I arrived in Cincinnati safe and sound on Thursday night, after a relaxing day of riding almost exclusively on bike trails! Southwest Ohio is home to a huge a biking community with lots of bikeways to take advantage of – for example, Xenia Station, an old train station site, is now a local hub connecting around 170 miles of paved trails. I saw tons of folks of all ages and speeds out on the trails, so it looks like they get a lot of use!
I am staying with my college roommate’s family here, and they have been incredibly welcoming! Her family has a lot of connection to the city, so they were the perfect people to show me around and tell me about some of the fascinating history of the city. As promised, I have sampled some of Cincinnati’s famous cuisine – we went to Skyline’s for Cincinnati style 5-way chili, which is served over spaghetti or as a coney sauce on a hot dog, with a heaping pile of shredded cheddar cheese on top. Its distinctive (and delicious) taste comes from its secret blend of spices, which is rumored to include chocolate and/or cinnamon – sources vary. We also tried out Graeter’s Ice Cream, known nationwide for its thick, creamy texture and its small-scale production (all ice cream made in 2 gallon batches!).
Katie is flying in tomorrow, so here my solo adventure of the last two weeks comes to an end. I’ll admit, I was pretty nervous about heading out on my own, but it ended up being a fantastic time. Thank you so much to all of you for your best wishes (and your worries) along the way – it meant a lot to know that there were people thinking of me!
Have a great reunion with Katie and enjoy riding together again!
Hey Rhiannon!
I’m glad to see things are going well, despite setbacks. Sounds like explorations of places and foods and muscle growth are definitely happening. I hope other sorts of (personal, not necessarily intellectual) growth are being at least as present, and glorious.
Much love from Sao Paulo, Brazil (soon to be in Wroclaw, Poland)
Hi Rhiannon – so good to hear that you made it to Cincinatti. Fantastic that you managed so well over the last 2 weeks, although I don’t think any of us who know and love you ever had any doubt about it. Have a great time in Cincinatti and your reunion with katie. Look forward to hearing more as you two hit the road again.
Lots of love and think of you every day. see you soon in seattle.
Much love
Audrey and Franco