Another long day, with a return to sunshine and heat. Frustration with backroad dogs has kept me to the slightly bigger (and certainly straighter) state highways for a while. Cycle-friendly shoulders and only occasional traffic make them quite a pleasant change. Lunch at a colourful town fair in Odell, where I met up with a 21-year-old cyclist from Washington doing the coast-to-coast west to east. He was carrying a tent (as most do) and was trying to hook up with the local mayor to obtain permission to camp in the town park. We ate fries under a marquee and shared cycling stories. Just as I was leaving, I heard his name being mentioned on the fair's p.a., something along the lines of "this guy's cycling across America…" I reckoned he was going to be well looked after.
Out of town, after passing a vintage Standard Oil station on the famous Route 66, I met another couple of cyclists heading east. All said they'd had days of headwinds over the trip, and I've heard that before. I should remember that when people say "you're heading the wrong way!" Some way off-route (final Diversion, No.5) the Town & Country Inn in Streator was nothing special, despite the fancy vintage signage. The bar was dark and smelled of chlorine from the indoor pool (currently closed). There was nothing to eat on the strip mall, so I ended up at the thoroughly depressing fast-food chain Long John Silver's seafood restaurant. A food low for the journey so far.
