Camping/biking suggestions

Question
Robert,
I am trying to plan a fun weekend for my boyfriend's birthday.  We both love camping and are just getting into the mountain biking hobby.  Can you suggest some great places we can go around the midwest?  We live in Cincinnati.  If you don't know, can you suggest some good websites on this subject?
Thanks!
Teresa

Answer
I don't know much about your area of southern Ohio.  Here are some thoughts, however.  I wonder if Bike Ohio newspaper is still going?  I got a copy of that back in 1993 when I crossed USA and wrote to many states for info.  In 1993, I crossed northern Ohio on my way east.  

Around Cleveland there was the Metro Parks Bike Paths.  A system of parks and paths all the way across the metropolitan area from west to east.  It was a nioe long ways on paved trails.  Mostly went through parks.  Also good places to eat and so forth along the way.  Overpasses got one across major roads with little or no problems.  Hardly a traffic light, as I remember.  All really nice parkland.  

A day or two after that, I remember camping in the Allegany Forest of Pennsilvania.  

Wisconsin has some nice biking.  There is the "Sparta to Elroy 3 tunnel trail" in western Wisconsin.  Some other trails in the state as well.  Minnesota has some good biking also.  Michigan's Upper Pennisula has some nice roads.  

I didn't like most of the roads in Illinois, but crossed most of the state on a nice trail, rather than a road.  It is called the Illinois and Michigan Canal route.  Goes through Ottawa, IL.  East end somewhere around Joliett.  Follows old I&M Canal.  

In my travels, I have been farther north than southern Ohio.  I hear there is a big trail in Missourie, called something like the Katie Trail.  My spelling may be off.  I haven't been to it, but people talk about it.  I may get there someday.  

So hope this can help as you search around and possibly check out local bike clubs as well.  

I live in the northwest part of Washington State, between Seattle and Vancouver, BC.

Good to hear from you.
Robert.
http://www.theslowlane.com