Been a hard ride but I was welcomed with open arms in Cambridge, Illinois. Heard that the American Legion was a good place to have a meal, so I went there and ordered. They were asking where I was riding to and from. I explained the details of the trip and the next thing I knew they were buying my lunch. Cambridge is a beautiful city, small, but so peaceful and true Americana.  The courthouse is beautiful as can be seen in the attached picture.  
Here's a picture of the crew at the American Legion, and a picture of the Vietnam/MIA ornament that they asked me to carry along on the trip. They asked that I include Jerry Tharp, U.S. Army National Guard, killed in Iraq, with the souls on board.  Welcome aboard Jerry on our trip to Seattle. Thank you for your service.





The Charm has been given a place of honor on my bicycle as we travel to Seattle.  People across the country continue to astound me with their kindness!

Home sweet home for the night

Nothing fancy but it will keep the rain out. Staying in Orion, IL, for the night. Will attempt Muscatine tomorrow if the winds are favorable. Happy Mother's Day, Andrea. I'll be thinking of you.

My mantra: "The Wind Was Brutal! "

Rained all last night but I was snug and warm in a hotel room. Not so tonight; I'll be sleeping in my tent.  Left about 8 o'clock this morning and was confronted with a brutal wind coming out of the West. Could only make 4 miles an hour at times, and it felt like I could walk faster than I was bicycling. The wind is one obstacle that can really wear on a person's morale. Met my first bicyclists today traveling from Eugene, Oregon, to Washington DC.  Normally I would've taken a picture but I was too pooped to pop! I was too tired from the wind to take their picture; wish I had. They had confronted an eastbound wind the two previous days. Started out with beautiful scenery as can be seen from the picture shown here, and then I traveled to the flat open lands where the wind roared like a freight train.  At 20 miles I realized I was not going to make my 45 miles today. In Bradford, Illinois, checked in at a farm to see if I could pitch a tent and the folks were most accommodating. Have a beautiful view outside my tent door. Should wake up to the rising sun in the morning and behold this pastoral beauty. Hoping that the wind is accommodating tomorrow so that I may put some miles under my wheels. In any event, it's a great trip and continues to be that every day with new and exciting adventures.

They certainly have big raccoons in this part of the country!

Jim Hewitt

Shallow Brook Farms, my home for tonight

View from my tent door

Illinois Travel allows a visit HOME

 No offense, but I must say this was probably one of the best "Warm Showers" stops yet!...time spent with Andrea and Maggie...Home Sweet Home!

Storms in the forecast may make for some interesting travels...tornado drill?  Climb under the bike.

 

 I have all of the gear laid out, ready to be loaded onto "Traveler" and we are ready to hit the road. Let the next leg of the journey begin... Looks like Monty Cherry may join me as I travel through Glacier. Will be nice to have some company...bears get the slowest guy so I will be certain to be fit for this leg of the journey.   There are a lot of states to hit before that adventure!

Several folks have commented that they are having trouble with posting comments on the blog.  I definitely want to hear from you as your comments keep my spirits up on cold, windy, long bicycle rides.  The work around that we have devised (we think it is because some submitters don't have active Google accounts) is to send your comments to the email:  sspeer2@comcast.net  and Andrea will post them. 

Home visit

Maggie:  "uhhh...who ARE you?"

What a great day of bicycling, almost perfect weather!  After a great night's sleep in the Iroquois Community Center and a nice big breakfast, it was off to Odell as my destination where Andrea would meet and pick me up for a short visit home.  Knocked out 65 miles in little over half a day, felt strong to the end, wind was at my back most of the way.  So wonderful to see Andrea and Maggie, and what a treat being home this evening!  Left my bicycle in Washington, Illinois, for a much needed refitting and service after doing close to 1000 miles, much of it on dirt and gravel roads.  The chain was completely worn out; new brakes and a much needed adjustment to the gear system were in order as well.  All in all, my bicycle performed magnificently and I've become quite attached to it, carrying on long conversations with "Traveler" as we roll through the miles hours after hour, after hour, after hour... SO WONDERFUL TO BE HOME FOR A SHORT VISIT!

For those of you following the Spot Buddy, you can see exactly where I was picked up, to where we traveled to have the bike serviced, and what route we took to get home. I forgot to turn the darn thing off...darn tattletale anyway!

After not being in an automobile for a month, it was quite an experience traveling at 65 miles an hour... A lot for the brain to process at that speed.

Iroquios, IL

Thank you Iroquois Village Hall for a wonderful night's sleep!

Yesterday the conditions started out windy but tapered off as time went by and I was able to do 55 miles. Great day of riding, beautiful country, and so good to enter back into Illinois after traveling so many miles.  The citizens of Iroquois, Illinois, are so gracious to cross-country bicyclists. They have opened up their social center to bikers so that they can shower and have a roof over their heads during the cold weather.  Arrived fairly early, could have done more miles, but there really was nowhere else to go. I will attempt to hook up with Andrea, my sweet wife, today and perhaps spend a little time at home. Plan to clean all my gear, have my bike serviced, and get ready for the next leg of the trip.  This trip has changed me immeasurably and I never will be quite the same. It is all for the good; stepping out of one's comfort zone is a growing experience!  I do not believe I ever will look at the United States in quite the same way. A trip like this is not for everyone, but it certainly was good medicine for me and I have fallen in love with our great country all over again.

Welcome to Illinois

 Iroquois, Illinois

 Everett Butler gave me a place to stay tonight with a roof over my head. Supposed to get pretty cold! It will be sweet being out of the weather.