Thursday, September 24, 1998 
Scot sped out of Indianapolis. He camped at Raccoon State Park near Bellmore along
Route 36. Took a shower then went to the bar and had two beers. At night, the raccoons
were busy with his bike. He moved it close to his tent but they were not discouraged by
that.
Martin released the url for Scot’s news release. Hopefully, people will welcome
him after checking it out. He’s got a huge mug shot and a picture of him and his
bike. This is what Martin said in email: "When you get there, let yourself feel the
love that Scot is all about and wow is this guy a winner. Our hit count for the ride
itself has soared since he hit the road. In fact, yesterday we had SEVEN people sign up
for our ride!"
Richmond, IN to Fort Springfield, IL Route: The route through des
moines is shorter by 163 miles than going across kansas. And more accessible to public
transportation just in case you run into foul weather. I hate to tell you how many more
miles you have to go.
hillsdale, IN is right on the IL border. proceed on route 36W then go to chrisman
(+15), camargo (+29, camping at walnut SP south of camargo), tuscola (+5), decatur (+32),
springfield (+32, camping at sangchris lake on route 29 10 mi south of springfield)
Friday, September 25, 1998 
This is the fourth week of Scot’s bike ride. Continuing on Route 36, Scot crossed
the border into Illinois. He rode more miles than his average. He made it to Walnut Point
State Park south of Newman by 7pm. The south/southwest wind made it really hard for him to
get to the park. It’s warm.
In email to John Strait: "...I stayed at Walnut Point State Park, very nice.
Reminded me of Louisiana, what with the Jazz combo playing and the lake carved into little
inlets around the camping area. I gave card to the park ranger who took my rent for the
night. Tonight I hope to make it to Lincoln Trail State Park. This wind, tho..."
Saturday, September 26, 1998 
Scot started riding at 8am and was in Arthur (along Route 133) by noon. Recumbents are
very popular in the Amish settlement there. He has seen Infinity and Linear bicycles. The
wind is still blowing. Going west on Route 133 to Lovington, he will follow a country road
to Dalton City/Macon/Blue Mound. He plans to make it to Lincoln Trail State Park by the
end of the day. He’s just south of Decatur.
Sunday, September 27, 1998 
There was no camping at Lincoln Trail State Park so Scot last night stayed at the Days
Inn right on the edge of Decatur. We talked till late at night. One of the things that
came up was organizing the Y2K ride. We disagreed about how to do it but agreed not to
talk about it for awhile.
Scot’s having a late start today. He’s supposed to check out at 11am. He
needs a bit more time because he "exploded" his gear and needs to pack it. He
also has to talk to Jeff Harper before heading into Springfield.
It wasn’t a long ride to Springfield. Scot is camping at Jeff’s backyard.
It’s 9pm and he’s waiting for his turn to shower.
Monday, September 28, 1998
"Sunday night Jeff and I ordered and ate pizza before he started his 8 PM to 9 AM
shift. I slept in my tent in their back yard and met Jeff in the morning, then set off on
a walking tour of Springfield. After visiting the Illinois State Museum I went to the
library for a Illinois bicyclist map and a long overdue Telnet e-mail session. A tour of
Lincoln's home was a magical experience. I did laundry and bought provisions (batteries,
raisins, honey, oatmeal, broccoli) and fixins for a huge carbo- and vegi-load dinner. Even
did a cheddar cheese white sauce, for the first time successfully."
"Live from Jeff Harper's computer in Springfield, it’s the next edition of
GPS points."
"Monday was a great day to take a break in Springfield. Saturday I had worked very
hard, and even though Sunday was only a short 35 mile day I found myself rolling into
Springfield as the sun went down. I needed a break to get my legs back together."
Columbus, OH
