June 5, 2007

June 5 Watseka, Illinois - Wabash, Indiana 128 miles

Yipee for Indiana! Yipee for a flat landscape! Yipee for a little drafting off of the van!

Dick became intimate with the back doors of the trailer while drafting for a few miles. The roads are narrow all day long, quiet, and full of forever views. The road signs seem to be easier to understand here in this state and instead of corn all day long, there are intermitent fields of corn, soy beans and rye (we think).

We end the day with rolling hills into Wabash on the Wabash River.

June 4, 2007

June 4th Henry, Illinois – Watseka, Illinois 120miles

Tailwinds in their favor as we crossed the Illinois River turn after turn on back roads. All along the way the shadows are dancing across the cornfields, making for some nice pictures. They bike right on through one bustling meteropolis of 1000 people after another.
I got the privelage to ride the last 25 miles in the downpoor on our last leg toWatseka.

Super 8 tonight and canned spaghetti for dinner at the local family restaurant. Yum

June 3, 2007

June 3rd Muscatine,Iowa - Henry, Illinois 125 miles

“Wind Gods are favorable today…corn fields as far as the eye could see” –Dick

“The prettiest view to date” Bill

Out biking today in his home town area was a man named Frank Beshears. As we got to talking, I learned that he is a cancer survivor, a ‘pro-follower’ and very interested in what we were doing. Frank had Hodgkins lymphoma and was one of the first 150 people to receive a stem cell transplant. He loves the bike and plans to bike across country in ’09 lymphoma.

Today we finally got to cross the Mississippi River on our way out of Muscatine and into Illinois. A nice flat ride all the way into the Henry Harbor Inn overlooking the Illinois River. A very lovely Leanne was so nice to sponsor us a room at this Inn that her and her late husband built.

June 2 2007

June 2nd

Rest Day –

Dick and I got in a short ride to stretch our legs. We spun out 35 miles in the wonderful Iowan roads.

The town of Muscatine is putting itself back together after the storm, as the boys continue to put themselves back together for a row of centuries ahead.

Muscatine is known for it’s button making factories way before pearl buttons had any idea that plastic was on its way. The factory that overlooks the Mississippi River is now a restaraunt with a great atmostphere displaying remnance of the machines and the famous pearl bottons themselves. This is where we have dinner and talk about the of the racing world of cycling.