Day 15 – Sun, May 5, 2013

GREAT BEND, KS to ABILENE, KS

Weather: 
Cloudy all day
Starting temp 43, finishing temp 65
Winds cross, then head 10-12 mph

Ride stats:
Today’s mileage:  127 mi
Today’s climbing:  1540 ft
Total miles ridden: 1,492 mi
Approx miles to go: 1,866 mi

Noticed a big change between Great Bend and Abilene.  We are now getting into greener areas with some trees as compared to west of here.  Abilene is the birthplace of Dwight Eisenhower and our ride went right by the Presidential Center which includes his boyhood house, presidential library, museum, and gravesite.  Stopped and looked around for a while, then went on to the motel.

Winds were less of an issue today. 10-12 mph crosswinds for the first 80 miles, then we turned north and they became moderate headwinds for the last 40 miles.  Tomorrow we ride to Topeka, which will be our last night in Kansas before entering Missouri.

Photos from today.

Day 15 Map

Day 15 Ride Profile

Downtown Abilene

Gravesite and memorial

Eisenhower boyhood home.

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Day 16 – Mon, May 6, 2013

ABILENE, KS to TOPEKA, KS

Weather:
AM overcast, PM mostly sunny
Starting temp 47, finishing temp 69
Mild crosswinds

Ride stats:
Today’s mileage:  109 mi
Today’s climbing:  3310 ft
Total miles ridden: 1,601 mi
Approx miles to go: 1,757 mi

Cool, overcast, and a bit misty to start, then the sun came out around noon.  Interesting to see the changes in the appearance of the land.  We started out with green vegetation and trees, transitioned to a brownish, open prairie more like western Kansas (but not as flat), then back to green and trees.

Photos tell the rest of today’s story.  Click any photo to open in a slideshow view.

Map Day 16

Ride Profile Day 16

The “Long and Winding Road…”

Brick street in Katy, Kansas

Greeting committee

Old gravesite just off the side of the road

Bicycle “art” (?) in Dover, KS

More bicycle “art”(?)

These guys must all be related…

Bed and Breakfast

Dinner in Topeka

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Day 17 – Tues, May 7, 2013

TOPEKA, KS to CAMERON, MO

Weather:
AM foggy, PM mostly sunny
Starting temp 48, finishing temp 76
Mild cross/tailwinds

Ride stats:
Today’s mileage:  123 mi
Today’s climbing:  6010 ft
Total miles ridden:  1,724 mi
Approx miles to go: 1,634 mi

“Toto, I’ve a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore.”

We left Topeka in fog, then crossed the Missouri River and entered Missouri via the town of Atchison.  A bit of trivia – Atchison is Emelia Earhart’s birthplace.  Once into Missouri, we hit a lot of rolling hills.  Today we crossed the halfway point of the ride, and Mike had drawn a symbolic “point” to represent it (see photo).

All-in-all I have been feeling fine with no significant aches or pains.  I feel fatigued in the evenings, but generally fairly good in the AM and once back on the bike.  I must have picked up a bug recently as yesterday and today I feel the effects.  Tonight I feel totally drained.  I’m hitting bed early and think this bug will pass soon.

Here are today’s photos.  Click any photo to open in a slideshow.

Day 17 Map

Day 16 Ride Profile

Morning fog

Bike drop at SAG station

Missouri River, bridge under construction

Missouri River

Lots of rolling hills in Missouri

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Day 18 – Wed, May 8, 2013

CAMERON, MO to KIRKSVILLE, MO

Weather: 
Cloudy all day
Starting temp 56, finishing temp 74
Mild cross/tailwinds

Ride stats:
Today’s mileage:  119 mi
Today’s climbing:  6903 ft
Total miles ridden:  1,834 mi
Approx miles to go: 1,514 mi

We lucked out.  There was a storm system west of us that had a chance of bringing us some rain, but it never did.  We have been very fortunate to have had no rain to ride in yet.  Tomorrow may end that streak…we’ll see.

Lots of rolling hills again today.  Reminds me of areas around Madison, WI or southern Indiana.  Very pretty area to ride.  Tomorrow we cross the Mississippi River and enter Illinois.

Photos from today.  Click on any photo to open in a slideshow view.

Day 18 Map

Day 18 Ride Profile

Today’s typical road view.

Keeping tabs on riders, ready to take photo.

Several one lane bridges with these signs on BOTH sides of the bridge. When two cars come from opposite directions, do they both stay there forever, yielding to the other?

Photo of Barry taking a photo.

Must be owned by the same guy who put his boot on the fence a view days ago!

Amish buggy

Mike is tour leader, rides with us, repairs bikes, takes photos, drives the van, and organizes wrap. Guess you could say he wears multiple hats!

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Day 19 – Thurs, May 9, 2013

KIRKSVILLE, MO to QUINCY, IL

Weather: 
Cloudy all day
Starting temp 59, finishing temp 67
Light crosswind first 80 mi, then light headwind last 20 mi

Ride stats:
Today’s mileage:  99 mi
Today’s climbing:  4603 ft
Total miles ridden: 1,933 mi
Approx miles to go: 1,418 mi

Today we left Missouri and crossed the Mississippi River into Illinois.  It was cloudy all day and we ran into a very light rain just before hitting the river.  We have been extremely fortunate in the rain category.  Rain passed through the area last night, so the roads were all wet but it was not raining when we started.  There was a chance of thunderstorms throughout the day, so everyone carried something to keep warm if caught in one, but once again, other than the short term light rain, it never materialized.

I did not feel strong all day today…didn’t have a lot to give the pedals.  While still in Missouri I came upon six turkey vultures just sitting in the road in front of me (see photo).  I’ve never seen buzzards just sitting in he road like that.  Were they trying to tell me something!?!?!?

We crossed the Mississippi River on a ferry at the small town of Canton, Missouri.  The river was 5 feet over flood stage and the area around the ferry was a wet, muddy mess.  There is not a lot at the crossing area.  Canton is a very small town and when you get to the Illinois side of the ferry you are let off on a very small road with nothing else there.  Big grain bins half a mile up the road and huge, flat, open fields.  We turned south here and rode on this flat plain down to Quincy where we spent the night.  Huge, old houses along the road going into Quincy…must have been something “back in the day.”

Photos from today.  Click on any photo to open in a slideshow view.

Day 19 Map

Day 19 Ride Profile

Missouri road

These guys were waiting on the road for me!

Tugboat was separate from the ferry barge and was connected to it at this pivoting arm. Cool!

Illinois side after getting off.

Illinois grain bins

Flat plain on Illinois side.

Downtown Quincy

Quincy mansions

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Day 20 – Fri, May 10, 2013

QUINCY, IL to SPRINGFIELD, IL

Weather: 
Misty in AM, cloudy all day
Starting temp 57, finishing temp 57
Moderate cross/tail winds

Ride stats:
Today’s mileage:  106 mi
Today’s climbing:  3582 ft
Total miles ridden: 2,039 mi
Approx miles to go: 1,312 mi

Interesting weather today.  We started at 57 degrees and it stayed steady at that temp all day.  The first couple hours were misty and we got damp riding through it.  We did breakfast a little differently today.  Normally we eat before starting to ride, but today we rode 15 miles, then stopped at a country diner, Mike’s Restaurant, in Liberty for breakfast.  Good call!  It was excellent!  Great place and we had a huge breakfast.

The rest of the day was fairly uneventful.  We crossed the Illinois river on a neat, long, blue truss bridge and after some initial hills most of the ride into Springfield was mostly flat.  Our route took us directly past the Capitol Building in Springfield, then on to the motel.  We will remain in Springfield all day tomorrow, our second scheduled rest day of the trip.

Photos from today.  Click on any photo to open in a slideshow view.

Day 20 Map

Day 20 Ride Profile

Breakfast at Mike’s Diner

No parking?

Illinois River

Karen (one of ride leaders) crossing bridge.

Illinois River

Typical view today

Capitol Building

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Day 21 – Sat, May 11, 2013

REST DAY #2 – SPRINGFIELD, IL

Weather: 
Partly cloudy
High 63
25 mph WNW winds

Ride stats:
Today’s mileage:  0 mi
Today’s climbing:  0 ft
Total miles ridden:  2,039 mi
Approx miles to go: 1,312 mi

Today is our second and final rest day.  I’ve had a bit of an intestinal issue the last 4 days, so I went to bed earlier the last couple nights to get more rest rather than writing a blog entry.  As today is a rest day with no riding, I’m going to go back and write those two entries.  I’m not feeling significantly ill, but I think the “bug” has sapped some energy.  I’ve been riding through it and I believe it will pass.

Today’s forecast is for what would be great tailwinds if we were riding – 25 mph WNW winds.  Too bad we can’t take advantage of them!  We have not had that kind of tailwind the whole ride!

I plan to take it easy, rest and regroup today.  Jeanne is coming down mid afternoon and we will go out to dinner with another rider and his wife who will be here as well.  Tomorrow we have our shortest ride of the trip – 77 miles.  Twelve more days of riding and we reach the Atlantic…

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