Bicycle Trip

I was slow to get out of bed this morning. Dad left for work early, but I slept in until almost 8:00. By the time I had breakfast, packed up, and called a few campgrounds, I didn't hit the road until almost 9:30.

I said goodbye to David and Jesi last night because they would both be leaving for work before I wanted to get up. I slept in until about 7:45 enjoying the air mattress and cool breeze in their upstairs room, but got ready quickly, leaving around 8:30. From there the day was very slow-going.

Today was an excellent way to round out my first month of riding. I woke up and finished off the leftover spaghetti warehouse for breakfast then said goodbye to Jason around 8:30.

There was no rain on the forecast today which made me excited to get out and ride. Today's route consisted almost entirely of bike trails along which I was able to cruise despite a slight head wind.

Today was planned to be a short day, and my host in Dayton was expecting to get home around 8:00 pm so I was able to sleep in until 9:30 before waking up and having continental breakfast at the hotel.

It was another rainy morning, but after staying up late with my new friends in Indianapolis, I didn't mind an excuse to sleep in an extra half hour. When I finally got up just before 8:00 the radar looked grim. I figured I would have to ride in the rain all day, so I prepared myself mentally as I prepared the bike. I rode through downtown Indy enjoying the sculptures and monuments, but the rain prevented me from taking too many pictures.

When my alarm went off at 7:00 I heard rain outside the window. If I had to wait it out somewhere bed seemed like a good place. I finally got up just before eight and Roger made me eggs and sausage for breakfast. The radar looked rainy all day and I decided I would just have to ride through it. So I put the rain covers on my packs, thanked Roger for hosting me, and headed out.

Let me start by thanking all the Illinois drivers I encountered. I know I only spent one night there, but it was the first state I passed through that didn't have any dumb ass drivers. Nobody flew by a few cm from my handlebars. Nobody blasted their horn or yelled, "get of the road." Nobody pulled over like they wanted to fight. So thanks Illinois, and keep up the good work!

Today was a big event in the trip because I crossed the continent's natural seam, the Mississippi river. After riding downtown and taking some pictures of the arch, I rode upstream on the Missouri side of the river for a few km and then crossed into Illinois.

Waking up to the feeling of rain through my tent screen was a disappointment because I thought the last of the storm had passed last night. But I used it as an excuse to sleep in longer which felt pretty good. When it tapered off, I carried my whole tent, sleeping bag and all, still set up to the corridor where I had hung out the previous day. I packed up there, and had the great idea of leaving my sleeping bag in the tent all the time. I would make setting up and tearing down camp easier, and the waterproof tent would keep the sleeping bag dry if I got caught in rain.

I woke up around 4:00 to the feeling of raindrops hitting my face through the screen on my tent. It was only lightly sprinkling, but I knew I had to get my bike and packs covered quickly or my clothes would be wet and heavy, and my drive train would be squeaky.