Day 42 Kokomo to Portland Ia

82/2865/1101 Good nights sleep till 6a for a change. We are back to Eastern time now, dark till 6a so Beau is out of sinc for his 5am drill. Too busy at motel breakfast, entire local softball team is consuming the few bagels and muffins so I stop at McD's for a value meal burrito and senior coffee and some quiet and the local newspaper. Local MD is getting sued with the hospital for not being licensed to do vascular surgery and the patient died, well, well local headlines. Nice quiet ride until Hartford city where I hit a road detour. It takes me 7 miles to the north and keeps on going so I make a left on a county road on my map and keep it to just 14 miles out of the way. Lots of dogs today, 3 boxers almost catch me, the white one did not want to give up, 28 mph for at least a mile, tired me out. Strong headwind last 7 miles so glad to be in Portland. Considered going on to next city, but the headwind has changed my mind for today. Longer day tomorrow to Dayton, but will leave a little earlier and it should be quiet on the roads as it is Sunday and even the motor bikers sleep in so I have the road to myself for first few hours. Some Nasty kids today shouted and threw something, only the third negative human encounter so far. Almost everyone else has been friendly , interested and supportive.

Day 41 Watseka to Kokomo

106/2783/1183 Another nice weather day. Met a group at the motel at breakfast that are touring Portland Or to Portland Maine. They left June 8 and only average 50 miles per day. They have a support van with a spouse but are carrying all their gear in panniers or bob trailers. Ride on US 24 is good for the first 30 miles then gets bad with no shoulder and lots of trucks. At small town of Monticello I change route and head south on 415 on some county roads , much quieter and safer. Lunch with Suz at the Delphi Tavern, chicken sandwich that upsets my stomach ( fried ) . Ride the next 76 into Kokomo and I get a little lost finding the motel, it is a few miles off route. We find an Olive garden and have a great pasta energy refuel and a good glass of red wine. Calculate that it is a long ride into Dayton via Portland, but will do it in two days. We will take a rest in Dayton and visit the kids and grandkids for a couple of days.

Day 40 Weona to Watseka Il

93/2677/1286 Another cool overcast morning after and early Beau walk again. 3am. Off at 7 a and the fields are covered in corn for as far as you can see. Road closed again with another detour but with good roads and sights. A few dogs but none to catch me. Nice lunch in Forest after the 20 mile detour at the Forest family restaurant. Large chef salad for $ 4.50 !! Nice tailwind into Watseka after miles of corn and corn, with a few soybeans thrown in. Stop to take a picture outside Watseka of the water tower and find that my banana uneaten today had decomposed on top of the camera. Banana juice killed the lcd on the camera back so you can't see what you are shooting.....will have to dry it out and see if it comes back or that will be camera number 2 killed on this trip. Motel in Watseka is poor and Mexican food is worst but more expensive that most......go figure.

Day 39 Muscatine to Weona Il

105/2584/1379 Beautiful morning again after motel breakfast. Out of Muscatine easily and over the Mississippi into Illinois, the big O land. Both Oprah and Obama. Detour at route 162, road closed and get lost somewhat. Ask 5 cars for directions and get five different answers. Last car was a road angel and she took the map and told me how to get to the next town on the route, so that got me back on track. Two kids with gps send me in wrong direction, probably on purpose. Many piercings on those lips and ears.........Great lunch at Rudy's bar and grille then off again to Weona. After route 40, hundreds of windmills in the corn fields for miles and miles into Weona. Do the pizza hut salad bar which wasn't that bad. Salad and pasta . Beau ate a loaf of flax seed bread, so he is out often doing his thing.