Day 27 - Ending at Morton, IL - Wisconsin on the Kick-back

August 31, 2018

Day 27 - Ending at Morton, IL

I woke up at 4:45am, before the 6:00am alarm. No report-writing this morning, just get going. I dropped my room key cards in the office box and was on my way at 6:19am, hoping to make it home before dark.

My original plan had me camping at Hickory Hill Campground near Secor this evening (44 miles), and home the next night (26 miles). My thinking had been that last night of camping would let me enjoy one more day on this trip, and maybe give me time for a campfire. But with rain predicted for Saturday, getting home today seemed like a better idea.

Following my waypoints routing, I left Streator going west on N 15th Road, which took me over the Vermilion River east of Kangley. I turned south on E 14th Road, which became 200E when I crossed into Livingston County. I'd noticed a set of radio station towers next-door to the Relax Inn last night, and turned on my radio to see if I could hear the station. It was the only station I received – WSTQ-FM, 97.7MHz, with "Q-Hit Music". I'm not sure what to call the music they play, but it was something to listen to.

I crossed IL-18 at 7:10am, and IL-17 at 7:43am. I varied my route a little to go through Long Point, a small place I'd never heard of. They have a nice park here. Next, on south and west to Dana, and the cafe there for breakfast. After crossing into LaSalle County a mile back, I arrived at the Gold Dust Diner at 9:15am, ready for a break and breakfast. I enjoyed looking at the local history pictures and articles posted in the hallway to the bathrooms before my breakfast was ready.

At 10:20am, I continued on south on E 11th Road, which became 3100E when I entered Woodford County two miles later. At 10:43am, I was under high-voltage power lines that pass by Morton, which is 33.9 straight-line miles away from this point, according to my GPS. The lines run on a diagonal southwest-to-northeast line, while I need to follow the roads, which are on north-south/east-west grids. This had me trying to remember the formula for calculating a hypotenuse. It would be more than I could do in my head, anyway. After that my mind wandered to thinking about my route home. I would shortly be on roads I'd been on before, since that is the way to Hickory Hill Campground. Instead, I could make up a route to go through some towns I haven't bicycled through before. So, relying now on my bicycling map, I turned east on 2100N (at 11:00am) towards Minonk. I'd made my make-up-the-route decision too late to pass through downtown Minonk. Instead I skirted by the south side at 11:30am. On west and south towards Benson.

This trip's final noon report: 32.4 miles! 26.8 straight-line miles left.

I arrived in Benson at 12:38pm, but also missed its downtown as I was on the north-south road on the west side of town. I did much better when I arrived in Roanoke, coasting into town on North Main Street at 1:55pm. I knew the IGA grocery store was close, and would probably have a soda machine out front, so headed towards it. Lots of soda machines, but the Dr Pepper one wouldn't take my dollar bills. So I settled for a Cherry Coke, drinking it under the shade of a nearby tree. South out of Roanoke, then west, south, west, and south brought me to the northeast corner of Tazewell County at 3:59pm. Only I would be excited to be here, and I walked around some looking for a survey marker for this corner, but found none. Anyway, though, I was now in my home county.

A mile west on Tazewood Road, then four miles south on Dee-Mack Road got me to Guth Road, where I turned west at 4:48pm. No way to avoid roads I've been on now, however I was following in reverse the route I used to take out of Morton when going to Eureka, Washington, or Metamora. I was noticing rain clouds in the northeast behind me, and a check of the weather radar with my smartphone confirmed it was raining where I'd been earlier in the day. I actually felt a few rain drops as I rode west on Guth Road in sunshine. I'd say it was much less than a trace. I crossed the Washington Blacktop at 5:16pm. Shortly after, I sent a text to my wife, asking if she'd like to meet me at the Morton Culver's for supper. She was agreeable, but at this point, I didn't know what time to say.

I arrived at the road to Hirstein Cemetery by-way-of Foster Road, Cooper Road and Hirstein Road. West of the cemetery is Northwood Park, and I did a little "off-road" biking to get through the park. At this point, I was able to text my wife that I'd be at Culver's at 6:30pm, and I was!

What an enjoyable meal and time catching up on news! And our older son happened to be there also! We didn't break up the party until almost 8:00pm. I still had to ride home, and it was dark enough now to require my lights. So, technically, I didn't make it home until after dark (at 8:14pm). But it was a great ending for a fun day, and a trip that worked out well.

Jeff

Spent: $11.18 plus $3 (breakfast) + $1.75 (Cherry Coke) + $16.45 (supper for wife and me) = $32.38.

Day 27 - Streator, IL to Morton, IL

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