Day 68: Ballgame, Exciting Ride to Lake Forest

Waking up in a basement was quite a bit different from what I'm used to, zero natural light. But it allowed me to sleep in until about 8:30 for which I was immensely grateful. Mary showed me around the kitchen and I made myself some eggs with onions and peppers and then showered and cleaned up. Tom's parents, sister, and nephew came over and we all "tailgated" at the house before heading to Miller Park for a Brewers game. They had an extra ticket and I couldn't believe my fortune that they asked me to go. I tried to catch a game in Seattle but the timing didn't work out, so it was great to see a ball game after almost 10 weeks on the road.

Miller Park was a beautiful ballpark on this sunny day and the game started out exciting with some runs and errors. After awhile I wandered the ballpark, grabbing a brat and a couple beers and enjoying the walk. I eventually settled back into my seat with the family and we all bit our nails (mine were not quite as chewed down, being a Giants fan) as the Brewers nearly lost their lead, but they squeaked by with a win.

We got back to the house around 5 and I was a little nervous about the 53 mile ride I had ahead of me down to Lake Forest. I had pre-packed my bags and rushed to change clothes, finally thanking them for their amazing hospitality before I left at 5:30. Steph's electro-pop mix started me off with some good motivation as I pumped along on the mostly bike trails that would take me all the way. One downside to bike trails is that there are a lot of bikers, and having a fully loaded touring bike attracts a lot of attention. A fellow rider, Kurt, joined me for about 10 miles until the IL state line and we chatted about touring and such. It slowed me down a few mph but was nice to ride with someone again.

Once I crossed the line into my 11th state it started to rain a little. I put on the clear lenses and kept pushing until it cleared up. Evidently it had rained quite a bit in front of me since the limestone path had large puddles all over. Normally I would be a little more cautious with puddles and raise my feet up a bit but I knew that I had a dry house to stay in tonight and just pushed right through, enjoying the feeling of the warm water spraying just past the fenders and onto/into my shoes. I called my dad and his friends, Brian and Linda, who we'd be staying with and learned that it was pouring ahead of me. I could also see it pouring behind me so I kept riding in this little calm cell almost all the way to my destination. The whole time I could see the nasty, south-moving storm coming behind me, with lightning flashing in my rearview mirror, so I had a lot of incentive to keep pushing.

At one point, 10 miles away, I ran into two girls with rear panniers and stopped to chat. They were on their way to Seattle via the Northern Tier route, and had just started today! I was so excited for them and we talked a little about my trip and any tips I might have. They have an aggressive schedule, needing to ride 70-80 miles every day, so I wished them luck and we parted ways. Around this time I got another call from my dad. At first I was a little bothered since I knew where I was going and just needed to ride. We talked just a little before ending the call and after not too long, out of nowhere, I heard a yell from a car near the bike path. The three of them had come to find me and asked me if I wanted to put the bike in the car or unload some gear. At this point I was so close I refused and kept going. Soon after parting it started to rain, then pour, then the sky was filled with thunder, lightning, and more water than my headlight could easily cut through. I slowed down a bit and finally saw the taillights of my hosts just off the trial. This time it was a welcome sight since I probably would have missed the bike trail's exit to their house, and I joyously followed them the next few blocks to their house. I had to remind myself that despite my earlier frustrations, they kept calling because they were worried about me, which is never a bad thing.

I dried off and showered, then feasted on the beer/ribs/corn/caprese/berries/cookies that Brian and Linda had waiting for me, while I shared stories with them and my dad. I remember a point on the road tonight when I had hung up with them after hearing their concern about my riding at night, and thinking, "I'm fine, THIS IS WHAT I DO!" And truly, this is what I've been doing for almost 10 weeks now; waking up, eating, riding, eating, riding, eating, riding, eating, going to sleep. But it's always nice to have loving friends and family who help out on the way and I'm grateful for them tonight.

P.S. This last picture was taken while riding in the pouring rain on the bike path. All I had was my headlight so I let the shutter open for 30 seconds as I rode holding the camera. Perhaps this is what it looks like to the ghost Robert McClory when he rides his bike trail at night.