Corn and Soybeans

Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you Illinois. Yesterday marked the first day back to the point-to-point riding since the bike broke down over a month ago. For the last week, it’s all been out and back on a trail or a couple of loops, ending right back where I started. It served it’s purpose. I was able to check off several states (WV, OH, MI, IN and IL), while riding without packs and getting used to being in the saddle again after a month off. Yesterday, Dan and I took off from Peoria for a 4-day ride up to La Crosse, Wisconsin. We covered just under 90 miles, mostly into a 10-12 mph headwind. Over half the ride was still on trails - the first portion on the Rock Island Rail Trail for about 25 miles, then later on, another 23 on the Hennepin Canal towpath. The 40 miles in between was nothing but corn and soybean fields. Literally nothing. It wasn’t dead flat, but pretty close. It was hot enough, that we could hear the tar crackling under the bike tires as we went. The only breaks from the monotony of the view were the 4 towns we rode through - in 90 miles. Those didn’t offer much of a change, although it is important to note that Kewanee, Illinois was voted the friendliest town in America in 2013. That was the highlight. I have nothing else. I fear I will be able to cut and paste these exact same words (except the part about Kewanee) in tonight’s post. After a couple days along the Mississippi, this is likely my fate for probably the next 3 weeks. Uggghh.

Dan and I at the start in Peoria.

My second Wyoming (the first was in NY) of the trip and home to the trail HQ for the Rock Island trail. We will narrowly miss Wyoming, Iowa on our ride to La Crosse.

There are paved roads, dirt roads, gravel roads, and apparently grass roads too. This detour was necessitated by a large tree down across the trail.

US Highway 34 near Kewanee, Illinois. Sweetness.

The Hennepin Canal Towpath. You can tell I’m scraping for pictures.

Bonus post from my day in Bloomington, IN. My first successful video upload.