One Last Time

Cleveland to Huron, Ohio. Thursday, May 6, 2021

This blog post is named in recognition of the song from the musical Hamilton, where Washington announces his decision to step down, not seek another term as president. This was probably the single greatest act of Washington’s career, at a time when he was at the height of his popularity, could have retained power in perpetuity, and effectively become a king. In the song, he is asking Alexander Hamilton to help him write his farewell address.

For me, “one last time” refers to today being the last time I will be associated with Erie. For the last 17 days, I have either been following the Erie Canal or Lake Erie. After today, I will be turning inland to head for the first real objective of my trip, the highpoint of Ohio, Campbell Hill. Erie has been a comfortable and reassuring presence, guiding the way, and keeping the terrain basically flat. It feels like turning away from an old friend.

We finished with a bang. After getting a late start from the hotel (broken spoke) I said goodbye to Cleveland from a spectacular vantage point, the Superior Street Bridge, arching high above the now–smokeless Cuyahoga River. Then it was a straight shot, almost completely flat along the shore of the lake, passing a string of small towns, and a varied set of lakefront properties, from modest homes to grand estates to new high-rises. Sometimes there were bike paths, sometimes challenging old pavement, but often smooth new asphalt where you could glide from miles, aided mercifully by a real tailwind this time. What a gift! I was averaging 10 mph including stops! (Wipe that smirk off your face, you hotshot bikers out there).

I was prepared to go farther, but it was starting to rain and I decided to call it quits at Huron, my very last point along Lake Erie, one last time.

Since we’re talking about Hamilton, I thought I would insert here the theme song to this bike ride, set to the tune of the opening number/rap. For those of you who haven’t already seen it. Sorry about the line spacing, I’m too much of a WordPress newbie to fix it.

How does a paunchy, old guy

Son of a teacher and a Cold spy

(No lie) racked with arthritis and an old spine

Extolled by a grim determination 

Seek to ride his bike across the nation?

A lifelong fixation 

But a big frustration 

Couldn’t get enough vacation 

To attain his destination 

Had to wait until he retired 

For the time that he required 

But by then events transpired 

COVID quarantines conspired 

Not to mention his “spare tire”

Made him just feel old and tired

So with all those obstacles, and all that pain

Our man saw his chances drip-drippin’ down the drain

Put his pencil to his temple, connected it to his brain 

Or put another way, he put his stylus to his cranium

And built a new bicycle out of carbon and titanium 

That could ease the inflammation in his knee and hip and thigh joints

And achieve his aspiration to reach all of the state highpoints 

Under human power only, without benefit of fossil fuel 

And be the first to do it, show the world that it was possible 

And the people gonna know his name

What’s your name, man?

Scott de Lima Luria 

My name is Scott de Lima Luria

And I sure don’t wanna worry ya

I’ll be fine

Just you wait!

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…So how does it feel to leave the canal/lake after all this time? Forgive me.

Eerie.

Distance 50.6 miles, 880 total. Time 5 hours with stops. Elevation gain 628 feet.