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Journal
June 16-30
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Monday, June 16, 2003
Mr. Snowden's prepared us a nice country style breakfast
- sausage, eggs and biscuits. Our departure puts us in the
canine hell. The highest per capita dogs chases for a 10 mile
stretch. It's almost unnerving when you find yourself less
interested in the scenery and more concerned about the homes
with a poor understanding of the "leash" law. These aren't
ordinary dogs, to put it into perspective, one business we
passed trains "Treeing Dogs" and half of the houses seem to
have kennels out back where they house their hunting hounds.
Presently in Berea, Kentucky - one of the few sizeable towns
we hit in the State. What was slated to be an aggressive mileage
day was sidetracked by errands and rain. Aaron located two
kind individuals (Andy & Paige Beichler) who opened up their
home and feed us chili and beer. We might not leave.
Tuesday, June 17, 2003
Berea seems to be the transition point from the Appalachian
area to the blue grass part of the state. Fewer dogs, no mountains
but lots of windy/hilly roads. This section of the trip has
fewer services, which is why we are presently in a hotel in
Harrodsburg, KY. Though I've so far avoided all the fast food
chain restaurants, with an all-you-can-eat buffet style restaurant
next door and a constant, nagging hunger, I knew I'd come
out ahead.
Wednesday, June 18, 2003
We are presently sitting at a picnic table drinking Budweiser
and talking with a fellow cyclist, Dick Nye. Dick has had
a tough day on his bike and this seems to have pulled lots
of his hard-times cyclist stories to the surface. He has the
same plan I do, the TransAmerica Trail to the Lewis & Clark
trail. It's comforting to know that others are embarking on
the same trail this late in the year. We've now entered into
the Knobs as the locals call it, the Bluegrass region as the
rest of the States knows it. Today was milder, with rolling
hills and dairy cattle. We also encountered our first corn
field which I found comforting since I associate that with
the Midwest i.e. home and open, non-hilly plains.
Thursday, June 19, 2003
Today's ride reminded me of one of the joys of a bicycling
- being enveloped in the aromas. In this specific case, I
am not referring to the smells of nature, but the Bluegrass
regions other claim to fame - whiskey. For miles I passed
through pockets of spent mesh and alcohol. A short 12 mile
detour from our route landed us at the steps of the Maker's
Mark distillery in Loreto, Kentucky. The bicycles seemed to
catch the eyes of many of the visitors and we hoped their
admiration might result in a showering of gifts, i.e. whiskey.
When that didn't materialize, we opted to purchase our own
bottle in anticipation of our pending 1000 mile mark. The
distilleries facilities were magnificent and we truly enjoyed
the tour. As for the ride, the weather held for the most part,
only some scattered drops. It's been three weeks now, and
we have yet to have a 24 hour period without rain. If the
forecast holds, tomorrow may be our first.
Friday, June 20, 2003
I think I have finally won the battle against the strange
smell emanating from my shoes. Three weeks of perpetual wetness
gave them an attitude. Today was indeed the first twenty-four
hour since departing that we have not had precipitation. One
solid scrubbing coupled with some time in the sun seems to
have killed the mildew. An absolutely wonderful day on the
bicycle. Stopped by Lincoln's birth place today outside of
Hodgenville. The interpretive center was tastefully done and
I cherish the visit since it provided such a heartfelt presentation
on the unique individual that Lincoln was. Hodgenville did
all in it's power to capitalize on its ties to Lincoln. A
sampling: Lincoln Jamboree, Lincoln Plaza, Lincoln Village
Restaurant, Lincoln Farmer Market etc.. I was somewhat perplexed
to see road signs indicating horses and buggies. This question
was quickly answered as we pulled into a gas station for lunch
alongside an Amish man with his two sons parked in a special
area reserved buggies. We spent over thirty minutes on a small
country road without seeing a single vehicle and passed some
glorious stretches of wildflowers.
Saturday, June 21, 2003
According to the cartographer, we are out of the Knobs and
can expect to encounter only minor hills until the river valley.
Encountered several other cyclists today, all moving east.
It was a little disconcerting to cross paths with one couple
who left on the same day as us (from San Francisco) and yet
here we are meeting east of the Mississippi. In our defense,
they had a sag vehicle (a car carries all their stuff) and
were on the short route (only 3000 miles relative to my 4500).
Arose early today and made our destination by 2 p.m. It allowed
me to clean the bicycle, write some postcards, do laundry,
tune the bicycle, and deal with most of my "to do" list. We
have found another friendly fire station in Utica, KY that
has opened its doors to passing cyclists. The first cloudless
day and the forecast looks promising. Being outside under
these conditions couldn't be better.
Sunday, June 22, 2003
I just ate 2.5 pounds of canned Ravioli and a bag of chips
as well as some mulberries from the tree next to our campsite.
It was an obnoxiously large can, the type you would expect
to see in a school cafeteria. I've bloated my stomach to the
point that Buddha would be worried. I hurt, and yet I continue
to do this night after night. The scary thing is I will wake
up hungry. Every element of our first ten miles today was
perfect. Mild hills, light breeze on the back, sun in the
sky and the perfect temperature. We logged a little over 70
miles today and have set up camp under a pavilion in the county
park in Marion, KY. Tomorrow we cross into our third state
- Illinois.
Monday, June 23, 2003
Ah, my beloved Illinois. This morning we caught a ferry from
Kentucky to Cave In Rock, Illinois. Since I didn't know the
words to my state song, I sang the Chicago Bears' fight song
hoping nobody would notice. Judging by their looks, they did.
Stopped in Elizabethtown for lunch at a classic country-style
restaurant and enjoyed an incredible meal of pork chops and
cornbread for next to nothing. It got hot today, into the
90's and with limited water stops along the way. We camped
outside of Simpson at Cedar Lake Ranch. Darren Shoemaker,
the owner, not only set us up with a good site, he went and
bought us beer at a store 7 miles downs the road. After several
consecutive nights of dry Kentucky counties, we all felt we
deserved a beer for our efforts. I will forever call Darren
the "Ambassador of Illinois" for his kindness. The campsite
was deep in the country and put us in the middle of the great
outdoors. Two nearby lakes offered us an amphibian concerto
and the surrounding forested was saturated with fireflies.
It's good to be back in my home state.
Tuesday, June 24, 2003
The people in Illinois have been incredible. Not only do
they offer to fill our water bottles, but they also ask if
we want ice. Sure, a minor thing, but something that is truly
appreciated when you are bicycling in high heat. On the downside,
the roads in Illinois have proven to be the most poorly maintained.
Lots of gravel and potholes which makes the hills dangerous
at any speeds. As I say that, I did managed to break the 40
m.p.h. mark on a downhill today. A record that I hope I do
not break. I must be somewhat warped, I almost miss all the
Kentucky dogs and the accompanying adrenalin rush a good chase
offers. Presently in Carbondale, IL, a college town with all
the amenities we could possibly need.
Wednesday, June 25, 2003
I've now been on the road for four weeks. Though my average
mileage has been less than I initially expected, I have also
managed to get the toughest part of my trip out of my way.
The forecast called for a high in the mid nineties with high
humidity. All the excuse we needed for a "zero" day. The former
"Bike Surgeon", Mark and his wife Rachel have been kind enough
to put us up for two nights. Mark also did some adjustments
to my gearing and it now runs smoother than it did coming
from the factory.
Thursday, June 26, 2003
For only the second time during my trip (today and my first
day), I departed the morning without any travel companions.
It was strange to cycle without James and Aaron and I can
already tell that their company will be missed. I also strayed
from the maps for the first time in order to get up to Hartford,
IL where I will meet my parents and then embark on the Lewis
& Clark trail. Today was my highest mileage day yet and they
were all hard earned. My route was flat but with an unrelenting
headwind and brushes of bad weather. It destroyed me. Highlights,
an admiring employee from Subway who donated a free sub to
my cause in Pinckneyville and a donation to the Lance Armstrong
Foundation from a restaurant patron with whom I spoke. I also
continued to encounter some super friendly people in the small
towns along the way.
Friday, June 27, 2003
Another high mileage day in order to get to Alton, IL in
time for the parent's arrival. Passed through lots of farming
communities and had almost no climbing to with which to concern
myself. Outside Alton the narrow lanes and high traffic amounted
to some of the more stressful cycling of the trip. Looking
forward to another zero day tomorrow and spending some time
with mom and dad. After that, it's on to the Lewis & Clark
trail.
Saturday, June 28, 2003
I've now been on the road for one month. It is only appropriate
that today be a zero day. Mom and dad took some time away
from the business to visit. It was a truly relaxing day spent
at the Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center in Hartford, IL and
the Cahokia Mounds a little further to the south. Mom and
dad treated me to the gamut of good things: b-b-q, fine wine,
hotel room with warm showers and all the calories I needed.
It was an utterly relaxing day and I can honestly say that
since the start of my trip, I've haven't felt so far from
the bicycle (that's a good thing on occasion).
Sunday, June 29, 2003
Since starting on the trip, there have been several occasions
where I've logged long days, woken up the next day and felt
as though I had a full body massage from a long-handled sledgehammer.
Yet I never had any hesitations about getting on the bike
again. Today was different. I think the stressful conditions
of the two previous biking days and mom and dad spoiling me
made it all the more difficult to depart this morning. That's
why I deserved a day like today. Bike trails, quaint towns,
and free camping below a brewpub. Crossed both the Illinois
and Mississippi Rivers today via ferry and eventually found
myself in Missouri, my fourth state. St. Charles was delightful,
bricked streets, historic town and the start of the KATY trail,
a gift of the rails-to-trails. I logged my highest mileage
day and felt strong at the end. The trail passed through some
dense forests and along miles of limestone bluffs. The cottonwoods
were releasing their airborne gifts and as a bike trail should
be, absolutely no traffic.
Monday, June 30, 2003
All the wildlife and no road kill. It's a different world
to travel along a bike path. I couldn't even take a gander
at the number of rabbits, deer, turtles, snakes and other
assorted creatures I encountered today. And with only slow
moving and relatively silent bicycles to deal with, the animals
are less likely to get scared and even less likely to end
up a casualty. I stopped in Hermann, MO to rendezvous with
a good friend from high school, Patricia Burke (Dyke) along
her mom and stepfather. I had a wonderful time chatting and
as I expected, the time passed too quickly. I was back on
the trail (after fixing yet another broken spoke) with Tebbetts
as my destination. The KATY is obviously a weekend haven for
bicyclists. In 70 miles, I saw only a dozen or so cyclists
on the path today. I also climbed a total of 284 feet today
- next to NOTHING. Oh joy!
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