I had a late start this morning because I slept in a bit, had to break camp and had a short ride. So I hit the road around 09:00 and was essentially lost by 09:45… I must have missed a turn on a farm road- it probably didn’t have a sign- and I ended up … Continue reading Day 51: Through Illinois and into Indiana!
Like yesterday, when I left this morning it was clear, about 50 degrees and I was riding into a stiff headwind. Fortunately, headwinds don’t bother me anymore- they just make me go slower. And since I am not on a strict schedule, who cares? And the headwinds do help my conditioning, so that’s a positive. … Continue reading Day 50: Another great country ride to Ashkum, IL
Before I get into my tough ride today, I want to give a few highlights of my WS stay last night. Before the concert there was a potluck dinner. I enjoyed meeting some of the locals and the dinner was delicious- I went for thirds! Later, I was standing in the yard watching the first … Continue reading Day 49: Another tough ride today
I crossed the Mississippi and headed into Illinois (state #8!) this morning. My quick and statistically invalid assessment of Illinois compared to Iowa is as follows: Illinois has better roads with less traffic, fewer pig farms, more soybeans (which means better visibility), and friendlier motorists- I had several honk and wave and one guy just … Continue reading Day 48: A great workout ride to Cambridge, IL
I was tired this morning when I got on my bike around 08:30. The humidity was down quite a bit and there was no fog so it was a nice change. The roads were pleasantly hilly and winding and no steep bluffs to climb! After another detour for a washed out bridge, Google Map tried … Continue reading Day 47: A quick ride to Muscatine, IA
This morning was very foggy again so I started late- around 08:45. I also started late because Steve cooked a phenomenal breakfast for me at the B & B and it took a while for me to eat it all (waffles, cheesy scrambled eggs- he used 6 eggs just for me- sausage, fresh fruit salad, … Continue reading Day 46: A very tough ride to Dyersville
I left the hotel around 08:00 and continued south along the Mississippi River Trail (MRT). It was still and warm and humid when I started riding and within 15 minutes I had a good sweat going. There are several wildlife refuges on the river where I was riding and the scenery was really nice. About … Continue reading Day 45: A steamy ride into Iowa
I awoke to a very dense fog so again, ate a slow breakfast and waited for it to clear a bit. When I left at 08:30 the fog was lifting but the sky was a very heavy overcast with a low ceiling. Often the music to which I am listening when riding seems appropriate to … Continue reading Day 44: Beautiful ride along the Mississippi River to Winona, MN
Radar showed a pretty big storm coming my way so I ate a slow breakfast and then packed slowly and then had another cup of coffee… Finally, I couldn’t wait any longer- I was antsy and the radar only showed green and light yellow- how bad could it be? After about a half hour … Continue reading Day 43: A soggy ride to Red Wing, MN
Wisconsin is my 6th state (!) but I will be back in Minnesota tomorrow…I had a great ride today- 35 of the 57 miles were on 4 different bike trails. Minnesota has done a great job of making bike paths out of railroads after they are decommissioned. Within 1 mile of leaving my hotel in … Continue reading Day 42: Hudson, WI!
Dave Bikes America 