String of Friends

Just a short update to say that my Chicago sojourn is done. I had a great time visiting friends and seeing a few sites. I might write some, but this part of the trip is the stuff you'd do, except I did it. Four highlights: Asif's stepdaughter's wedding, Wolf Road Prairie, the Willis Tower with Asif, and seeing my friend Andy.

Static map: https://ridewithgps.com/trips/410237909?privacy_code=wZXwHMWReWDsDaHZQpDvsD1Jn4SobIHe Animated map: https://www.relive.com/view/vMv8zQ25EN6 SOFAUS 3 Day 13 The night was what you’d expect. Hot and sticky with the occasional whining “Nee” of a mosquito in my ear. I slept better than I thought I would, but that isn’t saying much. Around 3:30 I woke up and couldn’t sleep for about an hour. Finally, I closed my eyes. It felt as if no time passed, but when my eyes opened again it was almost 6:00. Thank goodness for small mercies.  (Duck!) I decided to skip breakfast, what with the bugs and all. I was on the road just after 6:30 headed to Joliet. The soft early morning light made the trail glow and the breeze of just moving through space made this a magical time.  (Just the way it should be) The reverie ended in Rockdale just south of Joliet. The trail ends and, as I was warned by the firefighter in Spring Valley, the roads suck. There...

Static Map: https://ridewithgps.com/trips/410060557?privacy_code=PgCpUMzlMf7W0SoTIyEnLFfQSNTqe4f9 Animated map:  https://www.relive.com/view/v1Ow7N2Y9EO I awoke thankful for AC, but thought I'd give hot weather camping a go tonight at Channhon State Park. It's right on the trail. There are no showers so it'll be a water bottle bath today. The trail goes through more towns so I didnt need to worry about overheating as much.  I decided to take a side trip over to Starved Rock State Park from the b&b to see some of the slot canyons it's famous for. I was only able to see one, but what a beautiful place! And I had it to myself! I enjoyed the echoey solitude before moving on. I also stopped by Starved Rock itself. It got its grim name in an apocryphal story that a group of Illinois were besieged there by a group of Potawatomi and starved. More known is that the French had a fort there.  (Entrance to French Canyon) Going back to the Lander's Ho...

Static map: https://ridewithgps.com/trips/409810764?privacy_code=QcjBCjrQii1aAxG5YC2t5OxyVQGQFMUK Animated map: https://www.relive.com/view/vPOp7YXP9Ev It was, in my mind, supposed to be a 53 mile day. It was going to be in the mid 90s with high humidity, but I'd get to camp early and rest and relax. Plus, much of the day was going to be on a flat bike trail. It turned out to be one of the most grueling days of the trip so far.  I decided to eat at the restaurant at the park. I couldn't finish the enormous spread. It was my fault. I was warned the pancakes were huge. Eating at the restaurant also gave me time to dry my tent. I was moving at 8:30. The old 2022 me would have left at first light.  (No, I didn't finish it all) I quickly made the trail on a busy-ish road with great shoulders. Then it was time for the Hennepin Canal Trail. A canal trail just seems cool even though the canal was never a commercial success. It opened in 1907, way after other...

(Famous round barn built to house a renowned brain surgeon's cows) Static map: https://ridewithgps.com/trips/409540684?privacy_code=pf2c5Qs718AWMCLI9QdHpo4LQxB5onDM Animated map: https://www.relive.com/view/vMv8zQjjZP6 SOFAUS 3 Day 10 Yesterday was a rest day. I hung out in Galesburg all day. I'm not going to write much except to say I rode to Target to buy replacement clothes, had brunch at Judy’s Family Cafe. With her 600K Instagram followers, she is better at marketing than pancakes. I really wanted to poke in the Knox College buildings but, alas, they were close summer Sundays. I took solace with iced Americanos at two different coffeeshops. In the afternoon, I went back to Hana’s. I decided to make dinner for her and Haylee. She and Haylee were with f friends so I poked around their kitchen trying to find where they put stuff. I had so much fun winging it on Sweet Potato Tacos. Thus ended the day.  The weather was turning. It was going to get humid and hot. We ...