Heading ever west, we have to get past Lake Erie in order to then head through the Mid West. So today was a day of following the gently undulating coast of the lake. It has been a hot day, but pleasantly so. We set off in decent time, about 9.40am, piling any 'trash' into a bin. Recycling is behind the times here, the wastage of really nice plastic and glass bottles amazing. The coast road was perfect for a fast ride and today we averaged over 12mph, in the morning over 13mph when there was a hint of a tailwind, yes! Powered along past extensive vineyards - local wines for $15. There was a sweet scene in a Dollar General where the young black man behind the counter was helping a classic genteel little old lady with her groceries and exchanging the local news - thank goodness smaller grocery shops still exist, and with kind chatty staff. I felt grateful for my local coop. Not a frequent sensation... We pressed on. Erie, the town of the lake, is a sprawl, had a maritime museum of which I was excessively sceptical - after all how many naval victories or tremendous trade routes can occur on a lake between two friendly countries? Well in its own modest way Lake Erie can give us the delights of brigs and ships and trade and fishing. There's even a modest brig to visit (Niagara). The curse of having lots more miles to do meant I just viewed the model. The ship is a bit titchy compared with the Wavertree viewed in New York. Apparently the Great Lakes were ground out by glaciers, dammed up by moraines, and have been larger. Lake Erie is a shallow lake but higher than Lake Ontario - hence Niagara Falls. We found a park where we ate lunch in shady hydrangea filled space. Then on via another Dollar General to Virginia's Beach campground. We passed a few locals doing what looked suspiciously like utility cycling - using a bike to do everyday tasks. Wonderful, sane and pretty rare.... Most Americans would consider cycling a mile or more to visit a friend or get some milk a crazy thing to do. What's the truck for? It's not that different from the UK. Guy was beeped at for daring to use the main carriageway to overtake a cyclist on the hard shoulder. There's no requirement to use the hard shoulder and sometimes it is so littered or broken it is wise not to. We set up camp, swam in Lake Erie - odd since it looks like the sea but isn't salty - and came to an ending with books. Still reading Main Street...