Driving Through Western Ohio
Driving across the I-80/U.S. 20 corridor in northern Ohio is a tale of two states. East of the city of Medina you have mostly older industrial cities like Akron, Warren, Niles and Youngstown. Much of the area between these cities has become commuting suburbs and ex-urbs for the nearby urban centers and even for Cleveland, to the north. On this slow drive off of the interstate speed limits max out at 45 mph and you see a lot of towns that are transitioning from farm towns to suburban centers. Driving west from Medina Google Maps sent me down many a small county road in it search for the fastest route, avoiding highways and I entered serious farmland. The fields extend for miles. Some people might find a drive through mile after mile of farmland as boring, but to me it was fascinating. Unlike being on the Interstate, where I could put both my car and my mind on cruise control, here I had to really pay attention. Besides the somewhat frequent stop signs and traffic lights...