July 24, 2025
Day 18 - ending at Quincy, IL
I was up at 5:09am, after lying a while listening to the condensate drip off the rainfly. Everything was wet outside, especially the mowed grass.
This morning I was able to think clearer. Yesterday was 52 miles with heat that was barely manageable. Today, with the same heat predicted, I had 52 miles planned today to make it to a campground in Quincy. [I was thinking 'motel' at this point, because it's supposed to rain tonight.] But there was a big difference between yesterday and today. There would be no hills today! So I packed up with plans to get going as soon as I could. That was at 6:58am, but then I stopped at PH Fast Stop for breakfast. Their sitting area is outside under a pavilion, where the old men of town gather. I fit right in. When they heard me say "Morton, near Peoria," they asked if I worked for Caterpillar. "Yes, for 7 years."
I went back in Fast Stop for Gatorade and a soda with lots of ice, then I was on my way at 8:14am. I rode through Atlas at 8:57am and Rockport at 9:25am. New Canton at 10:26am, and Kinderhook at 11:05am, where I turned west onto IL-106. Another big difference between yesterday and today, and I wasn't expecting it, was today was overcast, making it seem much cooler.
The noon mileage report made me happy: 30.5.
I crossed over I-72 at 12:43pm and made it to IL-57 at 1:27pm. IL-57 would be the road to get into Quincy. Shoulder width varied all over the place from nothing to quite wide. I got cheers from construction workers as I passed through the down-to-one-lane bridge they were working on. I stopped at 1:50pm just long enough to take my morning pills. I passed through Marblehead at 2:02pm, and was near Quincy after that. However I wasn't downtown yet. A sign cautioned Plant Entrances for 4 miles. These were interesting places I passed. One is SEM Minerals. Everything there seemed to have a dust-rust color on it. Next there was Huber, [chemicals, I'm guessing] that appeared to be mining caves into the cliff on the east side of the road. Farther up the road was Midwest Controlled Storage, which uses (built?) caves into the cliff. The cool air coming out of the entrance and exit was amazing. Then there was quite a lot of ADM buildings.
Finally I was past all that and near downtown by the river. I had a very steep block to walk up (State Street from Front Street). That got me close to the motel I'd decided on: Heritage Hotel of Quincy. I'm in room 205, but they have an elevator so it wasn't a problem. This place is nice like the last expensive motel I was at, with three kinds of shampoo in the shower.
Of course I took a shower first, then did laundry. All done with that at 7:00pm. I decided I'd go to nearby Riverside Smokehouse for supper, but the weather radar indicated storms were coming pretty quick, so I got a carryout order for eating back in my motel room. I had to get a new motel room key because I lost the other one. I found it later amongst my laundry. When the desk clerk was making up my new key card, she asked if I only needed one card. "Apparently I need two," is what I told her.
All the little blocks of spare time I've had this evening I've used to sort pictures. It's supposed to rain tomorrow also so I'm saying here 2 nights, planning on getting caught up some on journal postings tomorrow.
Jeff
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2 weeks ago
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Today's ride: 52 miles (84 km)
Total: 767 miles (1,234 km)
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I continue to enjoy your posts and happy to see you are well and sage as you carry on ;’-).
3 weeks ago
3 weeks ago