OTET day 3: So much fun from Millersburg to Mount Vernon

This was an easy day on the Ohio to Erie Trail, just over 40 miles and again almost all on trails.

The last bit of the Holmes County Trail (described overall by one person as a highway for buggies). The Mohican Valley Trail. The Kokosing Gap Trail.

All the more amazing because we were biking through rural Ohio and small towns. Mount Vernon, where we have hit the Airbnb jackpot with a lovely foursquare-style house, is “big” at nearly 17,000 people.

The good part about staying in a hotel vs an Airbnb is that you’re more likely to meet fellow cyclists. The bad part is that they can get you needlessly worrying about what’s ahead.

At the Comfort Inn in Millersburg the night before, we heard all about the long hill. 7 miles? Turns out that the ascent AND descent. And it was on a rail trail, which means no steeper than what a train can do (maybe 3%). The hills north of Millersburg are shorter but steeper.

This hill was easy. I feel like I charged up it. I don’t do that with steep ones.

A rare Ohio to Erie Trail sign, spotted in Glenmont.

We did have a road section, from Killbuck to Glenmont. I thought it was pretty quiet, but then I’m used to New Jersey. It will be converted to trail, though, and the first part just might open by the summer of 2025.

One surprise: it’s gotten chilly. A high of 62 in June? And overcast? Oh well, better that than 92, which is closer to what it will be next week. Just pull on the arm warmers that I’d packed to deal with any rain.

This was a day for fun photos. The bridge is one of the longest covered bridges in the U.S. The train is in Gambier, home of Kenyon College. The dog fountain is in ~~Millersburg~~ Mount Vernon.

I admit I care about wayfinding signage and feel locals don’t always give it enough attention. While the Ohio to Erie Trail branding along the route so far could be better — and we have yet to see signs saying Cincinnati this way, Cleveland that way — I do like what Mount Vernon has done.