Northeast Ride – Days Two & Three

This old highway is getting longer.

Day 2 – I awoke at the usual time, about 7:30. I got up and made the short trek to the restroom to brush my teeth and then headed to the camp cafe for breakfast. I was promised in the office the night before that the biscuits and gravy were mind blowing. The biscuits were made fresh but the gravy…. well lets just say mind not blown. But, I had a nice conversation with a couple out of Oregon and breakfast did hit the spot. Afterwards I began my camp tear down, usually only takes about 15 minutes but I tend to draw it out to about 30. Back on the road by 8:30.

Short day scheduled. About 350 miles to my destination, Mattoon, Illinois. I’ve got cousins in the area and can fit in a visit if I get in a couple of hard days ride this trip. Not much in the way of scenery. Most of western Arkansas is farm land. Small fields of corn and soybeans. I crossed into Missouri before lunch time and in less than a hundred miles was in Illinois. Around lunch time I decided to make a pit stop at a rest area and search for a good lunch location. I found the Frosty Mug in Mt. Vernon, just a few miles up the road. I looked like my kind of place so off I went.

The Frosty Mug was not what I was expecting but I wasn’t disappointed. The bar had maybe 6 stools and they sold beer through a drive thru window. The burger I had for lunch wasn’t bad and my beer mug was indeed frosty.

Onward to my home for the night. I was only about a hundred miles out at this point and had all afternoon to get there. But I’m going to see family I haven’t seen in far too long so no lolligaggin’. Aside from some kid smoking and blowing a trailer tire right next to me, the day was uneventful.

I arrived at my cousin’s home a little after 3:00 after driving through what felt like miles and miles of corn. I received a good meal, plenty of good conversation and real bed and shower. I look forward to seeing them again in the coming months as I already miss them again. 964 miles down.

Day 3 – Up by 7:30 again and into a fresh set of clothes. Not much to pack up since the sleeping gear never came off the bike. Spent some time conversing in the kitchen and finally had to say our goodbyes. Hit the road around 8:30 again. I got about 60 miles down the road and stopped for gas. $4 a gallon at this station! Still only a $14 fill up. Time to find breakfast and wouldn’t you know it, a country restaurant right next door, the Country House. Couple of eggs, “hash browns” and bacon. Eggs were great, hash browns were more like potato coins but still good. The bacon….well let’s just say I thought that burning bacon was the only way to ruin it. But still, breakfast hit the spot, most meals do out on the road like this.

Onward we went. Now the plan, as I understood it, was to head through Indianapolis and up towards Niagara Falls. Libby’s GPS had other plans. Instead of heading west we went north. Heading north would have allowed me ride time with another cousin but by the time I’d realized the blunder I had reached Indiana and this exact spot pictured. That State Line Ave. sign is still there and just as red as ever. And the traffic there still sucks. But, poor planning on my part. Sorry, cuz. I’ll make it up to you!

Getting deeper into Illinois was not much different than the rest of what I’d seen the day before. The only difference is the crop fields got bigger. Some looked to stretch as far back as a mile. And the different fields would butt up right next to each other.

In to Indiana and then to Michigan. Michigan!?!? I’m not supposed to go into Michigan! Pit stop. Checked our route and turns out Libby’s GPS is wanting to take us up near Detroit, into Canada and over to Niagara Falls. It’d be nice but I don’t have my passport. Time to reroute. Set a course for Cleveland and after a nice couple miles down a tree lined country road was back on track. And on toll roads. These toll roads suck. In Texas you can zip right on through a toll booth and right on out the other end and they just send you a bill. Not up here. Up here you get a ticket and pay when you exit. Kinda sucks on bike. But I did save 10 cents when I reached in my pocket for change and was told to just forget it.

Anyway, back into Indiana from Michigan and finally into Ohio. Still a lot of farm land and still corn and soybeans. Still huge fields but I noticed more farm houses planted right in the middle of them. And some were exactly the kind of farm house I imagine on a farm. Wish I had the time to stop and get a couple of photos but GPS screwed me and I’ve also lost an hour crossing the time zone.

With the GPS fiasco and loss of an hour I decided I didn’t have time for a real sit down lunch. Plus I’m on a toll road so the only thing really available is travel plazas. So a quick slice from Sbarros it was. Not really something I can get at home so I guess it’s not really cheating.

I made it to Cleveland and finally caught a glimpse of one of the Great Lakes, Lake Erie. I know already that these lakes are massive and you can’t see land on the other side. But looking out at that vast expanse of water, knowing it’s not an ocean is just indescribable.

I finally made it to my home for tonight. Another KOA campground in Thompson, Ohio. This one isn’t just off the highway. It’s a little off the beaten path so to speak. A terrible asphalt road that ends and turns to dirt. But they’ve got a ton of stuff at this location. I will experience none of it but man it’d be fun to get the kids to a place like this for a weekend. The nearby town is pretty much shut down for the holiday so pizza for dinner too. Not bad. Fire oven cooked and they had cold beer so it worked.

Libby and I covered 564 miles today and a total of 1528 so far. Tomorrow we hit the first of our new states, New York. We’ll see Niagara Falls and head on through Vermont and New Hampshire. Maybe even get into Maine. So until tomorrow night, sleep well my friends. Enjoy your work day and thank you for following along. It’s feels good to know you’re anticipating a new entry.

I’m much too young to feel this damn old.