July 2, 2008
Day 51: Wenona, IL to Kewanee, IL
65.61 miles, 5:45:26 Ride Time, 11.39 Average Speed, 38.27 Maximum Speed
Most boring day of the trip! I didn't ride with anyone, talk (much) to anyone, or see much worth photographing. So, before reading this entry: You've been warned.
I was out at 8:00 to find that it was sunny and very windy. The wind seemed to be out of the Southwest, so unless it changed, this was going to be a slow day. After about ten miles, I went off the route to Varna (pop. 436), which required riding about a mile South, and into a direct headwind. At least I wasn't going that direction all day long.
I stopped in Varna at a Casey's General Store, which I've been noticing recently: Another regional chain, like the "Nice N Easy" convenience stores in New York, which I'm now nostalgic for. Ahh, the good old days of mid-June, 2008.
After a donut and chocolate milk (which didn't taste so good - I may be getting burned out on the chocolate milk), I flew back onto the route at about 25 mph. Too bad I wasn't going North all day.
I saw a field of sheep, but, as usual, they just wouldn't cooperate with my picture-taking efforts, and quickly ran away. What are they afraid of anyway? (I'll make the obligatory "Illinois: Where men are men and sheep are scared" joke here).
It was slow going as I approached the Illinois River - this part of Illinois isn't as flat, and the wind was getting stronger. After a few fast miles riding North, I crossed the river at Henry (pop. 2,540), a nice enough town, then started a long, slow, boring section on Western Avenue (actually a lightly travelled country road) that took forever.
For a while, I passed hundreds of absolutely massive wind turbines. Normally I would have been interested in these things, but today I was mostly irritated by them, because they reminded me of the wind I was riding against.
Eventually I reached Bradford (pop. 787), and another Casey's, where the woman working there told me there was only one place to eat in town - a bar next door (I later learned that she was either mistaken or was lying to me - there was another restaurant in town, just a few blocks away. Perhaps she had never been curious enough to walk the few blocks in that direction).
As I left the Casey's, a guy walked up, asked where I was going, then helpfully informed me that I would be battling these winds all across the Plains. So very irritating.
After a burger and fries at the bar-and-grill, I rode (slowly) on to my destination for the day, Kewanee (pop. 12,944), where I stayed at a motel conveniently located across from a Wal-Mart. The television in the lobby was turned to the local news, where the discussion was about tornadoes to the West of the area.
I was surprised at the age of the nice lady at the front desk - she appeared to be in her late-70's at least. Won't they let her retire?
Later I walked over to the Wal-Mart, which was the same as the ones back home with one exception: Either the aisles were narrower than usual, or the people were larger - I'm not sure which.
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Today's ride: 66 miles (106 km)
Total: 3,630 miles (5,842 km)
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