The road to Battleground, Indiana routes through Fort Wayne, so I planned to return to Folkcraft Instruments for the Tuesday night jam and to pick up a new rigid case to go with the new dulcimer I acquired last week. Having spent a lot of time in this area over the past ten years of working with Folkcraft, I feel comfortable navigating the streets while running errands.

Sometimes, it's simple (groceries) and sometimes it's complex (groceries, laundry, oil change, vape shop) depending on what needs to be accomplished. If I can find a decent bike trail, I'll even hit that if the schedule is loose enough and today, it was.

The Maumee River berm near downtown Fort Wayne, Indiana

The Rivergreenway Trail in New Haven, Indiana is something I wish I'd discovered years ago. With over 30 miles of path between Moser Park and Fort Wayne, it winds through gorgeous tree canopies past farmland, golf courses and the Maumee River before emerging into dense inner city, safely separated from the traffic. This one's going to become a ritual for sure! It's not a tough trail, pretty much stays level, but there are a few climbs and some exciting dips to keep things interesting and as challenging as you'd like to make it.

It had just finished raining, so I heeded the "slippery when wet" signs posted copiously along the concrete and wooden boardwalk path, taking it easy around curves and slowing for pooled water. Given how the route follows the path of the river, passing Hosey Dam in Fort Wayne, it's easy to see how this area could flood. At one point, the berm is higher than the rooftops of the houses on the street below. That's some serious flood control.

After a nice 90-minute roll, I lucked-out and found a Jiffy Lube with large enough bays to accommodate Imua, then headed out to the Folkcraft jam.

Again, a great time making music with everybody and visiting a little. I had to duck out early and deal with an e-mail that I noticed during a break, and when I came back, everyone was gone. I know it wasn't a dream because my new dulcimer is still inside. Still, inside, I know how the edges of time can blur when you're on the road. 20 days in, everything already feels so much better than it did last year.

And last year felt pretty damn great. Not having two tires blow out, one after the other, is also conducive to feeling great.

Day 21

Day 20: Interstate Tour 2018