Planning perils

One of the questions people often ask is if I have a route planned out.  The short answer is no. The slightly longer answer is: not really.  While I have a general sense of where I’m going (duh, the west coast) due to plans to stay with family in Illinois and Colorado, my day to day plans are pretty fluid.  And generally can’t be made very far in advance. 
Today is the perfect example of how complicated planning even a couple hours in advance can be.  I’m currently in Bryan, OH, at yet another McDonalds, and trying to figure out where to go next.  I’ve done about 40 miles today and assuming I leave here by 3ish I can do another 40-60. But despite the fairly clear skies right now I know there is a good chance of thunderstorms between 4 and 8, aka the rest of the daylight hours.  Its not the rain that I mind, but they’re warning about heavy winds.  Wind I’m discovering puts a severe damper on my milage abilities, cutting my potential distance.  On top of all that there is a chance of hail, which makes me concerned not only about my own well-being, but also the well-being of my gear.  And there isn’t even a drop of rain in the sky yet.

So I’m thinking about staying in a motel tonight (so you worry-warts can breath easier) for the first time on this trip.  But even that isn’t easy.  There isn’t a whole lot west of Bryan for the next 30 miles, especially if I avoid Route 6.  I took it through most of PA, and some of OH, but all the trucks get annoying.  The gusts of wind they generate from both directions really mess with my rhythm.

You didn’t notice but I was gone for the last 30 minutes.  So here is the plan. Take local roads to Hamilton Lake in Indiana and stay at the Cold Springs Resort, about 30 miles away.  Unless the weather looks good then keep going to Gordon’s campground in Wolcottville, IN. Unless all that changes.