Day 23: To Vienna, Illinois

October 1, 2014

Today I joined the newly created Trail of Tears National Historic Trail. My route was on or near the trail all day. It's the route followed by the Cherokee tribe which was expelled to "Indian Territory" (modern day Oklahoma) during the winter of 1838/1839. 2000-6000 of the tribe's 16,543 members died during the forced winter migration which was timed to maximize misery and death. The Trail of Tears is only one of many forced migrations of Indian tribes from their eastern homes to Indian Territory during the 1820's to 1840's.

All day today I was on or near the Trail of Tears.

There are few shrines or interpretive sites along the Trail of Tears. Partly because the historic trail is so new, and partly because places on the route have little desire to publicize a genocidal migration. The Trail of Tears has emerged as a pilgrimage bike tour route, especially among people of Cherokee descent. I'm also headed to Oklahoma but I won't follow the Trail of Tears after today.

Major Indian removals of the early 19th century. The red Cherokee route is the Trail of Tears.

Today's ride started with 20 mundane miles from Marion to the Ohio river. I was hoping for a big downhill to the river, but that never happened. I'm happy to finally leave Kentucky. It's just not my kind of place.

Cable ferry that crosses the Ohio river from nowhere, Kentucky to Cave In Rock, Illinois.

There are limestone cliffs on the Illinois side, but only about 50 feet high. The cliffs shown in the picture are all part of Cave in Rock State Park.

Cliffs on the Illinois side, including Cave in Rock on the left.

I've been to Cave in Rock before in a car, so I knew where to go. The cave is only 1/4 mile from the highway. I had fun exploring the cave. It's at least 100 feet deep with good light inside because of a small hole in the roof.

Pirates lived in the cave in the 1790's. They would pose as shipwrecked sailors, then rob the boats that stopped to help them. At that time the Ohio and Mississippi rivers were the main "roads" for the north American interior.

Ohio river and Cave In Rock State Park, Illinois.

Cave in Rock is a pleasant little tourist town. The first of 3 river towns I will see today.

In the town of Cave in Rock I should have turned left onto a back road that follows the river more closely than staying on IL 146. My route had more traffic and no river views. Illinois state highways almost never have a paved shoulder (I lived in Illinois for 14 years). Fortunately Illinois is more selective than Kentucky about using rumble strips.

I was well past the town of Cave in Rock before seeing this sign. State #7 on this tour.

Coming into Elizabethtown I had more views of the Ohio river. Elizabethtown is a quintessential river town that boomed when river commerce reigned supreme. River towns rapidly declined in importance after railroads developed. The result is that many river towns seem like a historic time capsule preserved since 1850.

Beautiful Ohio river view coming into Elizabethtown, Illinois.

I took a long stop at a public gazebo that overlooks the river in Elizabethtown. I tried to soak in the atmosphere and visualize the river full of steam-powered freight traffic in the 19th century. Today and tomorrow are my main "river days" seeing the Ohio and Mississippi rivers.

Sleepy downtown Elizabethtown, Illinois.

After Elizabethtown IL 146 turns away from the Ohio river, west through forest to Golconda. I like southernmost Illinois. It's mostly undeveloped because it's surrounded by giant rivers on 3 sides. Not much traffic passing through because there are so few bridges across the rivers.

One interesting characteristic of southernmost Illinois is that it's the southernmost part of "the north", surrounded by "the south" on 3 sides. It was a popular refuge for escaped slaves, and there are a few small black farm communities founded by former slaves.

Illinois is a northern state, but cashiers around here tend to call me "hon" or "sweetie". I hadn't noticed that until now. It must be more of a midwestern thing than an eastern thing.

The area is hilly and the soil apparently isn't very good for agriculture. So it's mostly forest.

In Cave in Rock I veered south of the Adventure Cycling TransAmerica route. Just west of Golconda I was surprised to see a touring cyclist heading the opposite direction. David Babcock is on a tour from Seattle to Key West. That's much longer than my tour! David was the first touring cyclist I've seen since Cumberland, Maryland. I learned that this is also an Adventure Cycling route, the little-known Great Rivers South bike route which goes from Muscatine, Iowa to Baton Rogue, Louisiana with spurs on both sides of the Ohio and Mississippi rivers.

David Babcock, pedaling from Seattle to Key West.

Golconda is another river town that scores very high in the historic charm department. I had lunch, then explored the downtown. The town has no river view because a big levee blocks the view.

World War 2 memorial at the courthouse in Golconda.

I won't follow the Ohio river for very long, but today I saw 3 charming river towns and had some good river views. A welcome change of scenery and culture after several days of drudgery. This area is still the Bible belt, though. I saw mostly Missionary Baptist churches, but also a Pentecostal church and a Catholic church.

I'm really liking the Ohio River Scenic Byway.

The ride from Golconda to Vienna is fairly flat, in the forest. The road crosses a few bald cypress swamps, the northernmost cypress swamps that I know of. The area is sparsely populated. Southernmost Illinois was the first part of the state to be settled but now it's the least-settled part of the state.

Shawnee National Forest has the northernmost bald cypress swamps in the U.S.

Traffic was light for most of the day but it got heavier as I approached Vienna. Coming into Vienna I crossed I-57. I haven't crossed very many Interstate highways during this tour. At 4:30 PM I got a room at Limited Inn, the only motel in town. The part of Vienna I saw today is a dreary group of businesses catering to I-57 travelers. The room is $61, but I signed up for 2 nights. I'm taking a rest day tomorrow.

I felt tired all day. The last several days have been long and hilly. Today wasn't quite as hilly but it still wasn't easy. This tour my goal is to take a rest day after 5 days of pedaling. I always feel weak on the 5th day.

Today was warm and humid. High of 86F. Thunderstorms are predicted for tomorrow.

Today was the first great day I've had in quite a while.

Distance: 64.5 mi. (103 km)
Climbing: 3079 ft. (930 m)
Average Speed: 10.8 mph (17 km/h)

Today's ride: 65 miles (105 km)
Total: 1,185 miles (1,907 km)

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