A Dutch native visits the Pennsylvania Dutch in Ohio's Amish Country

BERLIN - Dr. Gregory Maassen, a native of the Netherlands, wanted to take the opportunity to visit some Pennsylvania Dutch residents of Amish Country in Holmes County and Wayne County during his four-month sojourn across the United States on an e-bike. He left Washington, D.C, on Saturday, April 2.

He also got an additional treat, which was visiting with another Netherlands native, Marika (Lonsain) Wagner, who lives in Berlin, Ohio. Wagner said she learned about Dr. Maassen and his cross-country trip through a previous article in The Daily Record, and she reached out to him to host him for a night on his journey.

"I am so honored to have him stay here," Wagner said. "Gregory is the first man from my home country to visit in my home. I can't believe he's here. My goodness."

Wagner survived a childhood in which she was transferred to nine different Japanese concentration camps in Indonesia during World War II.

She provided Maassen with a good meal and a warm, comfortable place to spend the night before he headed west toward Bucyrus on Saturday, April 16. From there he headed to Bluffton, on his way to Indiana and Illinois.

Stayed one night with David Lohnes and his wife in Wooster

His first night in the Wooster area was spent with David Lohnes, who works in IT at Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center (OARDC).

"David Lohnes travels all over the area to do interesting shows with rockets flying and things exploding, trying to make science fun for young people," Maassen said. "I filmed with him this morning (Friday). He likes to make young people aware of the creation around them."

Lohnes is a member of the group Warmshowers.Org, an international group of nearly 169,000 members in 161 countries which provides places to stay for bicyclists who are biking through the area. He and his wife have been hosting guest cyclists for close to 10 years. They enjoy hosting.

Whiz Bang: https://youtu.be/DeO6IPzZsnY

"We haven't had anybody stay with us since the pandemic started," Lohnes said. "We've had quite a few visitors from all over the world stay with us in the past. We've hosted people from Austria, Korea and China. We just had another Warmshowers request from a Greek Canadian who will be visiting us soon.

"I went on a bike trip to Indianapolis, and I used Warmshowers and stayed with people along the way," he continued. "It was a lot of fun. I made friends and had a really good time doing it. We're supposed to provide a supper and a breakfast and a place to take a shower at no cost. It's always nice to show up at somebody's house, have them feed you and give you a place to sleep."

An American tale

Maassen said he will have to take a couple days off mid-trip to fly back to Washington, D.C., from Illinois to take his American Citizenship Test, which he applied for prior to embarking on his journey.

"Hopefully, I will have begun this trip as a Dutchman, but will finish it as an American citizen," he said with a laugh. "This is a dream coming true. I am going across America and experiencing it for myself, basically going from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific."

The reception from people has been good so far, aside from one person in Pennsylvania who yelled at him to get off the road.

"I just smiled and waved," he said. "Most people want to stop and talk, which is slowing me down a little. I had hoped to travel about 12 miles per hour, but so far I am only averaging about 10 or 11. I am also experiencing a lot of hills."

He said he was fascinated when he saw an Amish buggy parking station on his way to Berlin from Wooster.

"I am following the historic Lincoln Highway, the same historic trip Ike Eisenhower did when he led a military convoy across the country in 1919," Maassen said. "They went from town to town and stayed in places like Wooster, Bucyrus and Van Wert, just like I am doing whenever possible. "

He noted it was because of Eisenhower's experience with the military convoy that it was determined the country needed an interstate highway system.

Maassen is averaging around 55 miles a day on the trip that started from his home in Washington, D.C., but he will have some stretches in which he will travel more than 100 miles in a day, such as when he is crossing through the dessert in Utah. His journey is expected to take four months.

He explained that he began his trip in the spring so he could get through the dessert out west before it gets too hot.

"The longest day will be from Delta, Utah to Bacon, Nevada when I travel through the dessert," he said. "There is nothing in between; no charging, nothing. That will be along (U.S.) Route 50, the loneliest highway in the country."

E-biking for a cause: Foundation for Peripheral Neuropathy

This cross-country e-bike trip is also a fundraiser in support of the Foundation for Peripheral Neuropathy, a debilitating disease Maassen is battling. It is a weakness, numbness and pain from nerve damage, usually in the hands and feet, often attributed to diabetes or injuries and exposure to toxins. He contracted PN while in South Africa nearly three years ago.

On his website (ebiketour.org) Maassen shares information about pledging support for the cause. He thanks the many people who have already pledged their support, and he encourages others to help him in his fight against PB.

documentary: documentary:https://ebikedocumentary.com

Maassen is also a certified FFA drone pilot, which he is using to help document his trek, along with a mounted camera on the front of his bike. He is working on a documentary about his experience.

This article originally appeared on The Daily Record: Dutch cross country cyclist makes stops in Holmes and Wayne counties