A ticket to ride: Discover NE Ohio and grab a bite to eat along the way
June 14, 2011
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The Tuscarawas County Public Library will welcome North Canton author and bicycling enthusiast Stan Purdum on Thursday, June 30, at 6:30 p.m. Purdum will present a program on his book of bicycle rides in Northeast Ohio, Pedaling to Lunch. He shares how he came to write the book and gives an overview of 20 narrated rides in 16 Ohio counties. Each ride features maps, historical information about the places the ride passes through, tales from the road, and a lunch stop.
Purdum will help readers discover the beauty and variety of Northeast Ohios landscape with 20 bicycle tours along back roads, through rural villages, and over covered bridges. He weaves local history, humorous anecdotes, and philosophical musings into both his presentation and the engaging personal narrative of his experience pedaling in 16 of the regions counties.
Pedaling to Lunch includes detailed maps, mileage notations, precise directions, and Purdums recommendations for lunch halfway through the rides. Those diners, taverns, and cafés not only serve as destinations, but also allow riders to savor distinctive small-town regional cooking. Some of the lunch destinations include the Spread Eagle Tavern in Hanoverton, Des Dutch Essenhaus in Shreve, and the Sunrise Café in Canton. Although each ride includes a lunch stop, the book is not a guide to dining; its a ticket to ride, said Purdum.
His carefully chosen routes include a host of unique and interesting sights. Among them are the site of an experiment in utopian communal living, a place where a colony of native Americans was massacred, a hollow that was occupied by characters so notorious that lawmen refused to enter it, remnants of two canals and the historic Lincoln Highway, the childhood home of famed attorney Clarence Darrow, and Lake Erie parks. Also included is the summer resort where Dean Martin got his start, the farthest point north raided by Confederate troops, the childhood home of Alta Weiss, and the restored residence of Daniel McCook of the Fighting McCooks.
His loop ride from Zoar to Gnadenhutten passes through Dover and New Philadelphia and crosses the Tuscarawas River six times.
This book is not just for cyclists. It appeals to hikers, to automobile day-trippers, and even to armchair travelers who want to learn about Ohios history. Mostly though, its a ticket to enjoyable cycling. Whether you stop for lunch or not, these out-of-the-ordinary tours will give you miles of pleasure in Ohios great outdoors.
In addition to Pedaling to Lunch, Purdum will also have copies of his other bicycle books, Roll Around Heaven All Day, Playing in Traffic, and Pedaling on the North Coast.
This free program will be held at the librarys main location at 121 Fair Ave. NW in New Philadelphia. Register by calling 330-363-4474.
