Day 177: US 40 Bites the Dust

Another glorious day here in Eastern Ohio, and I’m right in the middle of it, walking down the road. The mornings are cool, the afternoons are warm, and the evening darkness comes way too soon. We are in hill country, foothills to the Appalachians I reckon, and the road has taken to long uphill grades and downhills that sometimes aren’t as long. Seems I’m climbing up more than walking down. But it’s Fall, the pumpkins are being picked, the corn has turned brown, and pretty soon I’m going to have to deal with frost and that crisp nip in the air that it brings.

I had a visitor today. Lynne J. of Cambridge, OH joined me on my journey and walked a couple of miles as I got into Cambridge. Lynne is the niece of long time friends of Valda’s and mine, Bob & Marylou N. of Palm City, FL. She has lived mostly in this area her whole life and has been in the dental field as well as the political field the past several years. Many thanks to her for joining me and then for buying Valda’s & my lunch at the Coney Island Restaurant. Marylou & Bob, it was a special treat and we all three wished you could have joined us.

I said goodbye to US 40 for the last time. I walked on US 40 for the first time in Utah, then in Colorado, then in Indiana, and finally in Ohio. I am now walking on US 22 and am about 55 miles from Steubenville, home of Dean Martin. This road is not nearly as nice as US 40, but it is the only one going my way. We are currently about 3 miles east of Winterset, OH. Not too many large towns on US 22 so it’s hard to tell you exactly where we are. I am walking tomorrow and then will take Saturday off and rest. I’m still keenly aware that I was sick this week and I think I’ll take days off a little more frequent now.

Personal to Bob & Marylou: thanks so much for your donation to Gateway and to Valda’s gas fund. It is much appreciated. Thanks also to John Strauss of radio station WIBC in Indianapolis for letting me ramble on a call in interview last Sunday morning. Emmis Broadcasting, who owns WIBC among other stations, has really been good to us and have actually given us 5 interviews on their various radio stations. Many thanks to them. I also want to thank Jeff Reed of radio stations, WILE, WCMJ, and WWKC of the Cambridge area for the walking interview this morning. We certainly appreciate the opportunity to spread word about what we are doing and it too is much appreciated.