scenery!

[eon]

Quite a ride, hitting Berlin and Warsaw in one day
Nice pictures and a great description, thanks for taking us along for the ride

[JtownJJA]

I had thought of that… Berlin and Warsaw!
Like I told the folks I work with, I enjoy putting the story together with the pictures almost as much as the ride itself. It gives me a chance to re-live it, and allow others to experience the excitement and scenery, just as if they were there.

[owlie]

That is some beautiful country. Thanks for taking us along. It sounds like it was a great ride.

[Author]

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