Day 52, 24 September: Oberlin to Bolivar, OH
Our hotel in Oberlin would not accommodate our breakfast needs so we took the opportunity this morning to have pastries and coffee at 6AM in my room. At first light we all took to the road. Our first stop was “Check Please” at mile 9, a nice little café recommended by Dave. We dined on fresh eggs as part of a good old-fashioned breakfast. What a treat after dining continuously on the “free” breakfasts offered by the hotels. It set us back an hour but all attendees agreed it was worth it.
After a fantastic breakfast we were off to complete our 77-mile ride to Bolivar, Ohio. We had many hills today equating to nearly 2500 feet of elevation change, including some steep inclines. One registered as a 19% grade on Dave’s Garmin! Somehow we all made it up. Around mile 48 we jumped onto canal towpath trails for the remainder of the ride. The Ohio and Erie Canal Towpath Trail is pictured here. The nice thing about canal towpaths is that they are generally flat and beautiful.
At the conclusion of our ride at the Sleep Inn in Bolivar, we were met by Dick Weller and Mark Young of 24th company. They drove up from Virginia to offer support for the Ride-2- Remember. It was special to see them at the finish with a truckload of valuables including beer, soft pretzels and brownies. At the first bite of the brownies, Dave stated correctly that they were made with Ghirardelli chocolate! Thanks, Saundra.
After cleaning up and catching up with Mark and Dick, we held quarters. We honored Ric Samuels, Larry Rutledge and Jeff Iiams, all from 34th Company. Dave Haefner of 34 led the tribute. Dave was intimate with these men which made for a very personal and emotional tribute.
We then went across the street to Lockport Brewery for dinner. We met up with an ensign from the class of 2022 and his parents, and spent some time chatting. Found it hard to believe that we were ever that young.
Looking forward to another ride tomorrow similar to today’s but about ten miles shorter. Till tomorrow.
Tom Tesoriero
USNA 1973 Ride-2-Remember 
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