Day 11: Clinton IL to Pittsfield IL

So I am in Pittsfield again - every 10 days it seems.

Today was an easy day with tail winds, pretty flat terrain, no rain, and not too much heat until the afternoon. Covered about 120 miles - of course I finished by 6 so I could have made it one of those 140 mile days of old, but I really didn't have the desire.

As you have probably figured out from the places I am stopping, Nebraska is no longer on the menu. In fact, I will probably skip Colorado as well and jaunt down through Kansas and take a stitch of Arkansas and I think Texas. But Missouri first - I should hit that tomorrow morning.

Dorothy, this is Illinois

 The hardest part of the day was on a road that must have been paved over concrete. Look at it closely, and it seems okay:

The road that won't stop bumping

But when those cracks repeat themselves every 5 seconds with a very noticeable thump it wears on me. I kept telling myself it would not go on forever. It didn't, but little consolation during the hours spent suffering it.

Saw a neat wind farm with the mills stretching off into the distance:

Blow hard yee matees

I have only seen 1 solar installation since leaving New York - that was a commercial one. This is something that it is hard not to notice in the burning sun. Perhaps rural and solar do not go hand in hand - may look into that at some point.

I decided to ride through Springfield IL just to look at the downtown. Boy am I glad I don't live there. I have to admit it got nicer as I was leaving - even gave me a bike lane. But still.

The railroad cars with graffiti was just an oddity. I could figure out if it was done by the rail company or random kids - put my money on the kids:

Better than serial numbers

The Illinois river was high, and apparently had recently been higher:

East bank of Illinois River

But not as high as 1993:

Also on the east bank of the Illinois

I am a sucker for historical markers - farmer john lived here in 1882, but have never seen one so recent. Guess I am getting old.

That's all for now. Will try to get a good nights sleep and hit the road early tomorrow.

July 8, 2019, Pittsfield IL