Lincoln, Illinois to Springfield, Illinois

Another beautiful day for a bike ride. The weather was much like yesterday: a decent component of the wind was at my back, the skies were clear, and the sun was shining.

Woke early and was on the road after partaking of the motel’s free continental breakfast (coffee, a pastry, and piece of fruit.) I was in no real rush today; in fact, I actually needed to kill a couple hours so as not to get to my hotel before check-in. So, I figured I’d stop for coffee and get something more substantive enroute. My map showed there was a restaurant of some sort nine miles south in Elkhart which looked promising.

The ride to Elkhart was along the Historic Route 66 highway. Aside from a few pieces of huge farm equipment, traffic was light and I was in Elkhart before 8 AM. Elkhart is a typical small farming community. Population of less than 500. A small, picturesque downtown of just a few blocks where the town’s retail businesses are located. It took me only a few minutes to complete my search for the restaurant that was supposed to be there. I didn’t find it. So off I rode south, to Williamsville, the next town over.

With a population of almost 1,500 people, Williamsville is much larger than Elkhart. And, as I arrived shortly before 9 AM, not nearly as sleepy as Elkhart. There were a couple restaurants along Main Street, but none open for breakfast. Fortunately, my route took me to the town’s Interstate 55 exit. There I found a Casey’s gas station and convenience store. So stopped, bought a chicken salad sandwich, and found a shady spot under a nearby tree to eat it. Refreshed and fueled up, I walked up and over Interstate 55, then turned onto the frontage road for the ride into Sherman, a northern suburb of Springfield.

The 5 or 6 miles on the frontage road was nice. No traffic at all. If not for the unrelenting road noise from nearby I-55, it would have been perfect. All things come to end, though, and eventually I was back in traffic on Business Interstate 55, a four-lane divided highway with a decent shoulder. I entered Sherman about 11 AM still needing to kill two hours or more so as to not arrive to early at the hotel. While riding pass a nice park, I spotted a couple picnic tables under a pavilion. A nice spot to sit for a while, eat my last piece of cheese, and maybe lay back and snooze for a bit. Which I did for about 30 minutes.

But I really wasn’t tired. So decided to not ride and just walk my bike for a while. It always feels good to get out of the saddle and use some different leg muscles. It was while walking that I discovered the marked remnants of Route 66’s 1926 alignment that ran through some woods from the park down to the Sangamon River. I didn’t follow it down to the river though. The sign said it dead-ended at the river (the old bridge now long gone) and there was a 7 degree incline I’d have to walk back up after turning around from the water’s edge. So, it was back on the bike for my ride through Springfield.

Along the way I passed the entrance to a campground where I earlier gave some thought to staying and resting for a day rather than at a hotel. The sign on the gate said the campground was closed due to flooding, so I guess I lucked out and made the right choice not to stop there.

The ride through Springfield was along quiet neighborhood streets or in marked bike lanes through the busier sections of the city. I rode pass the state Capitol and government buildings downtown, and then along 2^nd Street, where I was surprised by the number of offices I saw for lobbying organizations. I was almost through the city when I spotted a Sonic Drive-In just off the trail head to the last section of today’s ride on the Interurban Trail. At last! A place to sit down and get some food! A cheeseburger, fries, cold coke, and 45 minutes later, and I was set to ride the last couple miles to the Marriott on I-72. But I still had about an hour-and-a-half before check-in time, so found a bench in the shade along the bike trail, and watched some squirrels play. It was quiet, cool, and peaceful. A nice way to kill some time.

I walked the last mile to the hotel, checked in, took a shower, and napped. Later, I walked over to a restaurant for a chicken stir fry and a beer. Then back to the hotel. Tomorrow I’ll take the day off; just do some laundry and plan my stops for the next few days.