And so, ready or not, I was on the road. It didn't take long to decide that, if this trip was to be for enjoyment, it was necessary to try to avoid the interstate highways whenever reasonably possible. Therefore, I took old US-27 towards Fort Wayne, Indiana. It been a few years since I had traveled on old highway 27 and I was pleasantly surprised by the light traffic and how much more scenic the route was than interstate I-69.
It was painfully clear that some of small towns, like Waterloo, Indiana, were having a hard time coping with today's fast pace economy. Waterloo had more empty store fronts than open businesses; and yet, only a few miles to the south, Auburn (the city famed as the automobile manufacturer of the Auburn, Duisenberg and Cord) was still, a mostly, vibrant community. Auburn's success is, in no small part, due to it's ability to capitalize on the historic value of its past automakers. The museums and annual Memorial Day car auction are all worth the visit.
Motorcycle travel offers a lot more value than travel by car, but to fully enjoy it you must, for the most part, travel in the light of day. However, having gotten a late start and since I traveling mostly familiar territory, I decided to continue into the night, finally stopping (about 10:00 PM) in Lancaster, Ohio about 50 miles from West Virginia.
The next day began with the ominous signs of impending rainfall, and it wasn't long before the rains began in earnest. Riding in the rain, aside from begin unpleasant, represents a serious "health" risk. A panic stop on a motorcycle is always a risk, but in a driving rain - FORGET IT! Then too, I am now traveling in what is for me, mostly uncharted territory that was too good to pass by - sight unseen in the driving rain. And so, with some hesitation and only after a few short hours - I gave it up for the day.
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