Day 25 May 23d Shelbine Mo – Quincy Il

When I got into my room last night I found that I was to tired to leave & forage for food. So sat in my room eating peanut butter & jelly sandwiches & tuna from a can. I was pretty whipped. I found a magazine in the hotel lobby dedicated to the up coming “Bicycle Across Missouri” or Big Bam Ride coming up in a few weeks. I had been asked by people I had met the last few days if I was going to be doing this ride? I assured them that this would probably be my last pass through the state for a while. But their ride did look like fun! They take 6 days instead of 2 1/2 & have a party & concert every night of the ride ending with a huge party in Hannibal @ the end. The ride goes basically out the same route I did except it goes off of the 4 lane whenever possible onto paralleling secondary roads. It stops every night in each town that I stopped in. Maybe next year?

At breakfast this morning I met a local guy who was back in town for a funeral. I told him I was pretty exhausted from the 4 lane riding & that I was going to head north & join up with a 2 lane route that would take me to Quincy. He warned me that it was pretty hilly & I would do good to stay on the flatter 4 lane. But I decided that the routing advise I have taken from “non bikers” all though well meaning, hasn’t worked out so far.

So I headed north to join up with rt 168 in the town of Shelbyville. A very beautiful morning to ride. As I headed east on the tight rural 2 lane I soon found that the local guy knew his roads pretty well. These were some real hills by any standard, but the trade off for the beautiful country side was well worth it. As I arrived in the various towns along the way I found no stores or good rest spots so I rode on for 42 miles non stop. I joined up with rt 24 another 4 lane, but for the 12 miles that it took me north I enjoyed a great tailwind, something that I had forgotten how nice it was. I made my way across a very TIGHT bridge crossing the Mississippi & on into Illinois . 59 mi for the day . Landing here for the day was good as my legs need a little rest. 

Today I am a few miles short of 2000 miles done. My schedule of getting to western Pa. may be a little optimistic by will see how it goes . There are storms in the forcast and so far I have managed to stay ahead of them. A few days to cross illinois & Indiana & I think Ohio will feel like I am almost home!