Hoot! Hoot! Today I crossed the half way point on this hike! Lake Erie here I come!
Poppie dropped me of in Galena this morning at the spot where I finished yesterday. The bike path ended so the route today was mostly on roads. The walk into Sunbury was pleasant and went by fast.
Twice on the way to Sunbury two young gals in cars stopped and asked me if I knew where Big Walnut High School was. I actually knew where it was and told them they were on the right road and to keep going a few miles. There must have been something going on at the high school this morning for out of town students. The gals must have really been lost to ask for directions from some guy carrying a backpack.
Sunbury is a quaint village. They have a village square with lots of shops around it. It reminded me of the towns in northeast Ohio that were once part of Connecticut and the Western Reserve. I had planned to take a coffee break at the local diner but it was standing room only inside so I moved on.
I had a long road walk to the town of Centerburg. The weather was cloudy, cool and very windy. It was good weather for hiking but not for taking breaks so I pumped out the miles. I took side roads and avoided the busy, but direct, US-36 / SR-3 route.
Near Centerburg the Heart Of Ohio Trail began. The trail is affectionately called the HOOT which is it acronym. The trail is not complete yet but all sections are passable on foot. Where the trail supposedly crossed the road I scrambled up an old railroad embankment expecting to find an overgrown, unmaintained path. Much to my surprise the path was grassy, wide and clear. Hiking on the HOOT was a welcome change from the road walking. It was a delightful hike into town.
Centerburg is named because it is the geographical center of Ohio. The actual center is a few miles out of town but Centerburg gets all the fame.
In town I stopped at the Wash & Tan. This is a combination laundromat and tanning salon. Amber, who works there, said "you must be that guy who is hiking across Ohio". I told her yes and she invited me in for a cup of coffee and to warm up. Dave Grumney, the owner, alerted her that I might be coming. Dave invited me to stop by the Wash & Tan via the HOOT Facebook page which I had made a few posts on. Amber was very nice and helpful and I enjoyed my visit. I wish I could have stayed longer but I had to press on.
My destination for the night was Stonehaven Farm which was a few miles out of town right near the HOOT. Jody Hoch lives on the farm and invited me to spend the night in a primitive cabin they have. I had never met Jody before. She only knew me from this blog. Jody prepared a hearty meal of steak, broccoli, fresh fruit and sourdough bread. It was quite delicious and hit the spot after a long day of hiking. The cabin is nice. No water, electric or heat. It has a bed, a few chairs, oil lamps and is nestled in some pine trees. It is a perfect place for a hiker to spend the night.
The people of Centerburg are very nice. Even before I got here I received some good info about the HOOT from people in the Facebook group including the valuable tip that led me to climb up the railroad embankment. So far Centerburg gets my vote for the friendliest town on the whole Ohio To Erie Trail. I would even rank it as one of the friendliest trail towns in all of Ohio and I have seen many.
Thank you people of Centerburg! Hoot! Hoot!
