Finishing up Indiana, and a shout-out to KLS

Saturday June 13th, Indianapolis IN to Richmond IN, 73 miles

Another primarily rural farmland ride today, flat for the most part but some rolling hills are starting to return.   Weather was warm and humid but with "only" 73 miles we didn't have to rush and were able to stop and enjoy a nice lunch at a DQ about 15 miles outside of Richmond.  The next several days will be long with distances of 90 miles+.

Richmond IN is a good size small city with a population of about 37,000.  It is within 3 miles of the Ohio border.  The town has a long history and was incorporated in 1818.  I will sample its cuisine tonight at the local Bob Evans.

A good time for a shout-out to my lovely wife Kari.  I would not have been able to participate in this amazing endeavor without her total support, not only in the actual 50 days of the Tour but in all the months of my training prior to its start.  Kari has been tasked, back at the Lerner Compound, with keeping all the plates spinning for me.  This, of course, is in addition to her other countless motherly duties for Ben and Drew and oh by the way, she has a job outside the home also.  Thank you Honey for not only holding down the fort but for being the foundation on which our family is built.  I cant wait to see you and the boys in Boston!

Above:  Farm in Eastern Indiana

Above:  Sadly, excessive rains have flooded many farm fields in this part of Indiana

Above:  Kari celebrating our 24th Anniversary at dinner in Baltimore

Crossroads of America

Friday June 12th, Crawfordsville IN to Indianapolis IN, 61 miles

Today was a relatively short ride, and as such our start time was delayed an hour until 8:00 am.  The weather was again hot and humid but a thin cloud cover took the edge off the heat.  We just beat a thunderstorm into our hotel in Indy.  The ride covered pretty farmland which then gave way to some exclusive wealthy neighborhoods in the suburbs of the city (106th Street), before entering a more developed and industrial/commercial office park area.

Indianapolis' central geographical location is ideal for commerce and we saw many big companies having a large presence in the area.  It is nicknamed the "Crossroads of America" and is the biggest city we will encounter between LA and Boston, with the metro area approaching 2 million in population.

Dinner tonight at a local Thai restaurant.

Above:  Leaving Crawfordsville this morning- tractors lined up for the annual Strawberry Festival

Above:  West of Indy

Above:  Between Crawfordsville and Indy

Into the Hoosier State

Thursday June 11th, Champaign IL to Crawfordsville IN, 79 miles

Today's ride was highlighted by entering Indiana, our 9th state, and our third and final time zone change.  The temperature reached the lower 90s in the afternoon,  and coupled with humidity, most of us struggled with the last 20-30 miles.  The terrain was primarily farmland and small farming towns.  We welcomed two new riders for the leg to Boston, Lori from Florida and Ron from Texas, both very experienced distance riders.

Crawfordsville is the home of Wabash College, the Alma mater of my late friend, neighbor, and occasional cycling partner, John Gilbert, who passed away this time last year.  John grew up in the Indianapolis area, which we will be riding to tomorrow.  He will be in my thoughts.

We enjoyed dinner at Cracker Barrel.

Above:  The group had a crazy helmet decoration day.... some of my riding peers before beginning the ride.  Your's truly's effort in this matter is not worth noting.

Above:  " India-nowhere"  state line.

Above:  Wabash River

Above:  Main street of another small town, this one somewhere west of Crawfordsville.

Off Day In Champaign

Wednesday June 10th- rest day in Champaign, IL

Not much to report here folks, I did laundry, got a hair cut, and took a long nap.  We have stayed at several Drury Inns along the way.    The nice thing about them is they feed you breakfast and a passable dinner if you prefer not to go out, along with free alcoholic drinks.

Riders on the Corn ( with apologies to The Doors)

Tuesday June 9th, Springfield IL to Champaign IL,  86 miles

Well truthfully today's ride was very similar to yesterday.  I checked with Wikipedia and Illinois is only 4th among corn production in the US (Iowa is first).  You could have fooled me.  The ride was flat, mostly rural and enjoyable except for the road, which was chocked full of cracks and potholes.  The State of Illinois is in bad shape fiscally and, at least on this road, it showed.  Weather today was on the warm side but the winds were favorable.

We ended on the suburban outskirts of Champaign, home of the University of Illinois, where we will take our 4th of 5 rest days.  Today was the 31st day since we left from the beach in Los Angeles ( 28 riding days and 3 off).  I estimate I have cycled about 2,250 miles.  To put that in perspective, prior to my start of this trip, my most miles cycled in a month were about 650 miles.  I think it is fair to assume this past month will be a "personal record", that I wont break.

Above: Corn field as far as can be seen

Above:  Somewhere between Springfield and Champaign

Land of Lincoln

Monday June 8th, Quincy IL to Springfield IL, 107 miles

Today we rode the heartland of downstate Illinois.  Fortunately the weather cooperated with cooler temperatures than yesterday and a tailwind which turned what could have been a brutal century ride into an enjoyable day.  The first 30 or so miles were rolling countryside which then opened into plains full of corn fields, many corn fields.   With a tailwind we made good time thru the handful of small towns spread between the farms.

We're staying tonight in Springfield, which of course is the state Capital and where Abe Lincoln first came to prominence.  So far I have only seen the suburbs.  One of my fellow riders is from Springfield.  Many of his friends and family gave him a nice side of the road homecoming as we entered the city.  Very nice. Dinner tonight is at a local Outback.

Above:  There are many large corn fields between Quincy and Springfield

Crossing the Illinois River

Above:  Near New Berlin, IL

2,000 Miles and Ol' Man River

Sunday June 7th, Kirksville MO to Quincy IL, 78 miles

Today's ride featured two significant milestones.  Early in the ride we hit the 2,000 mile mark of our Tour and towards the end we crossed the Mississippi River and entered Illinois.  The weather was hot, in the low 90s and humid.  Everyone was careful to stay hydrated.  There was significantly less climbing than the previous two days.  

Quincy seems like a nice river town.  On the way to the hotel I saw several blocks of large well maintained Victorian homes.  Tonight we have a Crossroads "dinner party" at the hotel, catered by KFC.

Above:  Outside Kirksville MO, taken from the highway above the RR tracks

Milestone!

Above:  Mississippi River and bridge into Quincy IL, taken from the Illinois side

Above:  Our eighth state