Hey John!
This was a good day biking, and it certainly helped when you wrote that sitting in an
office was the alternative. I have to remember some times that I *chose* to do this.
Crossing Illinois is, so far, very flat and straight. It would've been ideal biking
except for a south-west wind that constantly gusted my bike and I.
I took route 133 out of Walnut Point state park to Arcola, where a man suggested taking
11 through Amish settlements to Arthur, kind of an Amish center. I continued thru gusty
south winds to Lovington, where my Arcola tipster told me I would find a nice country road
to the south near a cemetary. This carried me for many monotonus but moving and
introspective miles past corn and soybean fields ready for harvest. I outraced a dog at
Macon, bought some bananas and began, at 5:30, a heroic but ill-concieved sprint 12 miles
to Lincoln Trail State Park. As the sun set, I ran with the south wind up 27, where a
white-tailed deer tested my speed and won. With the sundown I discovered there was no
camping at Lincoln Trail! Bummer! I would have hoboed it at that point, but there was no
phone. Or showere, for that matter: raccon creek and Walnut point were fine facilities
that must've spoiled me. A mile past Lincoln Trails, on my way to Harristown, I stopped to
ask a farm family where I might stay the night. They recognized me from the road to Macon
- we had exchanged waves. I was hoping she might invite me to camp there, but she
suggested that if I didn't want to camp at Lincoln Trails, a hotel could be found East on
old 36, towards Decatur. An adventurous night ride (my headlamp was stored) brought me to
a swinging Days Inn, which will make a fine place to spend the night...
Scot
