Day 33, Welcome to Illinois (the s is silent stupid)

BEST: At our check in at mile 72 we met up with a former Big Rider who served us Dairy Queen Blizzards. Jim also prepared lemonade and a lot of stories.

WORST: My orange juice this morning had bugs in it.

MOST UNEXPECTED: I woke up with vertigo this morning which did not affect my riding, but made me unsteady while walking. I promise I only had the one Bloody Mary yesterday.

Todays ride was 94 miles of positively loveliness. Because it was not windy, or hot, or particularly hilly, it was enjoyable. We are in Garden Prairie in a campground getting ready for pizza for tonights dinner. Somehow we ended up going from Oregon (city) to Brooklyn (picture). I think we are lost.

Clif products arrived yesterday and the group was ecstatic over their arrival. There was also a ladies medium t-shirt in the box and I will take a picture later showing it, however it will not be me wearing it.

At this mornings breakfast which was after 7:00 leading to a late start, the cafeteria juice machine did not have its nozzles on properly and consequently the juice kind of splashed out the bottom of the machine. I filled my glass and apparently all of the little insects that lived in the machine washed out into my glass. I did go back for a different glass later.

I took a picture at our check in spot at 72 miles showing the set up including a couple of riders sitting in comfy chairs eating ice cream. The bathroom was next to the eating area and I shot a picture of the view. (in case you missed it, the cornfield works nicely.

We did cross into Illinois over a bridge, but the river was a little less majestic than the Mississippi and therefore is not included in the pictures. The Cliff climber pouch crossed the border as well, but I think I need it filled up with wine again so I can taste the flavors of Napa again.

There are no diagonal roads in Illinois. They go east-west, or north-south., so we ended up going left, than right, then left, than right to get to where we wanted to go which of course was southeast. If we could have gone in a diagonal we probably could have done this ride in 45 miles.

I am keeping my fingers crossed that the weather will hold, but I can't remember if you do just two fingers, two sets of fingers, or all of your toes to make sure it is good luck and not bad.