On Friday morning we were, remarkably, not too sore from biking, but firmly against doing any more, so we decided to hike on foot for a manageable distance (5.3 mi) between Wayne Park (section point 11) and Vorwerk Park. We also planned to spend some time visiting the quaint river town of Napolean because we felt we had all earned a fun day. Our hike was uneventful until we reached the town, not very scenic either. We welcomed an airconditioned visit to an antique store, followed by a visit to a newly restored county courthouse which towered over the rest of the town. The courthouse had a beautiful iron stairwell, and the Probate Court records room was filled with period bronze-looking boxes that must have stored documents from ages ago! Everyone from the clerk to the security guards were friendly and helpful, as well as curious about our BT hiking adventures. We kept walking through town, which seemed pretty artsy with all its murals, and meandered down neighborhood streets that paralleled the BT because they were lined with beautifully restored Victorian homes. This is how we stumbled upon a magnificent Presbyterian church with copper-colored stonework! After about a block we were hailed by the sweetest little girl on a bike directing us to her family’s lemonade stand. She was quite persistent and asked a LOT of questions. We ended up talking to her siblings and neighbors, the two moms, and her grandfather. THIS is what makes hiking on foot such a pleasure- interacting with the locals! The lemonade wasn’t bad either! Regetfully, we had to press on, and we stopped for another refresher at an ice cream stand along the BT just across from Wayne Park at the end of our hike. This was a MUCH more enjoyable day for all of us and we drove to the town of Defiance for dinner, which was gearing up for fireworks that night and had also closed downtown for a First Friday’s Cruise-In celebration, where seemingly anyone could drive in their old, restored vintage car to show them off. It was a pretty eclectic bunch of cars that filled up three city blocks and all the owners were camped out on the sidewalks. Unfortunately, there was only one local restaurant there, so we had to leave the festive atmosphere to find food (and air conditioning again). We returned to our campsite less tired and frustrated than the previous day but became aware that the weather would be turning against us the next morning.
