KEITHSBURG TO MILAN, ILL

May 27, Wednesday
57 miles

Nothing too eventful about today's ride. Today was cold, about 55 degs and cloudy. At one point we started looking for shelter as we could see a storm approaching. Not far on ahead we pulled into an old abandoned barn and waited it out for about a half hour. There was about six miles of construction where the road surface was pretty roughed up but the shoulders were great! We also had to use our "trail angel" bug spray several times.
We ate lunch on a bench in a little memory garden at a Methodist church in Illinois City. It was a very sweet little spot with the names engraved on bricks and stones . One larger stone had these lines: "If tears could build a stairway and memories a lane, I'd walk right up to Heaven and bring you home again." We enjoyed reading the names and understanding the sweet sentiment.
We camped in a KOA in Milan and met a young family traveling to Utah from Ohio. The family is David and Sarah Richins and their eighteen month old little girl Natalie Jane, who has a very sweet wave. David is doing a documentary on The Freedom Movement and the Economy. He and Rusty chatted a while and then the young man said "Would you be willing to say that on camera?" Later on he came over and officially interviewed Rusty, "The Touring Bike Economist". Rusty sounded like he knew what he was talking about. When I told him that he said "I do."
Today was cold, but there was a sweat factor as we would get warmed up from riding and then cool down at rest stops. We again had a fair dose of the three winds....head, tail, side.


Here's some RUSTY WISDOM for you: With about four miles to go after riding 53 miles Rusty said "These last four miles will have sixteen hills!" Then just up the road we were afraid his prediction was going to come true! We started counting.....one hill.....two hills.....but that was it. Whew!

I have noticed that Rusty goes through a metamorphosis on the long mileage days.
First its' "Do I HAVE to do this?"
Then: "I CAN"T do this!"
And finally: "I CAN DO this!

A thought about riding in the traffic. We've been asked if we are nervous about it. We really aren't BUT I notice since our bus/bike accident that when I see a big yellow school bus I get a little nervous flutter in my tummy. We've nick named them "Monster Buses" or "Scary School Buses"....don't tell the children we said that!


We've been seeing signs here and there along our country roads that say "Class III Truck Route". What's a Class III truck? We'll have to do some research on that. Haven't seen any Class I or Class II truck routes. Where do they go?