Weather nice but a little cool. Started out by riding US 250, so familiar to me by now, I didn't even stop to take any photos and besides, my start was a little late, so I needed to make great time if I was going to make it to Toledo (where I wanted to be at least) before dark. From US 250, I got on WV 88, which is a great twisty highway with a couple nice decreasing radius turns before you descend down to Wheeling. At the corner of US 40 / WV 88, I stopped at a Tim Horton's. A Canadian chain, common further up north but just starting to make inroads as far south as WV. I love their Chili, Raspberry Bran Muffin and Coffee combo, and a couple guys commented how cool it was to be riding all the way up to Detroit.

Following US 40 through Wheeling, and then across Wheeling Island, I'm once again on US250, and into Ohio. US 250 is nice and twisty up to Cadiz, county seat of Harrison, where they have an impressive court house.

US 250 starts to flatten out and get pretty straight once you descend down the ridge from Cadiz. I decide to stop at the appropriately named US 250 antique mall. Not that I plan on buying anything - my transportation limits me - so I tend to treat these as museums with free admission. Just as well I'm on a motorcycle because I've got way too much junk at home, and I really need to downsize, that's another story.

The typical junk you see in an antique mall. I don't know about you, but I'm more impressed by a traffic light that goes through the proper timing sequence, rather than one where all three lights are lit up at the same time.

Onto Strasburg, home of the Tigers !

Figure I might as well stop at this antique mall, maybe I'll see some cool Tigrobilia (that's my contraction of 'Tigers' and 'Memorabilia' !)

Though it would have to be highly tigerrific for me to consider buying it.

Turns out this mall is huge, it takes a while to go through it, and my time is always limited on motorcycle rides.
I do spot two coool Tiger items. A gr-r-reat Tiger statue and a 1968 Massillon Tigers yearbook.
That's another city in Ohio who has a Tiger Team, and quite a famous Football Team at that!

I was really tempted to buy these items, but problem was I'd have to have them shipped home adding to the cost (I certainly didn't want to have to lug them all the up to Detroit and then back home). It would be easier if I was on my way home of course. As items in antique malls are close to top dollar to begin with, I decided to pass. At least I know they are there (well they'll probably be gone by the time I return !)

I decide to take US 224 West on my way to Toledo, which is as straight as an arrow on my map. By now I'm definitely in flat country.

No doubt US224 is a monotonous ride. Fortunately the day had warmed up, so it wasn't miserable. I imagine that it would be like this all the way to the Colorado Rockies. In fact, I'm having such fun on my Baghira that I contemplate screwing my plans and just taking a whole week off work, riding South and West, but figure I'd better stay focussed.

The lack of traffic allowed me to pull off to the left side of the road.

Here's a barn painted to commemorate the Ohio Bicentennial which happened in 2003. Sure it's now 7 years ago, but I think it should be left alone.

And dig my cool Baghira shadow.

Stopping for gas, I notice I wasn't the only one riding today. By now it was starting to get chilly as the afternoon wore on.

I only got mixed up once. I wanted Ohio 18 West so I could then hook up with Ohio 199 at Fostoria, but for some reason I ended up on Ohio 18 East, going into Tiffin. The sun was an obvious clue I was headed in the wrong direction. I got it straightened out soon, and filled up at a Circle K in Fostoria, where I could either take Ohio 199 North or US 23 North. By now the terrain was as flat as a pancake, so it didn't really matter. I picked Ohio 199 which was going to take me into Toledo. 199 reminding me of Pastrana of course.

Here I am, at a train crossing.

Yup, Ohio 199 is pretty straight and flat and farmland.

On my way north on Ohio 199, I saw a directional sign (Ohio 281) to Defiance which I knew was maybe 40 miles west of here. Wow, that road was so straight and flat, I almost swore I could see the city at the horizon. I'm not used to being able to see so far.

By now it was getting dark, so I was planning to get on Interstate 475 so I could then hook up with US 23 which would take me north to Ann Arbor where I would stay with my friend John. As my luck would have it, Ohio 199 went over the Interstate with no way of getting on it. Ohio 199 ended at US 20 in Perrysburg, leaving me confused. I decided US 20 north and west made more sense and continued until I could find someplace to stop / eat, and then check my map. I found a Starbucks, which was great, given that it was pretty cool by now.

I called John (who lives in Milan, actually) telling him I was almost there. After getting off US 23 at the wrong exit, I eventually got back on, and sure glad to call it a night by parking my bike his driveway.