Day 8 ending at Harrisburg, IL

August 31, 2015

rode on Tunnel Hill State Trail

I had a long day planned for today, so had set my alarm for 4:00am. Get up, pack gear, take down tent, load bike - I was on my way at 6:58am. Destination: the start of the Tunnel Hill Trail at the Barkhausen Cache River Wetlands Center. A short section of trail leads from there to Karnak, Illinois - also considered a start of the trail.

Back onto IL-37, heading south. There was usually just enough shoulder that I could stay on the white line without falling off. But it was good (new) pavement. I had my flashers on, and I think the orange caution tape wrapped around my spare tires helped me be seen. Anyway, traffic was considerate.

This road between Ferne Clyffe State Park and the Wetlands Center is very downhill! Both GPSs registered my peak 32.2mph as I coasted past Buncombe. I was at the junction with IL-146 at 8:05am. Saw a beaver in the Cache River as I crossed. At 8:23am I took a side pull-off (Faulkner Tract of the Cache River State Natural Area) for a break.

Passed through Cypress at 8:58am, and was at the entrance to the Wetlands Center at 9:25am. They were closed, but there's a lot of information on boards outside. Filled up with water, and started out at 9:40am. Very peaceful and pretty. Lots of butterflies and some dragonflies.

Arrived in Karnak at 10:10am. Thought about going into town to eat, then decided one of the towns up the trail would work. Left Karnak at 10:20am, following the trail northeast. Passed Belknap at 10:46am. No place to eat here. Eight miles to Vienna - there will be a place there, I'm sure.

At noon I'd already done 28.3 miles. By 12:13pm, I was in Vienna. I stopped by the visitors' center to ask about a place to eat in town. The older gentleman inside said the Vienna Diner nearby on IL-146 was the place to go. I arrived there at 12:21pm. Had a Western Skillet with hash browns, toast, orange juice, and coffee.

Stopped at the nearby Trail of Tears Memorial, before leaving town at 1:28pm. When I got to Sandburn (at 3:12pm), I saw a store (Sandburn Junction) right on the trail. Inside was a self-serve/self-pay set-up. I got a cold Gatorade, and sat down outside. That was refreshing!

It wasn't long after I was back on the trail that I came to the tunnel. The sides of the hill before the actual tunnel are vertical walls dripping with water. Cool, damp, and quiet. I turned on my lights going through the tunnel, but I could hardly tell that they were on, due to the light coming from the other end of the tunnel.

Downhill from here. I was hoping to make it to Harrisburg before dark. Passed by Tunnel Hill (town) at 3:53pm, New Burnside at 4:48pm, Stonefort at 5:17pm, and Carrier Mills at 6:11pm.

Harrisburg was next. I was seeing more cyclists and walkers now. I counted ten of each for the day by the time I got off the trail. I was checking in at the Economy Inn & Suites at 7:03pm. They had one ground-level room left, and I got it - room #115.

A shower was first priority, followed by gathering all my dirty clothes. There's a laundromat across the street, and I headed over at 8:30pm. Their machines take quarters and dollar coins, which the change machine dispenses. Done at 10:15pm. Took the clean clothes back to my room and walked over to Hardee's for supper - a bacon cheeseburger and chocolate shake.

After supper, I worked on today's report as long as I could stay awake - which, apparently, is midnight.

Jeff

Spent: $12.03 plus $2.50 (breakfast) + $1.50 (Gatorade) + $59.90 plus $5 (motel) + $9.75 (laundry) + $9.50 (supper) = $100.18.

Day 8 - Goreville, IL to Harrisburg, IL

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