Day 23 - ending at Fulton, IL - Downstate Illinois

July 29, 2025

Day 23 - ending at Fulton, IL

I took a couple of pain pills last night just before bed in hopes that it would ease the RA pain in my right hand. I think it did help. At 3:25am this morning there was wind and then rain. More wind and rain a little later and lightning and thunder. I had to help hold up the tent a few times, but the tent did better than normal on not letting any water in. The stakes were in very tight, which always helps. I kind of went back to sleep but finally got up at 7:05am.

Thinking about the pay-for-the-campsite situation, I decided I'm just going to have to go back to the park office. But I could do that walking, or riding my empty bike. Google Maps indicated it was only 0.8 miles away. So at 7:45am I took off on the empty bike. Even empty I had to walk the bike up the hill. Two-thirds the way up I came to a tree that had fallen over and was blocking the road. I was able to lift the empty bike over it. Not sure I could do that with the loaded bike. The office opens at 8:00am and I was there at 8:05am. The office worker figured out what I owed, taking into consideration my age: $16. I told her about the fallen tree on the road. She checked and found out they already had a crew dispached to take care of it. I noticed they have Gatorade for sale here so bought two bottles and also a Pepsi and a bag of M&M's. I left the park office at 8:13am, and was back at the campsite at 8:25am. So that's 20 minutes to get there and 12 minutes to get back. The hill is the difference. By the way, the dispatched worker was just finishing up getting the tree out of the way as I coasted past.

The Pepsi was going to be part of my breakfast, so I had that next. I haven't been using my lunch bag much on this trip, but I'm glad I had it this morning.

The sun had come out, but not on the tent, of course. I still think I picked the best site for the storm last night, because the trees behind me blocked the worst of the gusts of wind. I had a short day planned today - just make it to the other Rock Island County run campground: Illiniwek Forest Preserve Campground near Hampton, just 29 miles away. So I decided to dry out the bottom of the tent and the ground cloth by setting them on picnic tables that were in the sun. While I waited on that I checked the forecast for the next several days. Rain overnight tonight and some tomorrow, and maybe some more tomorrow night. Tonight would be a good night for a motel. I'll give that some more thought.

At 11:15am I was all packed up and ready to see how long it would take me to get this loaded bicycle up this hill. 13 minutes was all.

I got on to IL-92E at 11:37am. There was a nice shoulder on a flat for a while, then it was down to near white-line riding. When I got to Andalusia, I went to write down the arrival time, which was 12:06pm. I don't know why I didn't hear the noon alarm, but here is the 12:06pm number: 5.7 miles.

In town I passed an ice cream place - Shivers & Shakes. I stopped and ordered a banana split, then added a root beer float for something to drink. It was very good, but I was getting cold sitting inside there, listening to a couple discuss their wedding plans. When a huge group of kids came in, I used the opportunity to go outside so they'd have a place to sit.

The MRT routing through Milan is kind of round-about to get to the trail by the river, but that can't be helped. When I crossed over the Hennepin Canal and the Rock River I was in Rock Island. There is a 7-Eleven store there, so I picked up 2 Gatorades and a Dr Pepper with ice. So now I was all set except my gallon container of water was only a third full.

By now, I decided I'd try to make it to a motel in Fulton, which would be 46 miles from the 7-Eleven where I was sitting in the shade of a tree.

I was at the start of the trail along the riverfront at 2:38pm. After no-shoulder IL-92 earlier, this trail was appreciated. I kept in mind that I needed to keep moving, so didn't stop for every little thing that I could take a picture of. I see now I don't have much in the way of notes as I went along the riverfront trail. There are notes about the towns I passed later. Hampton at 4:56pm, Port Byron at 5:23pm, Cordova at 6:36pm. I had to get off the trail before I got to Cordova. They're re-blacktopping the trail, but all they have done so far is sprayed tar on the trail. I know better [now] than to ride on that, so I got on paralleling highway IL-84. I was able to get back on the trail north of Cordova at 6:44pm.

To save some time, I bypassed following the trail through Albany Mounds Historic Site (I'd seen that place on a previous trip), and just stayed on IL-84. Highway IL-84 is just like IL-92, where I was riding on a very narrow strip of pavement just to the right of the white line. But that worked and I was making good time.

Just before sunset I got desperate waves from a couple walking south on the other side of the highway. When I got close enough to hear, they wanted to know if I had any spare water. I did, since I had filled up at a water station earlier. So I filled up a small Pepsi bottle and a styrofoam cup they had with them. As I was doing this a southbound car pulled over and asked if they needed a ride. They did, so as soon as they had the water they went back across the highway to the waiting car. I was hoping to hear their story, but their ride was waiting. Anyway, there are caring people helping them now.

I crossed US-30 at 8:19pm. Sooner or later I was going to have to check Google Maps to see exactly where this AmericInn motel is. But before I did that I saw the motel sign - and their nearly full parking lot. I had the bike at the motel's front door at 8:31pm. I walked in mentioning the full parking lot, and that maybe they had no rooms. The clerk said, "Yes, we are full." Then she said let me check something. I've seen this before, and then end up with a room. Well it's very fortunate that I do have a room here tonight, because this is the only place in town - motel or campground. I was assigned room 312, all the while thinking I'd be unloading gear and walking everything up two floors. Then the clerk told me they have an elevator. Hooray! I'm here for two nights, as usual, to let the rain pass.

They're forecasting cooler temperatures for several days after this rain. I can't wait!

Jeff