Day 28: St Joseph to Chillicothe - Peter across the US 2023 - CycleBlaze

June 2, 2023

Day 28: St Joseph to Chillicothe

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There were two over-riding features to this day: the constantly undulating road and the humidity.

It started well. I’d had a good sleep, no longer felt sick and ate a proper breakfast. 

We were soon onto a pleasant road with a decent shoulder and the scenery was green and pretty farming land. There are more trees now and more still as the day progressed.

There was not a flat mile. We were either going up a hill or coming down one. For the first part of the day the climbs were short and up to 4%, so you could stand up and kick over them. Progress was OK, although the profile stopped the development of any kind of rhythm. Later the hills became longer and steeper (<12%).

First SAG was with the De Kalb country historical society.  In order to arrive on time we regrouped in the car park of the local primary school where the children were scheduled to come out to meet us. The whole experience was very nice. The kids were chatty and asked questions. The historical society comprised those open and proud American seniors, who’d put on a feast for us, with peanut butter sandwiches, cinnamon rolls and cold lemonade. They were lovely, and obviously worked hard to stay engaged. They did a good job of curating their museum, including a fabulous old cast-iron stove, which one lady told me they’d used to bake the (bought in) cinnamon rolls. I liked her.

By now it was late morning so the heat and humidity were really beginning to kick in.  It was difficult to build any enthusiasm for big efforts, and I may not yet have been fully recovered, so I cruised on at touring pace.

Spencer pointed out the growing number of confederate flags, which chimed with all the Trump hoardings.

Second SAG was on a green by a memorial just outside a village. I tried hard to drink, but eating was a struggle. I don’t respond well to this climate. I filled my bottles and rode the last 17 miles with Barbara. There were a few drops of rain as we entered town, but the storms held off till evening.

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Today's ride: 87 miles (140 km)
Total: 1,921 miles (3,092 km)

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Hugh MonroAnother great account of the days "ups and downs" meaning more than the undulating road which your photos show as being just that.
Don't mention Biden in Trump land, you might have a few punctures to deal with.
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