Tuesday 30th & Wednesday 31st May – Butler, Ohio

I didn’t get the super-lie-in I was hoping for, so went for a walk around the lake (right) instead.  Time to try and be healthy for a while.  I need a detox - lots of water and a break from alcohol for me!

We were both very behind on our correspondence so desperately needed some WiFi.  I identified a PA site 2-hours drive away in Butler, just south-east of Mansfield, Ohio.  We stopped off at a car wash on the way to power-spray the RV back to his former glory.

We settled into the PA site for two nights with a full hook-up for $19 a night for some serious Wi-Fi catching up and to do some laundry to de-mud all our clothing.  Part of the admin that we had to do was preparing the RV for our next visitors, Simon’s parents, who arrive NEXT WEEK!  We can’t expect them to stay in a muddy and dusty RV.

Wednesday was more of the same.  After a lie-in and a mega blogging session, I did some exercise to start the process of getting rid of what I will affectionately refer to as ‘my North-American spare tyre’! All bought and paid for I can assure you.  The camp site was next to a tarmacked cycle path which runs 18 miles between Butler and Mansfield.  I went to take a look at the town of Butler and identify the start of the bike trail.  How would I know? Probably where the tarmac ended in a hedge?! 

Butler has been known by a few different names in its time... my favourite is Spohntown by Daniel Spohn.  That'd be like me naming somewhere 'Cordeyville'. I would love that!

Lovely smooth, tarmacked bike path

I turned my bike around and headed in the reverse direction, back past the camp site.  No, I didn’t do the 36 mile round trip.  I settled for the 12 mile round trip to Belleville and back.  There was a strong wind today so the outward journey was much harder as it was into the wind.  But it was a serene, tree-lined bike route with a few wildlife extras I stopped for on the way.

Fearless chipmunk

I’d left Si working on two options for journey plans for his parents – it took him most of the day! He took it very seriously, looking at which Provincial Parks had the best activities and hikes available and working out the projected mileage and driving time each day.  We are only on the road with the In-Laws for seven nights, so we’re leaving it in their hands how far they want to travel in that limited time.

I threw a chilli together and we enjoyed a film on a free rental DVD that came with the camp site.