A few milestones today - we passed the 2000 mile mark, we crossed the mighty Mississippi and we entered the Land of Lincoln, Illinois, the state of my birth as well as Abe. It was our 7th state line crossing.1000 miles didn't mean much to me, but 2000 feels like much more of a big deal. The folks in Starbucks thought it was a big deal and made to perfection Roy's double shot tall cappuccino mostly dry with a half pack of honey. I couldn't work at Starbucks. I'd laugh too hard.
As you can see from the background of the picture, today was a perfect day. Blue sky, tail wind, moderate temperatures and low humidity. You can see all that, right?
The 75 miles felt almost effortless. Everyone had big smiles at the finish.
This sign was on the east bank of the Mississippi.
I was looking at photos of a previous Crossroads rider, and the bottom line of the same sign read "Rod Blagojevich, Governor". I guess the people of Illinois decided not to brag about their governors. Good idea.As some of you know, Peg and I are looking to downsize and buy a smaller home. I think I found the perfect place:
The realtor's listing says it is a quaint cottage with fresh country breezes, room for a guest suite in an antique pickup, space for a pool and loads of extras!Best of all, it's just down the road from a high-end bike shop:
Eastcoasters are snobs. There's just no getting around it.I mentioned yesterday I wished I had a photo of the black wall of clouds that closed in on us. One of my tour mates caught this shot:
You feel a bit exposed on a bike watching this approach.
Tonight we're in Quincy, Illinois on the banks of the Mississippi. We cruised into town on a beautiful street lined with mansions like the one on the right. The homes were impressive and perfectly maintained. One section on the street was named one of the 10 most architecturally significant corners in the United States. This town has a lot going for it.There was one mansion for sale. However, I have my heart set on the quaint cottage above.
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I feel like the readers of this blog are waiting for me to respond about the house Harold found for us. I would like to know where I should send the down payment? The furniture we currently have in storage could be displayed on the front lawn and save us a few $'s a month!
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