RA48: Distractions
Jack and I exited the motel early enough to catch Bill zipping by on his way out of town, and so stopped him to say hi. Instead of following him out, we elected to ride a few miles north to a breakfast place and start our days off right. Pancakes were involved.
Winds from the south today but not too strong. We headed toward Vermillion on both eastern and southern segments. Temperature rose well into the 90s as we rode, with sticky humidity, and the headwind southern segments were actually preferable for the cooling effects. Corn, soybeans, and hay were the predominant crops, and I spied quite a few more of the pot plants beside these fields (I am sure they are simply stray hemp plants and not their more soughtafter cousin).
It was an exceptionally hot ride at the end, but fortunately a short and flat one. Parts of the route took us over gravel roads, then down along a nice scenic lane called Timber Road. We rolled in to Vermillion around 1:30PM.
I told Gary and Bill it was WAY too easy to find them – all I had to do was head to the golden arches. We chatted a while and tried to cool down with beverages, during which time Gary fought a gargantuan cramp in his leg.
Jack and I eventually exited to go find a sports bar. This afternoon was the FIFA World Cup final between USA and Japan. We thoroughly enjoyed the extended game over brews and nibbles even though USA lost with some heartbreak.
We set up camp in the Vermillion city park, meditated in the intense heat for an hour, and then Jack and I readied ourselves for the movies. Turns out Jack is a big Harry Potter fan, and the final concluding episode was just released two day ago. I decided to go with him for the special effects, a cold pop, and the air conditioning. The movie was great and I really enjoyed it, even though many nuances of the characters were lost on me.
It reminded me that on this tour we cannot let ourselves simply ride, camp, and eat day after day – we must find distractions. Besides blogging. Today was great in that respect – first the soccer game and then the movie. THIS is what a good touring day is about – riding a decent but manageable distance like 30 or 50 miles, and then finding different ways to enjoy the day.
About 35 miles today. So, a good day, albeit very hot and humid. The thermometer outside the bar today read 97F. As I sit here in my tent at 10PM and type I have my Sham-wow towel in full use keeping the sweat from dripping onto the keyboard.
You’ve stayed at some lovely parks. And I think you’re right about getting the flavor of the towns you visit. That’s a big part of the experience. Keep on pedaling!
Hey, Rich. Looks like all is well with you. While in college in Indiana I used to see lots of those funny plants by the side of the farm roads. I heard they were remnants of WWII days when they grew hemp to make ropes, etc. It wasn’t very intoxicating, but if you needed a strong rope…….
Ride Safe.
Sham wow towel – my kids told me what that was, and showed me the funny Utube video about it a while back. Silly, but useful, huh?