Muncie, IN

I made it home this afternoon pretty early. It was surreal. All of a sudden, after miles and miles and days of pedaling through places I had never seen, I came upon my parents' house. I think I could have gone on indefinitely across the country. However, the weather is starting to turn pretty miserable so I guess it was good to stop.

Everything always looks small when I get home. When I was a kid I always thought my street was kind of big. Now I realize that it's only about 12 feet wide. There were boulders at the end of the street, but now I see that they are just rocks.

My clothes are pretty filthy so I put on some of my dad's sweats. They barely hang around me. I weighed myself for fun and thought the scale was broken. It said 163 pounds. I haven't weighed that much since about my freshman year of high school.

I learned a few things on this trip, although I can't think of too many now.



Evil dogs



Chilly donut






Barn for Jane



Smile!



Eastern Indiana sunrise



Where's Linus?



Wow, I'm really here.






Taking the flag off for the last time in the snow.

Frankfort, IN

Today was a fine day. I had some hills in between Danville and
Attica, but made up for lost time when it flattened out. I had the
wind at my back and rolled into Frankfort in no time. I listened to
some Prairie Home Companion followed by the Colts. Even the dogs gave
me a pass today, for the most part.

I found the library and hooked up to an internet terminal, but once
again the computer wouldn't read my camera. I have some photos, but
they will have to wait.

Frankfort has a Pizza King, a Village Pantry, and a Marsh supermarket
with a girl wearing a Manning jersey at the checkout. Seems like
home. Only 60 miles and I ought to be there tomorrow night. I might
miss this, actually. I really enjoy this bike. It's also nice to
order a sundae in a five-gallon bucket and not have to worry about it.

danville, il

Today wasn't that much fun. It was cold and my feet were numb most of
the time. Maybe one day I'll design some bike booties that work. I
pedaled and pedaled under the featureless gray sky. It's impossible
to tell what time it is by the sun because it's all gray and dark.

It was a bad day for dogs. I must have been chased by twenty of them.
Mostly I'm going fast enough that I can escape, or I yell at them and
they stop. There seem to be many more here than out in the country.

As I felt more emboldened, I thought I would push it by taking a video
of the next dog encounter. Sure enough, as I crested the next hill, a
couple of medium sized dogs came at me. I fumbled with my camera and
started recording. As soon as I started, about five more dogs came
running out from behind this house. I pedaled as fast as I could but
I was still in low gear from the hill, and I couldn't shift because I
was holding the camera. I shouted at them and almost crashed.

These weren't even regular farm dogs. This shack was out in the woods
and the guy was probably brewing meth. So these were foaming tweaker
dogs who probably hadn't been fed in a week. I was legitimately
scared for quite awhile after I escaped.

I got a motel room tonight on a commercial strip north of town. There
was a Wal-Mart about a mile up the road. I had to get some new socks
and some food, so I walked up there. As usual, there were no
sidewalks, just a curb with cars whizzing by. I've noticed this in so
many cities that I've passed through. If I want to walk down the
street, I have to walk through yards, car dealerships, and cemetaries.
By walking, I feel like a trespasser or something. Walking a little
more might be a good idea for some of the folks I see. But it's
dangerous and unpleasant to walk, so I guess I wouldn't recommend it.

farmer city, il

today was good. made it almost 80 miles. found some nice back roads.
winds at my back and flat terrain. may make it to IN tomorrow if i
don't freeze. supposed to get nasty. went to eat at imo's family
restaurant for their friday buffet. i had beef soup, beef lasagna,
chicken and vegetables, mashed potatoes, chicken gravy, and apple
cobbler. i also stopped to get a Dove bar on the way home.

--
Sent from Gmail for mobile | mobile.google.com

Havana, IL

More hills and a headwind today meant that I had to stop in Havana,
which is the only town for the next 60 miles with lodging. It's a
small river town that probably used to be more of a port. There are a
couple of ancient sorry-looking barges on the Illinois Riverjust next
to town. There is a library here which I used to add some pictures to
the last few days's entries. Scroll down to see them.

Since it was evident that I wasn't going to make it to the farther
town, I cruised and took my time today. I watched the farmers take in
the last of the corn. I also got chased by dogs, as usual. It's very
green and smells good here. My favorite smell is oats or something...
Something they grow that smells really sweet. I don't know, but I
like it.

Macomb, IL

Elation



Crossing the Mississippi




What's up, donkey?

I biked all around this town looking for the library so I could upload some pictures, and when I finally found it, the computer wouldn't let me connect my camera. Drat. I took some entertaining pictures of donkeys. Anyhow, coming over the Mississippi was awesome. I felt so good crossing into Illinois. Some Amish guys (or maybe it was ZZ Top) waved at me. Perhaps they thought my bicycle was cool.

After a few hills by the river, it got pancake flat. Everything much greener this far east. With calm wind and flat roads I cruised right along. I got to Macomb a bit earlier than I thought. Just like all these towns, it has a town square with a courthouse. It has a lot of ornate old two- or three- story buildings in the downtown. However, they are mostly dilapidated as the commerce goes to the outskirts of town. I see that a lot.

Tomorrow I will try to make it to McLean, which is 83 miles. I'll have to get up early for that but I think it's do-able if the roads remain flat. My butt will get sore, no doubt.

donnellson, ia

Who said it was flat in Iowa?



Rainy farm







Des Moines River -- crossed four times



made it 50 miles to this settlement today. it's about all i had in me.
it was like being in the spin cycle. lots of wind and rain and hills.
i stayed pretty warm but damp. learned that wool really does insulate
even when wet. i saw another guy on a bicycle today. he was old and
toothless and looked like he probably slept in barns. it's getting
greener here. some pretty woods and old buildings. it's only 15 miles
to the mississippi and illinois. supposed to be better weather the
next few days.

--
Sent from Gmail for mobile mobile.google.com

bloomfield, ia

Fancy footwear. 2 socks inside, 1 sock outside, duct tape, neoprene, and swapped footbeds from hiking shoes.



Clowder of cats


good ride today. found good roads and winds were calm. pretty chilly
though. i'm ok except my feet get a little numb. i'll try to modify my
shoes a little tonight. i think it's getting a little flatter.
otherwise no big surprises as far as scenery. dogs still chase me,
people either wave or just stare with their mouth open. i got to a
motel this evening and stood in the shower for about 20 minutes to
warm up. then i ate about 3000 calories. not quite full yet.

--
Sent from Gmail for mobile mobile.google.com

osceola, ia

pace getting down to 55 miles or so per day. daylight waning. roads
today were a c minus at best. same stuff to see. i try to look for
things that stand out of the ordinary but am pretty unsuccessful.
farm, cattle, buick, buick. i really enjoy riding when the roads are
good but it's frustrating when they're not. the worst is when i'm
struggling up a hill and eddie money (or as the dj says, "the money
man") comes on the radio. i can't stop moving so i have to suffer.
eddie money, i curse thy name.

--
Sent from Gmail for mobile | mobile.google.com

Creston, IA

Made it to Creston, IA today. I finally got a map that showed which
roads are paved. That would have helped earlier (oops). So I found
some good roads, paved, without much traffic. It's definitely not
Indian summer anymore. It's blustery and chilly with a few snowflakes
here and there. I bundled up and was OK, although I probably looked
even more ridiculous to the farmers.

I saw a lot of the same. Farms, a few houses every mile or so.
Hills, lots of them. Some cattle. It's kind of strange being
completely by yourself and then realizing that 50 animals are all
looking at you. A couple of dogs chased me (they seem to love me). I
just yell at them as loud as I can and they stop in their tracks. I
saw a guy driving at 50 mph sitting in the passenger seat, reaching
over to steer. Don't know what that was about. Maybe he was the
mailman.

There's a town in about 50 miles and one in 75. If I'm ambitious and
stay warm I can make the further one.

pics and a video from the last few days

Pit stop at the Walters home in Lincoln.











Toll bridge over the Missouri, south of Omaha. 50 cents.






Outside of Omaha. I guess it's hard to tell, but it was so windy here that I could hardly ride the bike. I made the following video, sorry you have to look at my face but that's the only way I could get the mic to pick up anything:














This is my pad for a couple days in Atlantic. My storage/bedroom has seven oil lamps, nine mirrors, a set of golf clubs, five chairs, boxes of old dried flowers, and a nice cool breeze.


I think I will try to ride tomorrow. It's supposed to be NW winds of 20-30 and a high of 34. Hmmm. Winds at my back, sounds OK.

busy-ness

i've noticed on this trip is that america is a very busy place. there
is industry everywhere. from the endless farmland to the towns,
people are working. all the land is spoken for and being worked. the
roads are alive with commerce. people aren't lazy around here. there
aren't many people just hanging around in the park. america works
hard.

--
Sent from Gmail for mobile | mobile.google.com

Atlantic, IA

The last couple of days have been slow going. I started off from the south Omaha suburbs into high winds and heavy traffic. I wouldn't say that area is a biker's paradise. No sidewalks, only the big road with fast cars. I crossed over the Missouri on a toll bridge. 50 cents. Once I got into Iowa the traffic lessened, but the winds got worse. I got onto Hwy 92 which had no shoulders and an abrupt dropoff on the side into loose gravel. The winds were so ferocious that I was being blown out into the lane out of control.

This wasn't working, so I switched over to the gravel side roads. It was slow but safer. The roads were better than the county roads in Nebraska, but still highly variable. It's very hilly here and I ended up pushing my bike up most of them. I couldn't make up any time on the way down because the winds were howling so bad that my tires couldn't keep me from going sideways; I had to slowly ski down through the gravel with my feet as outriggers and the handlebars whipping wildly. This was exhausting and unrelenting. I finally made it into Griswold, IA after dark under lightning and a tornado warning.

The storm that passed over the Rockies is headed this way, so I think I need to hole up for a few days. This morning I cruised up to Atlantic, IA which has a movie theater. Sold! I need to work on my bike as the seat back has torn from pushing against the pedals so hard. This leaves my spine pressed against the seat bars.

In Atlantic, I am staying at a huge old mansion that is pretty cool. It's filled with pianos and gas lamps and National Geographics from 1977. It may be a good candidate for a haunting; I'll find out tonight. I will probably be here until Saturday morning, when the snow is past.

special thanks

I had an excellent stay with Mr. Walters in Lincoln. I ate and slept
well. It's wonderful to receive such hospitality.

Multimedia message

"charlie's fixin his van with the left arm tan"

Papillon, NE -- a few miles from IA

I had hoped to get into Iowa today but couldn't quite make it. I
started out in Lincoln during morning traffic. Lincoln, despite being
a college town, is not a very bicycle-friendly city. Or so it seems
to an uneducated tourist. I think maybe if you knew where you were
going it would be easier.

Found the "MoPac" rail-trail, which was nice, but surfaced in crushed
limestone which is a little slower than pavement. After that I got
stuck on some roads that got progressively busier and louder and
faster as I neared Omaha. Finally I was in five o'clock traffic in
the outskirts of Omaha on a 4-lane and I had to call it a night. It's
always a toss-up out here whether to pick the paved busy road or the
lonely but gravelly side road. Not too much in between sometimes. I
think as I get into Iowa on highway 92 it should get nicer. It's a
lot easier to pay attention to my surroundings when I don't have
traffic breathing down my neck.

My good fortune with weather seems to be ending too, with colder and
wetter conditions in store. Hopefully it won't be too bad. I have
the gear for it but it's probably unavoidable that I'll endure some
discomfort.

sandy vid

This video is from Saturday. Things got better, of course. And Kearney is pronounced "car-ney." What a sorry, spandex-wearing, out-of-towner I am.

Lincoln, NE

Standard Seward, NE driver

Lake I saw near sunset -- going as fast as I can toward Aurora to beat the sun. I lost.

Last of the corn being harvested

Went from Seward to Lincoln today. There was a very stiff crosswind from the south. I could barely keep the bike on the road at times. It didn't really slow down my forward progress, but it was a little tiresome concentrating on keeping my balance.

I got into Lincoln with time to spare, so I looked for the bike path network to try to get to the University of Nebraska. I thought I'd find a bike shop, get some tubes, and poke around. I don't know if it was my maps or my ignorance, but I was lost from here on out. I pedaled around until I finally found a bike path. Although unmarked, it led sort of in the direction I wanted to go. I finally found the university, fought through unfriendly traffic, and found a bike shop. They didn't have the tubes.

I got completely lost again, this time out by a freeway, and finally had to ask for help as the sun was going down. Mr. Walters came and picked me up, took me out to Mexican, and it was happily ever after. Tomorrow evening I should be in Iowa.

Seward, NE - smooth 50 miles.

Had an easy spin into Seward today. It seems to be a picture-perfect
little town. It's perched on a hill and has a nice town square with a
clock tower. I went over to the library but I wasn't able to get the
computer to read my camera. So pictures will have to wait. Now I'm
settling in to watch the Broncos, then the Colts. Not bad at all.

I had a pretty decent crosswind from the south for the last half of
the day. According to the weather, more wind is in store. As long as
it isn't a headwind, it'll be OK. Riding in a crosswind isn't the
greatest, though. It's unpredictable and can blow you around when you
don't expect it.

Tomorrow I'll head to Lincoln, which is only 25 miles. I guess I can
take it slow. I need to visit a bike shop to get some more tubes.

aurora, ne.... sand traps

Today was supposed to be an easy day, but it didn't end up that way.
I thought I'd travel to Aurora, NE, about 60 miles from Kearney.
That's "as the crow flies". Since highway 30 was getting much too
busy for me, I thought I'd try out the back roads.

I started off heading south into a stiff headwind. After about 10
miles, I looked for the road on my map that I was planning to take.
It was dirt, which wasn't so bad. But after about a mile, it turned
into sand. Deep sand. I tried to ride my bike but to no avail. I
had to walk. This repeated itself the entire morning, as I got lost
and tired trying to pedal through sand roads. Finally I looked at the
clock and it was 2pm and I was still 40 miles from Aurora. Once I
found pavement, I pedaled as fast as I could, trying to get to town
before nightfall. It didn't happen. I ended up getting to town about
an hour after dark. Riding at night isn't very reassuring even though
my bike is wrapped in reflective tape and lit up like a Christmas
tree. There are just too many old ladies in Buicks out there.
Seriously, half the cars out here are 1996 Buick Roadmasters driven by
old folks.

I can't overemphasize the importance of Husker football here. There
are Husker banners on all the houses and cars. I tuned into the
pregame show at about 2pm. The game didn't start until 7. I guess
there's enough abou the Huskers to talk about for five hours. When I
checked into my hotel, there was a sweet old lady sitting behind the
desk. As I walked in, she began screaming at the television "NO!!!
GOD DAMN IT!!!". Oklahoma had just scored on the Huskers.

I was hungry enough to eat a horse, and luckily there's a Runza across
the street from my motel. I had heard about Runza, and was eager to
order everything on the menu. It's German fast food, very filling. I
got a Runza mushroom/cheese/beef sandwich, a cherry Coke, fries, a
bowl of chili, French onion dip, and a sundae. I just can't eat
enough.

Lincoln is 75 miles from here, but I think I'm going to take it a
little easy and split it up. I need a bit of a rest. No more
gravel/sand roads, I hope.