From Wisconsin to Illinois; From Great Roads to Horrible Roads

     On Monday morning we crossed from Wisconsin to Illinois. As soon as we crossed the state line, the roads took a dramatic turn for the worse. They had no shoulders or shoulders that were in such bad condition as to be unbikable, and the road surfaces themselves were often cracked and full of potholes. This made riding unpleasant and, at times, dangerous. We've cycled 2998 miles so far, in a broad variety of settings -- rural, small town, and large metropolitan areas in 15 states -- and the 35 miles of road conditions in Illinois have been the worst by far to this point.

     One of the many wonderful aspects of our trip has been the opportunity to get together with friends and relatives along the way. This morning we met with friends Brian and Karen McEathron over coffee and breakfast in the lovely town of Lake Geneva, WI. One of their comments was that we didn't look worn out after cycling three-quarters of the way across the country. We explained that, if anything, we get less and less spent as the trip progresses, since we're in considerably better shape now than we were when we first took off on April 20.

With Brian and Karen McEathron in Lake Geneva, WI

Saying goodbye to Brian

Carol smiling as we entered Illinois. The smile soon disappeared, once we had to deal with the horrible Illinois roads.