Day 25: 59 Miles

Marion, KY to Vienna, IL

The theme of the day today was once again hills and headwinds. I woke up around 6:00 this morning and started to get ready. The church we were staying at had an 8:30 service and I figured it would be best to get out of there before people started showing up.

There were four cyclists who stayed at the church last night. This morning we all talked to each other to see if we had similar plans. The British guy who rode 110 miles yesterday decided he would take a rest day. Jeff had plans for a short day of about 40 miles. Charlie was planning to do 60 miles which was similar to what I was thinking. By 7:15 I was already packed and ready to head out. There was a McDonald’s in town so I went over there with Charlie to grab breakfast. After two sausage and egg McMuffins I was ready to get on the road. This was the earliest I’ve managed to start a day so far. I guess the other cyclists are having a positive influence on me.

I left Charlie but told him I would text him later to check in and see if we’d be stopping at the same place. The first 12 miles of today went by quickly. At the 12-mile mark I hit the Ohio river and hopped on a free ferry to cross. This was the third time I’ve crossed the Ohio river on this trip. Once from West Virginia to Ohio, another time from Indiana to Kentucky, and now from Kentucky to Illinois. Illinois is already state number 8 on this trip. The ferry ride was quick and dropped me off in the town of Cave-in-Rock, Illinois. This is where I originally planned to camp last night, but with the tornado that passed through I think I made the right call with finding an indoor spot to stay.

The riding in Illinois started off tough. There was no threat of rain today, but the winds from the storm were still around. I spent about 30 miles riding up and down hills with a headwind that ranged from 10 to 20 mph. These roads weren’t overly challenging, but the wind made things hard. By noon I reached the town of Golconda and texted Charlie to let him know that I was planning to go slightly off route to stay at a motel for the night. One option was to stop early and camp at a place meant for horse trail riders. Each campsite fit one RV and up to 4 horses. The other option was to go longer than I wanted to and camp at a place that was mostly booked up and potentially flooded from the storm. The motel was the right distance away and would only take me slightly off route. Charlie liked my idea so we decided to split a motel room in the town of Vienna tonight. Things have gotten much cheaper since I hit the Adventure Cycling Trans Am route. The last 2 nights have been free and splitting the room tonight costs me just $36.

I booked a hotel room with 2 beds and then had just 20 miles left in the day. The winds eventually died down and the final 15 miles went by quickly. I got in to town and stopped at a store to pick up a 6 pack of Bud Light before checking into the motel. Charlie is recently retired and a bit slower on the bike, so I figured he’d appreciate a beer when he finally made it to the motel. Tomorrow the plan is to get to the town of Carbondale, where I’ll try and get my biked tuned up. I’ve already put 1,200 miles on this bike and it’s time to have it checked out.