Muscatine to Burlington, Almost

Good morning from Burlington, IA.

With much appreciation for Carla who drove us out to Muscatine yesterday and much delaying and questioning, "Can you answer me this, why are you doing this?", I was off on the start of this long journey. I still don't exactly have an answer, but maybe it will appear as this trip continues.

Day 1. Muscatine IA to just outside of Kingston, IA with stops along the way in Oakville and the Norman Frank farm just short of Kingston. 33 miles. 11:45 - 5:00.

For those worried about my safety, once out of Muscatine just a couple of miles, the traffic which was already light, became almost non-existent. Those few cars and trucks that passed me did so with lots of room and a friendly wave!

The only real problems of the day were the wind blowing from the south which is a real bear, a hill along the way - for those who ride the Fox River Trail, much like the hill just entering St. Charles, except not quite as steep but longer - and a gravel shortcut which ostensibly saved me 6 miles of riding. Except that it should read soft sand and gravel. What a pain.

However, the first miracle of the day came along in the form of a nice lady who passed me by in a pick up truck in a cloud of dust, screeched to a halt in a larger cloud of dust and offered me a ride back to the paved highway. What a godsend, as between the soft sand-gravel and wind, it was like riding into quicksand.

Back on the highway - read that, a 2 lane road with almost no traffic except farm traffic - shortly I arrived in Oakville, IA. On my map it shows that it has a restaurant, post office, library and campground. The restaurant - Dairy Queen - closed some time ago, the post office closed just before I got there, the library was not to be found and the sleepy little streets on this tucked away town were devoid of traffic. The only convenience store was boarded up where "A lady with her dog in the car crashed though some months ago" and "We just haven't gotten around to fixing it up yet", I was informed! However, a reload on water and Gatorade and off I went. So much for Oakville.

On I pushed towards Kingston, where at mile 33, my legs gave out! That's where I met Mr. Norman Frank and his son Cory. I asked him if there was anywhere nearby he knew where I could pitch my tent and stay the night and without hesitation he waved his hand across his property and said, "Stay here, anywhere you want". Thank you Norman and God, for giving me this small plot of ground under my tent for the evening.

Not only that, it gets better. He told me to go ahead and get fresh water out of the wellhead if I needed it, and to put my bike in the utility building to get it out of the rain predicted to come last night. And then, if that were not enough, his son Cory came down and showed me where to plug in my cell phone to charge it up!

Dinner was cooked and eaten by 8:00, and I fell asleep about 8:30 safely tucked away in my almost rain proof tent reading a book my son Matt recommended until the rain and thunder woke me up at 2:30, and slept again til 5:30 when I woke up to rain again. By 7:00, the rain had stopped and I was packed up and on the go again.

Day 2. 7:30 - 5:00. So far, 18 miles to Burlington, IA.
Here I am in the swellest - I know that's not a word - new library ever in Burlington, having gotten myself some breakfast and now updating this blog. My thanks to all the ladies in the library, especially Joyce, Paula and Angie, all of whom tried their darnedest to help me download pictures onto the blog. We tried, but could not get it done. Thanks ladies. This morning, just down the road from Mr. Frank's farm, a sign that read, "Detour, Road Closed Ahead"! You gotta be kidding me. Sure enough, about 8 miles down the road, a bridge out and under construction with no way across. #$%^^&$#!!!

I remember back about 1/4 mile, Jim's Body Shop & Towing. Back I went and asked the question, "How do I get around this roadblock." "Down the gravel road 5 miles and back on the other side"! I must have looked really frustrated because after a little conversation, I was offered a ride with the bike in the back of another pickup truck down the gravel road and back to just across the highway where a moment before I was standing in mud up to my ankles, %%&*$&^#&%&* at the irony of it all and trying to wish a way across that bridge! Thanks to Monte for the ride and the folks at Jim's Body Shop and Towing for that short but really helpful ride. Just as we got back to the highway, the sun came out. A short time later breakfast and now updating the blog. It is a good day!

And thanks to all the nice folks here in Iowa for taking care of a perfect stranger!

Off now across the Mississippi River into Illinois where I'll spend the night in either Dallas City or Nauvoo.

The trip across the Mississippi River bridge and beyond was without mishap, although all the roads between Burlington and Nauvoo, IL, were 2 lane with varying shoulders from 3 feet to none, including the last nine miles which were predominately up and down. They are called "Rollers" out here, and they certainly do. The good news is that once out of Burlington a few miles the traffic really becomes scarce.

Bob's observation of the day. When on a bicycle trip and are passed by 1, 2 3 or 4 trucks in a row, all transporting pigs to (gulp) most likely the dining room table via the slaughter house, the bicycle rider is left with an odor that causes the eyes to immediately tear and a lasting impression on the olfactory nerves. For about the next 200 yards or so from the point of exposure. Tear gas training in the Marine Corps was not nearly as bad!

Another observation. Although Muscatine, Iowa looks north of New Orleans, and on the globe is higher than New Orleans, and even though the Mississippi River flows downhill, it is not perceptible that this ride is downhill. And when combined with prevailing southerly winds, is a real corker! Yesterday there were a couple of hills I had to pedal DOWN, even thow I was going down hill. That dreaded wind!

Tonight in Nauvoo, in a hotel, with a real meal in me and a shower. Yikes! Today 50 miles on the button and the legs do not hurt. Thank God for all the training. In fact, thank God that I'm even on this trip!

Another observation, the last of the entry. When checking into a hotel in Nauvoo, a famous Mormon town, into a hotel in which all art and artifacts reflect the Mormon Faith and struggle, do not expect to be able to find a beer on the premesis. Lemonade for me tonight!

Tomorrow, continuing south along the river through Hamilton, IL and maybe as far as Quincy. Only tomorrow will tell.

BTW, I have not been able to download pictures today, but will keep trying until I get them up here. Sorry about that. Raining hard outside now. Glad I'm in. Thanks for the post Nabil, I'm on my way, as you can see!

bc