Xenia - Wilmington - Hillsboro - Circleville - London - Xenia

Enjoy a week with GOBA! Take to the roads on your tuned-up two-wheeler, soak up the history and hospitality of Southwest Ohio, make 2,999 new best friends, and expect the unexpected.

This year's tour is dedicated to the Father of GOBA, Ed Honton, who inspired us to these greater challenges. So, sign up the family, pack your tent, and bring your sense of Adventure.

• 5 days of cycling 45-60 miles from town to town and 2 days of optional loops
• Terrain: from hilly to rolling to gentle...much hillier than 2005
• Estimated mileage for the week: minimum: 265...maximum: 400
• Primitive tent camping at a mixture of fairgrounds and schools
• The traditional Song Contest

• Check in at GOBA Headquarters located on the Greene County Fairgrounds.
• Xenia is known regionally as "The Hub of it All" because of the four bike trails that converge in the city.
• Gear up for the bicycle parade and costume contest, opening ceremonies and evening entertainment.

• It's Fathers' Day, so salute your father.
• Study your surroundings... Ancient seabeds offer up their fossils...it'll make you feel young!
• Caesar Creek State Park beach is an inviting place on a summer day.
• Wander into welcoming Wilmington for the night at the High School.

• From your "warm-up" on Sunday, get ready for the hills
• Relax in Lynchburg and visit the covered bridge
• Join the gang (and the line!) for ice cream.
• Time your arrival in Hillsboro for a refreshing swim and a visit to the Highland House museum.
• Pitch your tent at the Highland County Fairgrounds and settle in for 2 nights.

• You say you can't stand a day without cycling? Well, do we have a 50-mile loop for you...past Mennonite communities to the mysterious Serpent Mound, and it's seriously not flat! - Others may choose to go to Kings Island or to Seven Caves and the Highland Nature Sanctuary.

• Take the hill challenge out of well-named Hillsboro and find your reward in the rolling plains as you head into the world-renowned "Roundtown" (the town really was originally laid out in a circle)
• Breathe in the aroma of pumpkins, even though it's months away to the Pumpkin Show
• Stake your claim to your own corner of Circleville High School and enjoy the hospitality.

• Today's biking loops feature a choice of 50 miles or 100 very challenging miles.
• Century riders will find the Hocking Hills invigorating and the scenery inspiring.
• For something more tame, check out the Tecumseh! Outdoor Drama or the Museum/Theatre dedicated to Ted Lewis, the 1920's jazz king famous for his immortal line, "Is everybody happy?"

• Turn your compass to the northwest and be sure to stop at Green's Heritage Museum, an amazing collection of historic buildings, fascinating artifacts, stagecoaches, and country stores.
• Make sure you make it to London in time to savor the Strawberry Festival, a sweet ending to the day.
• Unroll your rumpled sleeping bag at London High School for your last night in camp.

• See what's hatching at the Fish Farm. - Pay homage to the Ohio to Erie Trail.
• Marvel at the workings of the old-time Clifton Mill and skirt the scenic gorge.
• Stop and learn at the National Afro-American Museum.
• Come back to Xenia on a high note...it's just another day on GOBA!

• COP Members (16 years & up) - $160
• Non-Members (16 years & up) - $170
• Children (6-15 years, must be accompanied by responsible adult) - $85

GOBA registration includes primitive tent camping. Expect additional costs for food, other lodging, optional side trips, and some activities. Route details and mileages are approximate and are subject to change.

• May 17, 2006

Additional details and application are available through www.goba.com, or 614-273-0811, or GOBA, 1525 Bethel Rd., Ste. 100, Columbus, Ohio 43220.

Brochures will also be available in the spring in Ohio Bob Evans Restaurants and selected bicycle shops.

Don't miss out...sign up now and experience the Adventure.

Photo from GOBA 2004 Scrapbook