In September 40 cyclists from eight states participated in the fourth annual OTET Adventure Ride. Setting out from Cincinnati’s Public Landing with the Ohio River lapping at our rear tires, we pedaled for seven days before dipping our front tires in Lake Erie at Cleveland’s Edgewater Park.
The Little Miami State Park is an integral part of the 326-mile Ohio-to-Erie Trail (OTET)that crosses the state from southwest to northeast. Stitching together some 22 trails, many of them rail-to-trail conversions like the Little Miami Scenic Trail, the Ohio-to-Erie Trail follows rivers, creeks and old canal towpaths through some of the state’s most attractive settings. The weather this year enhanced the ride by providing a week of sunshine and early-fall temperatures.
In keeping with OTET’s mantra, “It’s a ride, not a race,” some of us explored small towns, historic sites, parks and museums along the way, while others stopped at microbreweries, restaurants and ice-cream stands near the trail. Local color and historical context was provided by fellow rider Mark Looney, author of A Path Through Ohio.
The well-organized ride was staffed by a team of volunteers who know the trail well. Motel reservations were made at group discount rates; luggage was transferred seamlessly between the motels where hearty breakfasts were laid on for the riders; SAGs with drinks and snacks were strategically located; Mike Groeber of Bicycle Revival shadowed the ride with a trailer stocked with tools, parts, and accessories. At the end of the ride we were treated to lunch at the Edgewater Yacht Club before mini-vans and a U-Haul truck returned riders, bikes, and luggage to Cincinnati.
Traveling independently during the day, we gathered for 6:00pm meetings to review the day’s ride and preview the next segment. Despite diverse backgrounds and equipment (tandems, recumbents, hybrids, touring bikes, even the odd e-bike), the group proved most convivial, getting to know one another by sharing meals and stories of other long-distance rides. Several riders commented on how impressed they were with the Little Miami Scenic Trail portion of the ride.
The Adventure Ride benefits the OTET Fund which uses the proceeds to match local jurisdictions’ funding for trail extensions and improvements. Information about the Adventure Ride can be found at OhiotoErieTrail.org. Not interested in a sponsored ride? A touring guide developed by OTET providing detailed maps of the entire route is available through the website and at several local bike shops.
(FLMSP member Phil Obermiller participated in the 2017 OTET Adventure Ride on his trusty e-bike, “Lance,” named after another avid cyclist who also needed a bit of assist.)
Sept. 2017
Undeterred by the culinary trauma associated with the previous week's visit to The Rusty Nail, the Trail Taste Adventure relentlessly continued north into restaurant-rich Loveland in a committed quest to identify eating spots along the Trail which merit recommendation. On Wednesday, September 20, this determination took John and George, along with Dr. Pete Hostetter, to Kirby's (known as Sleepy Hollow many years ago), located just a stone's throw from the Trail at the southern end of Loveland. While it fronts on Bridge Street, and has a door there near the sign depicting the place's namesake, the main entrance to the restaurant is in the rear. There is decent parking and a bike rack is conveniently located for patrons coming off the Trail. Kirby’s provides a comfortable, low key, family-friendly, unpretentious (plywood sheet floors) atmosphere. There is full bar service, including a number of craft beers on draft, and a unique all-one-price lunch menu; all lunches are $8.95, except the pulled pork sandwich, only $7.95. Service was fast, friendly, accommodating and efficient.
Dr. Pete went for Kirby's fish 'n chips; John opted for a bacon/cheese omelet with jalapeno peppers, which comes with tater tots and toast of your choice; and George, committed to being difficult, asked if he could get ANYTHING other than the standard fries with his order of panko-breaded grouper. In place of fries, he enjoyed at no extra cost a delightful side salad with blue cheese crumbles and blue cheese dressing.
Kirby's
Well, it was bound to eventually happen: The TTA crew (John and George, accompanied by Joe Hermann and Fred Kindred) finally hit rock bottom when on September 13 their lunch adventures took them to The Rusty Nail, a motorcycle bar (AKA a dive) located in a late 1800s building in Miamiville just a few blocks from the Trail.
John, Joe and George all ordered a beer, while Fred chose a canned Pepsi. Had we known what awaited us, we would have prudently stopped there; but, no, we pressed on, and made the grim mistake of actually ordering food—which was the beginning of the long downhill slide. In keeping with the tone of the place, John, Joe and George ordered various types of burgers, but asked each be cooked to order. This flummoxed the poor waitress, who said, “Our machine (!) takes 8 minutes to cook burgers, so if you want them done differently, I'll have to do them one at a time." We told her we were willing to wait, but we did each want our burger cooked to order. Hearing this, Fred opted for quesadillas, and John asked for jalapeño poppers for the table (a decision he eventually came to regret on the drive home).
Bottom line: The consensus of the TTA Crew was that The Rusty Nail merits exactly ZERO bells, and Trail users should be warned away from the place. If you elect to go there, we recommend nothing be consumed which doesn't come from a sealed container.
