We leave the Berkshire Lake Campground, north of Columbus, at about 8am and head north on I-71 to Bellville, just south of Mansfield, where there is a beautiful bike trail.
At the parking lot, we meet a biker finishing his ride who tells us to go south and back to experience the most scenic part of the trail. He also tells us the best route to Malabar Farm where we want to have lunch, and about the Shawshank Trail. The movie Shawshank Redemption was filmed around here and now there is a self-guided tour of the sites, including the prison (the former Mansfield State Reformatory) and the road and tree where “Red” found the money Andy left him.
We ride about 10 miles along a shady trail through farm country and at the turn back point, stop at an Amish farmer’s produce stand and buy tomatoes and banana peppers that fit into our packs. When we return to the RV, on the windshield is a plastic bag holding a Mansfield area map, flyers on the Shawshank Trail and Malabar farms, and hand-written directions from our friend on the bike!
We have a fabulous lunch of farm fresh food prepared in country French style at Malabar Farms Restaurant, out on the porch. I love this area with its rolling hills, fields of corn and gardens of lilies and vegetables. We are home by mid-afternoon.
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