Day 20: Another Great Day

July 24, 2016

Today was great! And it wasn't that I slept like a log because the humidity dropped, the air cooled and there was a breeze all night, it was that I love corn, and not just eating it, but corn fields too, and farmland and big skies and so on that I mentioned yesterday.

I was up and out before anyone at the campground was up and road south. Slowly meandering down to Galesville on little back roads that seemed to make sense based on a paper map and my garmin. You may not believe it but I can still read a paper map. WOO-HOOO!

Anyway, I rode little roads with barely a car, even wandering on to gravel roads now and then.

At one point I saw a lady outside a farm house watering flowers and stopped.

"Do you water your corn fields with that little watering can?" I asked.

"No she said," laughing at my joke, even though it was a stupid joke, which is my specialty. "I just use the watering can for the flowers."

"Aaaah," I said, and then asked, "is that little road back there paved all the way through? I am heading to Galesburg and that looks like a quieter road then the busy one up ahead," I said pointing to the two lane road with semi-trucks zipping by.

And that launched us into a long conversation about bike touring because it turns out her son rides a bike, does a little touring, and is thinking about riding cross country.

"He moved to Chicago," she went on. "He likes it but sometimes comes home just be be in a quiet, calm, relaxing place."

"It couldn't be anymore relaxing here," I said, looking at the corn as it waved around in the breeze."

"He will think it is really cool that a bike tourist stopped and talked to me here of all places."

Which would be kind of different because she is in the middle of no where and not on any bike route that I am aware of.

When the conversation concluded she turned me on to some nice roads and off I went, further south, on to Galesburg.

What a relaxing day and fun in the saddle! This is what bike touring is all about!

And by the way, I really DO like eating corn!

Hello there! That grass looks green and delicious!

I couldn't decide if I like this shadow shot better...

...or this shadow shot better. So I posted them both.
Like it or lump it.

Cool mailbox! Though someone needs to get up there with a lawn mower.

Today's ride: 42 miles (68 km)
Total: 1,285 miles (2,068 km)

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