Mason to Springfield: a little easier than Xenia to Mason somehow.
We left Mason sometime between 10:30 and 11, not really looking forward to the route- it was back tracking on trail we’ve already done, which is never fun, it was going to be 90 degrees, and the elevation chart showed a slight uphill the entire day.
Although it was hot, the slight uphill wasn’t too noticeable and in some instances seemed just plain wrong. I’m not sure how accurate the grade and elevation charts are, some times everything coincides and some times it doesn’t. What confuses me is when the elevation charts show a large climb in elevation but the grade charts show pretty steady near 0% grade. How is there a large hill with almost no grade chance? Something isn’t right.
With a quick stop in Xenia and an ice cream at United Dairy Farmers we again hit the trail and made it to Springfield around 4:30. It was hot, about 90 degrees as the weather reports said. We were going to go to a sports bar or someplace close that was in walking distance for dinner, but they were closed. In fact every place was closed except a pizza place about a half mile down the road.
After cleaning up and confirming they were indeed open for dine in we walked down to the pizza place. The streets were basically empty and the church bells were eerily playing a song. It was like the start of a horror movie.
We arrived at the pizza place and before entering the gate a guy stopped up to tell us the rules: wear a mask when you’re not seated, no more than groups of 10, order at the bar/no one comes around to take your order. There was also like one menu at the bar, so it was a quick glance and order. Seating was pretty limited, a few tables inside about probably about 6 outside. There might have been a back patio that I saw mentioned somewhere but didn’t actually see. We sat outside in the front at an open table. I ordered Mozzarella Sticks and a Club Sandwich and a beer. Plonker got a couple sides and a pizza. I ripped through my food pretty quickly and ordered a pizza after seeing how good Plonker’s pizza looked. We got a pitcher of beer, but man it was so hot the beer was warming up before we could drink it. It was oddly the place that was open the latest on this trip, and that served food an alcohol, and at a pretty good price, that we were back to the hotel the earliest. The food was pretty good, and I suspect that during non-pandemic times that place was super busy (it already was).
We go back to our rooms, more full than buzzed, with me regretting getting the pizza after my sandwich, and sitting in front of the AC to cool off.
Today we head to Bellefontaine, which recently learned is pronouned Bell Fountain. Really, Ohio? I’ve been calling it Bell-fon-taine, or Bella-fon-taine, which I think sounds better anyway and is how the place is spelled.
There doesn’t look to be much near where we’re staying except a Waffle House, which as of a few days ago I started looking forward to some waffles. It’s a short route day with around 37 miles, mainly uphill, so we should be into town fairly early.
We’re also trying out a location sharing GPS app for when one of us is ahead of the other we can see where we are. We’ve wanted to have one other years but never did. After I go a flat on Day 2 and Plonker had to back track a mile we decided to look into it. And 4 days later we finally did. Also testing last night on the walk from the pizza place to the hotel it seemed a little sluggish. While I was sitting at the desk it showed us still walking up the street, and I didn’t get to my room until after a stop at the front desk to buy some drinks from the market.
