103 miles, +2149/-2023 feet

All sorts of bikes at our hotel in Hannibal – lots of really nice people

Very big day on the bike!

One mile from the hotel,  we crossed the Mississippi River and crossed the state line from Missouri into Illinois.  The roads were as nice as the weather today.  The riders breezed past corn fields and little towns as they headed toward our first stop in Pittsfield.

Steve

Howie

Mark

Next on today’s list was crossing the Illinois River.  The approach is a fast downhill where you have to look for a flashing light to tell you if the draw bridge is up.  If it’s up, of course you have to stop and wait.  Today it was up!  The guys had a conversation with a man on the bridge who got out of his car to talk with them while a barge and tug boat passed by.  Nice little break!

Draw bridge over the Illinois River

After all of that we thought we would top off the day with a picnic in the park in Jacksonville.

Picnic in the park – Jacksonville, IL

Apparently that wasn’t enough excitement, because the riders were literally blown into town by a tailwind the last 30 miles.  What a fun day!

Tomorrow we ride to Champaign, IL, for a rest day, and I believe that everyone is looking forward to a day off the bike to do laundry, look around town, and get ready to get back on the road.  This is our fifth week of tour and the time is literally flying by.