Miles 2609 to 2689, 80 miles, 1100 feet of climb, max speed 32 mph, avg speed 16 mph, wind was favorable most of the day and the rain never came. Temperature was perfect!
 |
| Dave & John in Champaign, IL |
My brother John pulled out his unicycle and joined me for a short stretch of my ride across America. The fellow riders enjoyed the demonstration but nobody wanted to try and risk a fall. We still have over a thousand miles to ride and don’t need any more bumps or bruises. We all enjoyed breakfast together and then I headed east and John headed north. Many commented how there was no doubt we were brothers.
Another state line today! Not only are we in Indiana, but we crossed our last time zone boundary! We are in the east now and can almost hear the ocean’s waves just 15 days away! The pace has been picked up, averaging over ninety miles a day over the last six days. Thank God we have been blessed with cooler weather without storms.
 |
| Searching for pennies after the train passed |
Today was also flat penny day. Finally after seven states we finally had the opportunity to put pennies on the rail of an approaching train, and then lucky enough to find them after the train passed. Claire, a rider from Maryland, was out first today and got the pennies down in time before the Illinois Central freight train came by. She is one of our fastest riders, First Out – First In. It’s hard to get a picture of her; she idles at 20 mph, and when she goes downhill, well, only one of our Dutchmen can keep up. She loves riding because it helps her clear her mind and focus on things that are important in life. In this we are similar. The difference is she is out in front of the pack, and me, I didn’t even know there was a pack.
Bottom Line: Today was one of the most enjoyable days yet. I am pretty hardened to things like hills and headwinds. It was just a fun day, and the ride was good too. Precious people make this challenge the greatest vacation ever.
I hope you enjoyed your day of rest today: I know you enjoyed the company. Our granddaughter Taylor moved here from Indiana this weekend so I don't plan to visit there for a long time. Ben and Chelsea moved with her. Enjoy your ride through the corn fields tomorrow.
ReplyDelete