KOA Butler Ohio

Not a bad little place. I'll snap some pictures later. Completely filled to capacity. Lots of campers. Lots of cabins. Quiet place. Looks like a number of huge RVs that seem to take up residence here a good portion of the year.

In setting up my tent I discovered right off the bat that I had no hammer for the stakes. The ground is as hard as a rock. (And there weren't any rocks to act as a hammer substitute, either.)

There was a lady sitting outside of her RV. I asked her if by chance she had a hammer I could borrow. She had an ax with a blunt end on one side. (Guess if you can't chop your victim to death, you can bludgeon 'em.) I thanked her and got the tent set up pretty quickly. Double checked the instructions for the rain flap as the guy at the office said there's an excellent chance of severe thunderstorms tonight. Good. Maybe it'll cool it off here.

VERY glad I decided to go with the bigger tent. Much sturdier construction. Better quality materials. And extra stakes (already bent one) and an extra set of pole extensions too.

They've a little "store" here stocked with the basics. I'm guessing the overwhelming majority of people who arrive don't have to trade off bringing clothes instead of food. Most folks just throw it in a cooler, ice it down, and don't think anything of it. There's no place within 15 miles of here. I've had enough biking today, thank you very much. I'll make a meal out of whatever I can find in the store.

I asked the guy checking me if there was a WiFi connection. Nothing was on their website about it and he confirmed that they didn't have a thing. But the lady I borrowed the ax from was merrily pecking away on her Macbook. "How did you manage a WiFi connection?" I asked. "The camp has one." "Get out! Guy at the front told me naw baby naw." It's a weak one, mind you, in comparison to the 50MB download speed I'm used to at my house -- but it IS a connection. I have no phone service, but I can email like crazy!

My legs are a little bit sore, but I'm sure it's more because of having to walk the bike and the extra power it took to get the heavier load up a hill. I'm already seeing some things I could have done without packing, but I'll make that decision at the end of the ride in case I wind up having a need for it.

One thing I debated seriously about taking was my iPad. Glad I did. I've got an external keyboard which makes typing on it much easier. And a much larger screen for my old eyes. Staring at the iPhone for any length of time will only lead to headaches.

The ride tomorrow is going to be about 15 miles further than today. The route should be a little less hilly, but I'm thinking there's some serious monster hills around Mansfield which I have to go right through.

I've already booked a reservation right back here on Sunday night. But when I get up Monday morning, I'm going to take a different path back to Columbus -- even if it adds another 15 to 20 miles or so. I'm not doing those dirt / gravel roads again.