june 27
day 49
28 miles
total 1,282
staying on pavement made a huge difference to my feet.
it meant a lot of zigzagging early on
but was well worth it.
only the uncooperative little toe gave me trouble.
and even that only late in the day.
i have been falling in love with every one of these little illinois (and now wisconsin) towns i have been traveling thru.
all the old downtowns
all the great. old houses.
every one of them looks like the sort of place you wish you could call home.
and the farms here are nothing short of spectacular.
something about horizon to horizon crops, lush and green stirs the soul.
tomorrow’s run looks pretty dam tough.
hills and more hills.
i can hardly wait
(but i know my battered body needs some rest)
i should cross the mississippi tomorrow afternoon
and end the first third of my journey.
next up is the vast expanse of the great plains.
looking back on the first third
what stands out is all the people who shared their homes with me.
smartest thing i did was answer the question about what i wanted to eat;
“whatever you like best.”
i had scrumptious steaks
and juicy burgers
some amazing spaghettis
and a variety of things i would never have tasted otherwise.
fegy chili, chicken lasagna, pea salad…
i had the best of authentic american cuisine.
i won’t be staying in too many homes after i cross the river.
not so many friends near the route…
not so many anyone near the route,
despite the traffic
and the rain.
i will be kind of sorry the great eastern adventure is over.
laz