October 21, 2022
Day 30 - Nauvoo, IL (Nauvoo Log Cabins) to Wapello, IA (Wapello Hotel)
Tailwind! and "You Can Buy The Hotel If You Want"
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Statistics, Useful & Otherwise;
Elevation Gained Today; 1,254 ft Cumulative; 63,130 ft
Roadkill Seen Today; Raccoon (13), Snake (9), Possum (2), Unknown (3) Cumulative; Hawk (3), Raccoon(31), Possum (32), Mouse (1), Squirrel (12), Armadillo (9), Bird (3), Coyote (1), Deer (6), Snake (21), Skunk (5), Rabbit (1), Turtle (4), Owl (1), Turkey Vulture (2), Unknown (27)
Found Money Today; $0.25 Cumulative; $1.75
Lodging Cost Today; $68.25 Cumulative; $2197.40
Bad Drivers Today; 0 Cumulative; 13
Dog Chases Today; 1 Cumulative; 21
Confederate Flags Today; 0 Cumulative; 7 (plus 30 little flags decorating confederate soldiers graves on the Natchez Trace)
Average Speed Today; 11.4 mph Cumulative; 9.84 mph
Summary of Today's Ride; Flat ground, little traffic and a tailwind!
I was up at 06:00 at the Jamison cabin in Nauvoo, but I seemed to move slow today and didn't get out the door until about 07:45. The recent few days of cold temperature and biting headwind really took it out of me, and even though the temperature is much warmer now I seem to have a bit of "morning anxiety" anyway. I lounged around after my instant oatmeal and yogurt breakfast, had a couple of extra cups of coffee, and daydreamed about being back home; when I get home I'm going to get a bearclaw from the donut shop, pick up a Sunday newspaper, and spend the entire morning in my recliner reading the paper and drinking coffee. I figure the wife will go easy on me for a half day anyway, so I'm going to enjoy doing a lot of nothing much.
The first few miles on State Road 96 were busy, but once I got off on the county roads there was absolutely no traffic. And I had a noticeable tailwind for the first time on this journey! I rolled on 18 miles to Dallas City and stopped at the Casey's General Store (a convenience store chain) and got a breakfast bowl. I've learned to eat at gas stations on this tour, and once you get past the immediate objection to that idea, the food can be surprisingly good. Many of them have a small kitchen on site and prepare some hot breakfast and lunch items. My breakfast bowl was a mixture of small pieces of bacon, egg, cheese, and potatoes; both nutritious and tasty. Of course, everything tastes better when you are exercising for 5 to 6 hours every day. Even though I had to eat outside leaning against a wall, I was content. I knew in advance that today was going to be a gas station food day, so I was prepared for some inconvenience.
I left Dallas City and rolled on to Lomax. This part of the state is certainly flat.
Traffic picked up a bit after Carman, but it was manageable. There was little shoulder so I watched for conflicts with oncoming and approaching traffic and exited onto side roads or driveways to let vehicles pass at times. I was in no hurry and had rather stay relaxed than push it.
Highway 34 was busy, but there was a wide shoulder even though it was chewed up and made for rough riding. Eventually I approached the Mississippi River bridge.
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The shoulder of the bridge made for a safe crossing, but it had a lot of debris so I was watching and dodging glass and nails and such. It's probably because I was watching the road so closely that I spotted a quarter near the apex of the bridge! So now my "Found Money" fund is quite adequate to buy me that celebratory coffee tomorrow.
There was no opportunity to pose at the overhead "Welcome to Iowa" sign, so this quick pic will have to do. I'll probably get one at the end of the journey tomorrow anyway, because the journey ends at the Iowa side of the Mississippi River bridge in Muscatine.
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My route through Burlington was on the outskirts adjacent to the river, and I knew in advance that the only food stop was another Casey's General Store. So I had a slice of pizza and some sweet tea at Casey's, and ate it outside sitting on a rock wall in the shade. It was good and I was good to go and marched on towards Kingston and then Toolesboro.
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I deviated from the ACA route after Toolesboro so I could reach Wapello and the Wapello Hotel. Like most of the day, there was hardly no traffic.
The Wapello Hotel was built in 1906 and is a quaint place. I was glad to discover it because I had been desperate to find some lodging for this last leg before Muscatine. When I finally reached the owner and was able to book a room, she told me "You can buy the hotel too if you like it." It's for sale, though I think she now has a buyer.
She left the hotel unlocked for me, and an envelope on the desk with my room key. It was freezing cold inside the hotel! The hotel uses steam radiators and the heat was turned off, so the owner left a small electric heater for me to heat my room. It's working fine, though the wife may not agree.
Speaking of the wife, she drove up from Tulsa today to rescue me and take me home tomorrow after I reach the finish. The 2 of us are all alone in this old hotel; so now she gets to experience what a lot of my travel lodgings are like. It's always a little spooky being alone in a hotel, or fire station, or church hostel. And when the hotel is 116 years old, well there's bound to be a few ghosts around - but I won't tell the wife until tomorrow morning.
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We walked down the street a couple of blocks to the local Mexican restaurant and had margaritas and way too much food. The restaurant is located on the bank of the Iowa River and has a nice patio view. Not bad for a small town.
To my adult children; a pay phone booth is a - oh, never mind - it's what Clark Kent uses to do a quick change of clothes to become Superman.
Just a few days back when the cold north wind was blasting me in the face I wasn't sure if I would finish this tour. Now that it's almost over it all kind of seems like a dream. But I still need to make the short run to Muscatine tomorrow morning, and then I'm planning on expanding my education a bit more in Muscatine before we head for home (more on that later).
Today's music is a little different. It's a love song, give it a chance. Everyone deserves a chance, some even deserve a second chance. I hope you have been given the chances you need in life to prove yourself. Good night folks...
Today's ride: 68 miles (109 km)
Total: 1,463 miles (2,354 km)
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