Sunday July 14:  Youngstown, Ohio to Erie, Pennsylvania
Distance:  94.5 miles
Total time:  7 hours 34 minutes
Riding time:  6 hours 35 minutes

Today was a beautiful day for cycling.  The sky was a deep cloudless blue, the temperature was in the low to mid 70s, and much of the day was again spent on country roads with little traffic.  Much of the day it looked like this.

We did meet our old friend the Headwind of Determined Ferocity and Contrary Direction, but only for parts of the ride.  For most of the day the wind wasn't a big factor.  After some early hills as we headed north out of Youngstown, it mostly flattened out as we neared and then rode parallel to the shore of Lake Erie.  We were within spitting distance of the lake for much of the afternoon.  Well, world record spitting distance.  We were within a mile of it but couldn't see it because of the trees.  So we eventually turned down a side street to get a look.

And good news, the lake was not on fire.  No smoke to be seen.  Before taking the turn to see the lake, Jamie had the brilliant idea of buying fresh strawberries at a roadside stand.  That's Jamie, your humble servant, and Magic Mark the Mechanic eating strawberries.  The lake is barely visible through the trees.

The shores of the Lake are dotted with vineyards, like the one below.  Apparently some is used for wine but a lot of these grapes go to jams, jellies and juices as well.  It seems we've left the corn and soybean belt behind.

At the 70 mile mark we left Ohio and crossed into Pennsylvania.  Have you ever seen such a lame "welcome to ..." sign in your life?  Come on Keystone State, up your game.  The sign is tiny, gives no information, and it's bent like it got hit by a truck.  Not an impressive way to welcome anyone.  Here are the Three Amigos with the de rigeur selfie.

And here I am manifesting my disgust with the signage.

One of the highlights of each day is finding something to eat on the road that fits the moment and hits the spot.  Today it was the White Turkey Drive-In, established 1952, and with a nice '50s feel to it.  I got a vanilla shake and a hot dog.  Here's a very jealous Mark ogling my hot dog.  He should have gotten his own.

Never ever to be outdone in the food department, here is Michael posing proudly with his root beer float.  It's worth mentioning that this is only the second largest ice cream concoction that he ate today.

And here are the Three Amigos enjoying the atmosphere at the White Turkey and reluctantly thinking about getting back on the bikes.

So, 97 miles tomorrow to conclude this very long stretch from Indianapolis to Buffalo that has taken us through Indiana, Ohio and Pennsylvania and into New York tomorrow.  In Buffalo we'll take our final rest day and gear up for the seven day run for home.  Just puny New England states after that - puny but mountainous.  It's hard to believe that we've covered 3,200 miles in 39 days of cycling, and that we only have eight days left on the bikes.  I continue to feel very strong when I'm on the bike and very tired when I get off of it.  Looking forward to the rest day.