Day 39

Under a tree for shade

Rolling hills of Ohio

Tracks on the side of the road from the Amish people using a horse and carriage

A long break..

Pictures never do a good sunset justice

Icing my feet!

I was on the road at 10 am. About 2 hours later than I wanted to be. I had a hard time getting going this morning after a 24 mile day yesterday. I was hoping to go 25 miles today so I wanted to get an early start.

Soon after starting, I saw a gas station with a subway and figured I’d pick up a sub sandwich and some energy drinks for the long day ahead. A state trooper was gasing up as I approached the station and he had that curious look to him. I knew I needed to take initiative to let him know that I wasn’t a threat to anyone. As I passed by we talked and I let him know that I’d be on hwy 32 traveling west all day and I told him why. He said I was crazy but wished me well. He definitely liked the cause that I am walking for.

I get my goodies and get on the road. I wanted to get as far as I could before the sun was way up and too hot but I was already too late. It was a hot one today with no clouds. The scenery was better than yesterday though. There were a lot of farms. I think I saw every shade of green that there is today.

I had to keep dodging horse poop on the side of the road and I wondered why there was so much. I figured it was from manure trucks driving crazy or something. Well, I was wrong. In the horizon I saw what looked like a horse and carriage approaching. I grabbed my  cell phone and turned the video on. As it passed by, I realized that the riders were Amish. That explained the horse poop. It also explained all of the pretty farms. I guess I was in Amish country.

A little while later, I notice a state trooper pull someone over on my side of the road. I knew I’d pass by so I was hoping it was the nice one from earlier so that I didn’t come as a surprise as I passed by him writing a ticket. I had to get into the lanes of oncoming traffic to get around the car. As I got close enough, the trooper helped me by making sure traffic wasn’t coming before letting me go around. It was a different trooper but I’m pretty sure he heard about me because he was friendly and seemed to not have been surprised at all to see a man pushing a dog in a baby stroller down the side of a busy highway.

The next few hours were rough. It was hot and my feet were in the most pain that they’ve been in yet. I knew I shouldn’t be pushing myself like this but I had it set in my mind to make my target destination. So I kept going and breaking when I couldn’t take the impact of another step. At one point, I laid my sleeping pad down and lifted my feet into the air to get the swelling down a little.

I started to get close enough to know that I was definitely going to make it to the hotel that I had in mind. I’d looked up on the website that they are pet friendly and it is right off of the highway. I struggle on and push through the pain knowing that I’d be there soon.

I get there and it is a shit dump. Whatever. I didn’t care. I walk in and on the bulletproof glass window is a piece of paper taped up that reads “NO PETS ALLOWED”. Great. Time to turn my charm on….

It worked. She let me and Domino stay. I assured her that she wouldn’t pee on the bed like the last dog that she let stay there. She threw me in a smoking room though. I walked in and if I hadn’t had walked 25 miles to get there i would’ve turned around and got my money back. But it was paradise in this case.

I made a quick sweep to see if there were any large animals or dead bodies that may harm Domino and once it was all clear I went a few blocks down to the taco bell I spotted earlier. I bought dinner and a bag of ice from the gas station on the way back. No way was I going to try to get ice from the hotel…

I get back and lay down with the ice and my dinner. I was hoping that I would be able to get a baseball game on TV and after searching I found a good one. Ahhhhhh…

I covered a lot of ground these last few days. The grief of my sister has been heavy on my heart. The walk is starting to wear on me a little. I’m loving it and will definitely keep going but I am very much looking forward to taking a few days off in Cincinnati. I want to push hard and get there soon to justify taking some time to enjoy myself and do normal non-walking-on-the-side-of-the-road stuff.