Omaha to NYC Day 10

(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 could feel it building. Despite the heat, I slept well. I woke early and tip-toed as best I could in the creaky Victorian. When Hana and Hylee woke I shared a morning beverage with them then that was it. Once again I forgot to get a selfie. I must have jinxed myself with that now about not wanting to treat people as objects in my story, but I'm cases like these I am as much as part of their story. 

 I followed a road paralleling a railroad out of town passing a BNSF train idling. It was long, long, long and thought about the issues caused by two mile trains passing through small towns. I spotted some high level graffiti on one car. I had a tailwind pushing me. Coming into Galesburg with a headwind I was averaging 10 mph. Leaving I was going 17 mph. The fresh legs probably helped too. 

(High end train graffiti)

I quickly passed through two small towns and a cornfield with a parking lot and multiple logoed pickups pulling in. Some big ag thing? Many of the cornfields are now branded. Weird. The Illinois backroads are narrow and hardly travelled making them feel like big bike lanes. I stopped for a Gatorade and bathroom break at a Dollar General. The woman are the counter wished me a good ride. 

(Noe this is flat)

By 10:00 I was in Bishop Hill and halfway through the ride. This was amazing. A cloud cover was keeping the temperature down. 

(The Colony Hotel)

Bishop Hill was founded by a Swedish religious sect who were persecuted by the national Lutheran Church in Sweden. It has lots of unique, well preserved buildings, but unlike the Shakers or the Amana Colonies it is hardly known outside of the area. It now hosts a lot of events and arts. I'd been there once in 1984 when Knox student and nearby resident April Landers invited me to go to some festival with her mom. The first place I stopped was the local county museum. The docent turned out to be April's elementary school teacher. 

(Bible stand for BIG bibles)

From there it was off to Bishop Hill Heritage Association. The guy running it was very nice. He really wanted me to have questions. I disappointed him. I folded under the pressure. Still, I learned a lot, but I'll spare you the details save that the group disbanded in 1861. 

(The building on the right was their church. They should revovate it)

From there it was a straight road east to Kewanee. I stopped for coffee. Iced Americanos taste so good when you're hot. Oh yeah, the cloud cover was gone and it was starting to steam. Luckily I was a mere nine miles from Johnson Sauk Trail Rec Area. Getting the was more of a grind than I'd thought. Suddenly, I had a series of hills to negotiate and some were steep (ish). Later I learned that was the terminal moraine for the Wisconsin ice sheet. 

(Many small towns now get clergy from oversees)

Hot and sweaty I arrived at the Rec Area. It was only 2:00. My earliest arrival yet though I'd biked 50 miles. Having too much time at camp was a problem for me in 2022. Maybe it was the hit humidity, but I was happy just lounging or puttering. I explored the area. Last on a bench. Rested. 

(Lounging around)

Dinner was two packs of ramen and summer instant miso soup. I still am trying out the bug strategy. They get my ankles fierce. The anti-itch balm I bought at the farm store works great but I have to keep it in a Ziploc. It is messy. 

I took two showers, multiple bathroom trips, and water fill ups. I also had my shirt off. As I was walking away I heard the suspicious looking guy in the Freedom Express trailer next to the shower house say to a park ranger there was a suspicious looking guy wandering around. “Oh that's me”.  Do I look suspicious to you?

I am holed up in my tent now hiding from the bugs. Thankfully it's not as hot as I thought it would be. Now it is reading time. Goodnight!