Sunday, July 05, 2009
20: Into a Norman Rockwell Painting
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| Stoker's Log Day Twenty |
| 7/5/09 |
| From Effingham, IL |
| To Greenville, IL |
| 62.9 miles |
| 11.6 avg mph |
Leaving Effingham this morning we saw "the world's largest cross." Well, Kyle spotted it right away, but it took me so long to find it that I thought he was lying to me. See, it was overcast and I was expecting something taller, thinner, and closer plus sometimes there were buildings in the way and... ok, fine, I have no excuse for missing a 200 foot cross.
The rest of the time we saw a whole lot of nothing. The road stretched on for miles. It was straight, flat, and boring, except for one town in which it was straight, steep, and boring. When the road finally turned we were shocked enough to take a picture.
As the barren landscape stretched out before us, refusing to change much no matter how fast we pedaled, I wondered how long it would take us to go insane. I was already on my way, unless it's normal to give roads funny voices and have them talk to Kyle about how far they go and what the intersecting roads are like. Then I remembered that we still had to cross Kansas, which would undoubtedly be worse.
When a bit of excitement finally came our way it wasn't exactly welcome. Three yipping dogs sped out of a front yard towards us and spread out in a triangulated attack. Their speed and strategy impressed us so much that we almost forgot to get the hell away from them. Luckily their minuscule strides allowed us to outdistance them, but those little legs were moving. There must be something in the water around here, because I swear I saw a full grown cow cantering today. I didn't even know that was physically possible.
We did encounter people as well, including a few familiar faces from Effingham and an excitable motorcyclist whose "Hell No!" at the sight of our bike made me laugh.
When we finally reached our hotel in Greenville, the woman behind the desk suggested we venture into the historic downtown, which "looks like a Norman Rockwell painting." I thought she meant that it had old barber shops and soda fountains with charming owners and cheeky young customers, but it turns out she meant something more literal.
This trip has turned me into a mural enthusiast, so I really enjoyed the town. We had to ride there, but luckily the police let us lock our bike to the tree outside of their station. Too bad they weren't around when the local pizza joint got hit.
Apparently the robbers also stole some letters from that sign.
With few other food options, we headed back towards the hotel to find dinner. We ended up eating at at a mediocre family restaurant and grabbing dessert at a convenience store -- malted milk balls that tasted like they had expired months ago. I'm just looking forward to home cooked meals tomorrow when we make it to St. Louis, where our friend Emily's parents have graciously offered to host us for a few days. I can't wait to stay with them and be a relaxed tourist again!
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| posted at: 10:02 |
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