Some photos after resuming our trip

We left our house in Cincinnati very early in the morning of June 22 to begin the 2nd portion of our trip. An hour after leaving, having just made the bike trail near Newtown, the skies turned very threatening, and a storm was obviously bearing down on us.

As luck would have it, we found ourselves at Avoca Park, and took shelter in the bathroom building.

The worst of the storm passed, we were left with a morning-long steady rain. Here we model the rain gear we've brought with us..... the first time on the entire trip we've needed the full set of garb.

A short distance up the bike trail, we see unintended symbolism for the Underground Railroad Route! The bike path is part of the "Rail to Trail" network, in which old, unused railroad lines have been paved over to create the trails. (An outstanding concept and program, by the way.) Here the road has developed potholes which expose the railroad track that still lies beneath the asphalt.

Leaving Delaware, Ohio, we find unexpected construction along the route. But no mere road closure is going to stop us!! We were able to ride past the barricade, under the idle construction equipment's arm, over the semi-paved portion of road that had been worked on, but not yet completed, and on to the other side, where we were again on our way. (The alternative would have been a detour of about 10 miles!)

We spent Tuesday night, June 24, at Malabar Farm, near Butler, Ohio. This is a very innovative farm created by author Louis Bromfield in the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s, which introduced radical-at-the-time concepts of organic produce and environmental sustainability on the farm. It was publicized and quite famous at the time, to the extent that Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall chose it as their wedding / honeymoon spot! It is now a state park, and is operated as a continued working farm by the Ohio Dept of Natural Resources. This is the livestock area that is open to the public.

This is the hostel on the grounds of the farm, where we stayed the night.

Near the entrance to the farm, there is a produce stand, where veggies grown on the farm are displayed for sale. The stand is unattended. The produce is kept cool and fresh by cold spring water, and sales are done on the honor system.

Mike, filling his water bottle from the spring.

Throughout central Ohio, we passed many places in which there were significant populations of Amish people. Here, a horse and buggy is parked near the center of town in Jeromesville, OH.

A little later, we caught sight of this huge load of hay being drawn by horse, as two men work atop the load to distribute the hay.