I left Fulton bright and early because I knew that it was going to be a hard day. I needed to cover 49 miles, one of my longest of the trip, and I also had to climb 1,880 feet. Pretty much all of the climbing was packed into the last 15 miles.
First stop was Dollar General where I stocked up on tortillas (to go with the single serving peanut butter packets that I already had) and some hard cheese. And a chocolate covered cherry. Gotta have my breakfast sugar.
Trails like this one had me smiling in the cool morning air.
The trail eventually petered out and left me on country roads. That was OK, though, because there was hardly any traffic. I laughed as I pedaled past the federal penitentiary outside Thomson, IL with its huge signs that no photos are allowed. You can, of course, see the facility in great detail on Google Maps. But who am I to question rules? Instead of taking pictures there, I spent my time photographing the lawn art a couple miles away.
These folks had way too much fun decorating their yard.
They even had a scarlet macaw inside the cage, much like my Scarlet at home except theirs is a lot quieter.
I passed through a beautifully wooded watery area south of Savannah, IL. I decided that it was pretty enough to be the official halfway point on my tour.
That was the last pleasant part of the day. As the temperature rose, the buffalo gnats a/k/a black flies came out in force. Any time I slowed down, my face, eyes, ears, nose, mouth were swarmed with the damned things. Neither vanilla extract nor 100% DEET Jungle Juice would deter the monsters. They did keep me moving, so I guess there is that to be thankful for. The worst was going up the steep climbs (steepest grade 14.8% according to RideWithGPS). As long as I was riding, I was fast enough to be pretty much free of the bugs. But when the grades got to be too much and I had to walk the bike, it just sucked.
Ultimately, I got to my hotel in Galena with a solid sense of satisfaction. Yes it had been a tough day but I mastered it and even scored a first floor room with a patio.
Dinner that night included the best beer I have ever had and pizza and salad and dessert.
To be continued….
The flies are just one of the reasons I wouldn’t be doing what you are doing. I am so glad I am makiing this trip with you sitting in my cool, comfortable den.
What was the beer? Something local and as artisanal as those yard decorations?
I too must know of this beer!