On Route 66

2637 Miles from Chicago to Los Angeles by Bicycle

Sunday, 10 May (Day 6)

Bloomington, Illinois to Lincoln, Illinois

Enjoyed a beautiful ride today. The wind was at my back, the skies were clear and the sun was shining, and the first twenty miles were on a paved bike path that ran alongside the Historic Route 66 highway. Riding on that smooth and fast bike path, I had visions of it going all the way into Springfield. So, I started playing with the idea of doing a long 70+ mile day. I’ve never done 70 miles in one day before, but it was 11 AM and I had gone over 30 miles already. So, who’s to say I couldn’t do it.

But then the bike path ended. And it didn’t take much to put that idea out of my head. I was now riding on Historic Route 66 highway again. And afternoon traffic was beginning to pick up. Remembering yesterday’s ride on that highway contenting with both the traffic and no shoulder to ride on, I decided to call it a day when I got to Lincoln. (Physically I could have gone further, but there are no campgrounds or motels along my route between Lincoln and Springfield. As I don’t relish the idea of stealth camping on someone’s property, stopping in Lincoln was my only overnight option.)

So when I got to Lincoln, I found a nice picnic table in a park near the center of town, had some Swiss cheese and summer sausage for lunch, and then rode over to the Days Inn motel where I checked in early for the night’s stay. After a shower and a nap, I took a walk to a nearby gas station market where I grabbed a couple sandwiches and a bag of chips for dinner. Over dinner, I made plans for tomorrow.

The winds will be at my back tomorrow again. The weather is expected to be clear and sunny. More perfect riding weather. So, I’ll ride through Springfield and spend two nights at the Marriott off Interstate 72. Winds are forecast to be near 30 mph from the south on Tuesday, so will take that day off to rest and wait for the winds to ease before continuing on. From Springfield, it’s only 100 miles to St. Louis, so expect to finish the Illinois leg of my trip on Friday.

Here’s some stuff I saw today.

My first twenty miles from Bloomington to Shirley were on this perfect bike path. It was a great ride and I was flying.
Entering Atlanta, Illinois on the original two-lane alignment of Route 66. Back then, it was also Illinois 4.
Tall Paul. The 19-foot-tall statue originally stood in front of Bunyon’s Restaurant in Cicero, but was ‘loaned’ to Atlanta, Illinois, where it’s been for the past 40 years.
Giant statues at the America Giants Museum. Atlanta, Illinois.
This replica gas station is home to the American Giants Museum. Downtown Atlanta, Illinois.
Giant donut and Lincoln 66 sign. Outside a donut shop near Lincoln’s town center.
Logan County Courthouse. Lincoln, Illinois. With a copper clad dome and clocks that tell the correct time, the building is large and imposing.
This is a replica of the Postville Courthouse that stood on this same site. The original courthouse which was completed in 1840 and was the home of the Eighth Judicial Circuit Court until 1848. As a traveling attorney Abraham Lincoln practiced law in the original building during those eight years.
The world’s largest covered wagon. Abe Lincoln sits up front reading as he travels his lawyer circuit. How big is it you ask? It’s 40 feet long, 12 feet wide, 25 feet tall and weighs 10,000 pounds. The front and rear wheels are 11 and 12 feet tall respectively. Honest Abe himself is 12 feet tall.
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Frank Grandau

2 responses to “Sunday, 10 May (Day 6)”

  1. lgrandau Avatar
    lgrandau

    All of your trips impress me with the importance of being flexible and ready to pivot when needed.

    I imagine you are making big – and small, but consequential – decisions at every turn (literally and figuratively). Does that constant figuring out get wearing? How does doing that on a bike compare to doing that in the canoe?

    Glad you found some decent digs for the night. And hope you didn’t have weird dreams about all those giant things you saw that day!!

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    1. Frank Grandau Avatar
      Frank Grandau

      Actually, I make very few consequential decisions while riding. The most important decision (where to stop for the day and spend the night) is usually made days in advance. So when riding, unless something seems dangerous and I need to deviate from my route, I’m usually just following a line on a map and listening to my body and the bike for anything unusual. And looking for the next photo opportunity, of course. 🙂

      I don’t like to ‘stealth camp’ which would entail camping overnight on private property without permission. So, that constrains me to use legal campsites or motels along the way which, fortunately, is a constraint I can afford. (When canoeing the Lower Mississippi last summer, I didn’t have to think about that too much since I did nearly all camping on sandbars.)

      Anyway, the two most impactful factors on how many miles I ride each day (and therefore where I’ll spend the night) are terrain/grade and winds. Winds in my face or long uphill grades mean less miles each day; winds at my back and flat (or even downhill) grades mean more miles.

      So, I watch the winds forecast for the next four days, factor in the terrain (using the elevation profile on my maps), then look at where the motels and campgrounds are along my route to figure out my overnights. I also know that I have to average 35 miles per day if I want to finish on schedule. So that’s a target for each day’s ride, too … though a flexible one.

      I’ve also learned that during the summer when there are lots of vacationers out and about, that I’ve pretty much have to make reservations at motels and campgrounds, particularly on the weekends. So. planning several days in advance is necessary if I’m going to make those reservations.

      Anyway, as you can tell, how much I ride each day and where I’ll spend the night isn’t some random hit-or-miss deal. I put a lot of thought into it several days in advance.

      OBTW, two other things I’ll have to figure in when I get out further west beyond Oklahoma City are where the food and water stops are, and how much of each I’ll need to carry.

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