Day 32 – Singin’ in the rain.
Madison, Wisconsin to Belvidere, Illinois
This was one of the first mornings in a while where I woke up right away to my alarm, and I suppose that means that I was exhausted enough to sleep soundly through the night. After a typical truck breakfast (cereal, oatmeal, etc.), we were given our cue sheets which was two pages of a million turns. Our longest stretch on one road was about nine miles. What a change from out west. I truly loved Montana, Wyoming, and South Dakoa, where you could go all day and not pass a single town: being in the middle of open range, having the road almost to ourselves, feeling a part of the land around us. Now we are strong into more developed land, where we have half a dozen or more cities in one day, and I love this too. That’s what’s cool about this ride, and about riding your bike across the country, that the route is continually changing and each change allows you appreciate different parts of America. So far we’ve had mountains, dessert, open range, small towns, larger towns, farmland, and everything in between. I could say that I miss the mountains, but every day in the moment is my favorite scenery.
All morning it was hazy and grey. We were winding right and left through a grid of Wisconsin coutry roads. Not once, but twice we stopped for coffee at gas stations. It sounds a little silly, but sitting on the curb outside of the gas station drinking coffee was just perfect. Today was just a contentful day—not the funnest, not the most beautiful, but contentful (yes I know that’s not a word). For once it was nice not to have the sun beating down, and not to be slathered in sunscreen.
Our checkpoint today was in Beloit, WI immediately before South Beloit, IL. We walked across the street to the McDonalds where we sat for a long time for a little more coffee and some food. As planned, of course, we sat there until it started to rain outside, and as we started out it began to absolutely pour on us. Thank goodness we only go as fast as we do because I was having enough trouble seeing things as it was. It was cold. And it was fun. I was drinking the tire spit from the bike in front of me, my whole body was covered in goose bumps at different points, and every inch of my clothes were soaking, but it was fun. We were singing Christmas songs in celebration of yesterday’s half-Christmas on the 25th, I was busting out with some Jewel and Jack Johnson, and we were all having a good time in the rain. It felt like we were in a Nike commercial or somthing, and it lasted for a good 25 miles.
We rolled into camp today at a campground called Outdoor World outside of Belvedere, IL. This place has the most massive picnic shelter that I’ve ever seen, and we’re all set up for the night underneath it. Pollie broke out some chips and salsa for us, and the showers were really good (it’s always nice not to have “gang” showers). There must have been a miscommunication while planning the catering tonight, because the kitchen women were really trying, but most of the group was left hungry and had to be remedied with ordered pizza. This is a nice campground though, with a pool, laundry facilities, and a TV for Tour de France viewing pleasure.
This was one of the first mornings in a while where I woke up right away to my alarm, and I suppose that means that I was exhausted enough to sleep soundly through the night. After a typical truck breakfast (cereal, oatmeal, etc.), we were given our cue sheets which was two pages of a million turns. Our longest stretch on one road was about nine miles. What a change from out west. I truly loved Montana, Wyoming, and South Dakoa, where you could go all day and not pass a single town: being in the middle of open range, having the road almost to ourselves, feeling a part of the land around us. Now we are strong into more developed land, where we have half a dozen or more cities in one day, and I love this too. That’s what’s cool about this ride, and about riding your bike across the country, that the route is continually changing and each change allows you appreciate different parts of America. So far we’ve had mountains, dessert, open range, small towns, larger towns, farmland, and everything in between. I could say that I miss the mountains, but every day in the moment is my favorite scenery.
All morning it was hazy and grey. We were winding right and left through a grid of Wisconsin coutry roads. Not once, but twice we stopped for coffee at gas stations. It sounds a little silly, but sitting on the curb outside of the gas station drinking coffee was just perfect. Today was just a contentful day—not the funnest, not the most beautiful, but contentful (yes I know that’s not a word). For once it was nice not to have the sun beating down, and not to be slathered in sunscreen.
Our checkpoint today was in Beloit, WI immediately before South Beloit, IL. We walked across the street to the McDonalds where we sat for a long time for a little more coffee and some food. As planned, of course, we sat there until it started to rain outside, and as we started out it began to absolutely pour on us. Thank goodness we only go as fast as we do because I was having enough trouble seeing things as it was. It was cold. And it was fun. I was drinking the tire spit from the bike in front of me, my whole body was covered in goose bumps at different points, and every inch of my clothes were soaking, but it was fun. We were singing Christmas songs in celebration of yesterday’s half-Christmas on the 25th, I was busting out with some Jewel and Jack Johnson, and we were all having a good time in the rain. It felt like we were in a Nike commercial or somthing, and it lasted for a good 25 miles.
We rolled into camp today at a campground called Outdoor World outside of Belvedere, IL. This place has the most massive picnic shelter that I’ve ever seen, and we’re all set up for the night underneath it. Pollie broke out some chips and salsa for us, and the showers were really good (it’s always nice not to have “gang” showers). There must have been a miscommunication while planning the catering tonight, because the kitchen women were really trying, but most of the group was left hungry and had to be remedied with ordered pizza. This is a nice campground though, with a pool, laundry facilities, and a TV for Tour de France viewing pleasure.
posted by elizabeth at 5:26 PM
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