The heat is on. Hot August days have arrived in Ohio. This morning we met our friends Mike, Greg and Bill for a bicycle ride through Ohio’s Amish country. It was a beautiful drive through the country with clear blue skies as we headed to Fredericksburg.

Our route for the day was 10 miles south from Fredericksburg on the Holmes County Trail to Hipp Station in downtown Millersburg. This trail is unique in that it is two-laned; one lane for hikers and bikes and another for Amish buggies. The trail was partially funded as a means for Amish to travel to Millersburg, the county seat, without encountering traffic on busy state highways.

This trail is another of the rails to trails trail. It follows the path of an abandoned railroad line. It traverses Ohio farmland and was mostly shaded. This was welcome given the near 90 degree heat. The grade was gentle as we headed to Millersburg. As you know you pay the price for that downhill slope on the uphill return leg.

After lunch at a sports bar in Millersburg, we retuned to Fredericksburg. We passed a good bit of Amish on this ride. They were in buggies and carts, walking and riding bikes. It definitely made this ride interesting. You had to look down quite a bit to avoid the road apples!

It was an enjoyable trail. There were not many crossings. In Holmesville we rode village streets for about ½ mile. The surface was well maintained. At times it was confusing as the horse and bike trails switched sides. The traffic was fairly light which allowed us to ride across both lanes most times. Looking for a new way to see Amish country? This is a nice alternative with a completely different point of view.