Looking for route from Damascus, VA to Columbus, OH

[wide_eyed]

I am partway into my East to West TransAmerica tour.  Enjoying the riding, scenery and most of all the people.  I'm considering a big detour to go through Columbus, OH to see family.  I'm not sure where the best place would be to break off... I was thinking somewhere after Damascus, VA, where I am now; but before Berea, KY.  Thought I'd try to get over the hilliest parts, head north to Columbus, then take the UGRR route back to the TransAmerica route.

I've been looking at maps for a while and was feeling pretty intimidated about going off route.  I was feeling ready to just forget it when I thought to try the forums!  I found one old post with a similar request:
http://www.adventurecycling.org/forums/index.php?topic=4277.msg19856#msg19856
Someone responded with a tantalizing reference to a route from Damascus to Dayton, but I couldn't quite decipher the email address.

Any suggestions/wisdom will be appreciated very much!
Thanks

[FredHiltz]

... I found one old post with a similar request: http://www.adventurecycling.org/forums/index.php?topic=4277.msg19856#msg19856
Someone responded with a tantalizing reference to a route from Damascus to Dayton, but I couldn't quite decipher the email address.

Replace AT with the @ sign, and DOT with a period. He wrote it this way to foil the bots that scrape email addresses off forums and send spam to them.

Fred

[wide_eyed]

Thanks Fred!

I get a bounce message when I send mail to that address.  Maybe the address no longer exists.

[wide_eyed]

Been looking a little more.  Thinking of continuing on route to Dema, KY and breaking off there on rt 7.  My thought is to try to go through Portsmouth, OH.  Should be able to make a nice ride from there to Columbus since TOSRV manages to do it every year.  The big uncertainty for me is the Kentucky part and how to figure out whether the road I'm looking at is a good one.

[FredHiltz]

Thanks Fred! I get a bounce message when I send mail to that address.  Maybe the address no longer exists.

Could well be, but to check against a typo when decoding the address, try clicking on the word Email, four lines beneath Seel's name to the left of the message.

I wish I could help with the route. The good research options are hard to do on the road. I think I'd try a local bike shop if you find one, and also hail a serious-looking cyclist to ask. I have had good results with the latter.

Fred