Day 25 - Ending near Shabbona, IL - Wisconsin on the Kick-back

August 29, 2018

Day 25 - Ending near Shabbona, IL

I was awake at 6:00am. It's still raining, though more like drizzling - enough though to prevent standing outside very long. It had rained all night, but there's been no wind. Still, every once in a while, I'd hear a limb or tree fall. I'd stayed dry overnight, glad I'd set the tent up on the high spot of the gravel pad.

While waiting for the rain to end, I worked on finishing reports. The drizzle was done at 8:50am, and so were the reports.

Packing up was next, and though I was dry, there was water at the corners of the tent where I'd set items. Bailing with a wringed-out paper towel took care of that.

There was a hint of sunshine at 10:55am, but still overcast when I left the campsite at 11:13am. I planned to exit the park at its south entrance, and that went past the Lone Rock Cafe. I was there at 11:34am, too late for breakfast, but not for lunch. I had my burger and chips finished before I'd even started on the Smoothie. That was going to take a while to finish, so I poured it into my Klean Kanteen when I was outside.

A cyclist rolled up to the bike rack just as I was checking the noon mileage (1.6 miles). He's from Beloit, and I suspect he'd arrived here after a morning ride from there. He's interested in Wisconsin trails, and wanted to know the ones I'd been on. A story he shared was he'd been hit by a car while bicycling. A roll-over-the-hood, bike-destroyed collision. And, it was a hit-and-run! He said, "That's one off my bucket list!" He'd replaced that one-year-old bike with another just like it, and agreed to a picture with it.

I took off at 12:15pm to the park's Harlem Road Entrance (exit for me). My destination was Shabbona Lake State Park, mostly south and a little east from here. I was on roads paralleling I-90 until I arrived in Cherry Valley. And it had been busy-traffic suburban riding, half of it on no-shoulder roads. That all changed when I arrived at the south side of Cherry Valley (at 1:44pm).

After a few pictures, I headed southeast out of town on Cherry Valley Road. Then I turned south on Wheeler Road (at 2:07pm). This is better! The sun is out, the wind is at my back, and I'm on a rural country road. Farther along, I was having to ride around a lot of fallen tree limbs, apparently from last night's storm. Power company service trucks were out tending to line problems here and there.

At 3:37pm, I started on a mile or so stretch of gravel road. Flat and smooth. What a joy! Malta Road, when I got to it, was a little busy, I think due to the time of day it was.

I turned east onto IL-38 at 4:57pm, and stopped at Hickey's Corner Store in Malta at 5:02pm. I bought a cookie square for supper, enjoying it with my leftover Smoothie.

South of Malta I was on County Highway 6 (Shabbona Road). Great pavement, nice shoulder, flat, and no traffic. This couldn't be any better! I was coasting above 10mph - up to 16mph a few times - except when I stopped for pictures.

I passed through Shabbona at 6:55pm, and was at the park entrance at 7:05pm. Signs led me to the campground host, who checked me in. Plenty of sites available tonight, but they're all reserved this weekend. At 7:40pm, I'd selected site #19 in the Teal Bay Campground. All set up without the aid of a flashlight by 8:20pm.

While I was working on picture-selection, I received an email from Kris saying it would be cooler tonight. That prompted me to dig out my warm sleeping socks. I did notice it getting cooler, so knocked off work and went to bed (at 10:30pm) thinking today's pictures don't really show what a great day it's been.

Jeff

Spent: $9.24 plus $2 (breakfast) + $2.01 (cookie square) + $25 (campsite) = $38.25.

Day 25 - Loves Park, IL to Shabbona, IL

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+ plus signs indicate pictures added after returning home from the trip +