Wednesday
independence IA to Maquketa IA
104 miles
Travel Time 10 hours
Saddle Time 7:15 hours

The goal I set on Sunday was to get across Iowa and see where Field of Dreams was filmed. It was 45 miles due east of where I stayed last night before. I didn’t know what to expect, but it is pretty ironic that the film was about building this field and people will come. Well guess what, people come from all over to this small town just to see the field. The weird part is that it was a little emotional riding up to it. You feel like you are part of that long line of spectators arriving at the field as seen in the end of the movie.
One interesting fact about the filming of the movie. The summer it was filmed, around 25 yrs ago, Iowa was having the worst drought in over 50 yrs. There was no corn growing. Universal pictures was able to get the county to allow them to divert a stream to this field and before they knew it, they had corn. But by the time they started filming, the corn had grown too high. They built a platform for Kevin Costner to walk on when he walked thru the fields! You might be able to read the whole story in one of my pics.

At this juncture I now cross with the original Adventure Cycling Northern Tier route, so I pulled out their maps and started following it. 10 miles later I hit a road block. Literally. The road was closed for 15 miles for construction, and no one was there to drive me thru it. The other option was the interstate for 15 miles, which I was not about to do. So I asked around and got directions on some back roads. The problem is, when I start taking back roads, I can’t read them on my iPhone. They are too faded. And they don’t show up on maps. So I wing it and harass a lot of people along the way for directions.
The bad part of this detour is that it took me further east and away from Iowa City. I had hoped to see my friend Dan Poppick. But unfortunately my bike doesn’t go West!

Food is improving as I go further East. I have no complaints about the meals cooked for me at people’s homes, or that one delicious chef salad and that all you can eat spaghetti dinner. But the gas station stops for breakfast and lunch combined with Pizza Hut for dinner is getting really old. Explains why I think I have gained weight on this trip. But now there are restaurants. And tonight I bought at Fareway my favorite meal that I haven’t had in 5 weeks…….rotisserie chicken! I’m almost done with the whole chicken.

Thursday
Maquketa IA to Princeton IL
108 miles
Travel Time 10:30
Saddle Time 7:50

Cross Mississippi River- check
See Llamas hanging with ostriches- check
Possibly finish trip earlier than projected, Saturday Aug 2 target date-TBD

My office writes a point- counterpoint on insanity of my trip. Click here to read it.

Friday
Princeton IL to Gilman IL
122 Miles
Travel Time 12 hours
Saddle Time 9:30 hours

As I was biking towards my hotel in Princeton last night, I passed a quality steak house about half a mile away. My challenge was, after biking over 100 miles, how do I get to the restaurant after I clean up at hotel. As I biked up to my hotel, my savior was standing there. 25 year old English teacher, Brandt, with his iPhone to his ear, spots me pulling up and immediately rushes over to me. He explains that he did a x-country ride two years ago and he wants to hear about my experience. Before I answer him, I ask him the one very important question, “do you have a car?” . He says that he does. I then draft a five page agreement that states in consideration of him driving me to the restaurant, I agree to buy him dinner and answer all his questions. We sign it and have it notarized. A deal is struck. Sound creepy? Well my family will attest that is how I roll.
At dinner, he tells me how he biked from Boston to California with a group called Bike and Build. It is program to build affordable housing and Brandt had to raise over $4,000 for the program to be accepted on the trip. Then during the ride, the groups stops for 10 days to help build homes. And on other days, they are often giving talks on the need for affordable housing. Brandt then asked about my trip…blah…blah…blah…the conversation then turning to the sexy world of CORN!
Were you wondering why this high school English teacher was staying at a hotel in the middle of corn fields? Well, he and and a group of students, teachers, and retirees, are all staying at this hotel because they have lucrative summer jobs watching corn grow! Really! They are paid by the big corn companies to stand in the fields and watch the corn grow. These corporations are always trying to cross pollinate different breeds of corn to create the most efficient, handsome, intelligent, good looking, athletic corn possible. They test various blends on different fields and test the results. You will see rows of corn with their secret label markers on the end of the rows. Each field is lined around the perimeter with male corn. Then the female corn is in the middle at a ratio of 4 female to each male. The female corn are detasseld, the tops are removed, so they will receive the pollen from the male corn. (Over the last two weeks I heard a couple people talking about going out to detassel some corn, and I thought it would too personal to ask them what that meant). The female corn catch the pollen in their silks, those strands we remove when we husk our corn. The job of Brandt and the other corn Gestapo are to make sure no pollen from outside male corn makes it onto the wrong field. Especially worry some is that sleazy sexy sweet corn that we like to eat. If those studs make it into one of these fields, you can forget about the purity of the breed that comes from those slutty females. And that is how a baby is born!

Brandt- I know you are listening. Please correct any inaccuracies!

Today I had a mailman talk to me while he drove his route. I had Kevin pull up in his pick up to ask about my ride and then proceed to text me biking directions to Indianapolis. And I rode by a huge oil pumping station facility where oil from Canada is pumped to Gulf Coast. Fascinating.

Saturday
Gilman IL to Frankfort IN
102 miles
Travel Time 10 hours
Saddle Time 8 hours

Not much to report. Thought I could make it to friends house in Indianapolis, but what I thought would be a long 130 miles was in reality closer to 150. Too much for me so I stopped and saved the balance for tomorrow.
One guy pulled up next to me as I was cycling to inquire about my trip. He had done some distance cycling. It became unsafe driving next to me so he took off. But he was waiting for me a mile up the road to make sure I had the right directions. Pic of him.
Passed huge ConAgra Popcorn plant. Makes Orville Redenbacker, Act II, Jiffy Pop, and many other brands.

A few of you asked me my daily routine. Here is what I do most evenings:

– buy chocolate milk and Gaterade as I approach destination and drink them upon completion of cycling
– write down data from GARMIN and phone about days trip before batteries run out and data disappears
– log in to any possible wifi network because it could take up to an hour for pictures to make it from phone to IPad
– plug in phone, iPad, GARMIN into portable charger. Or if in hotel, charge all those and recharge charger. Due to my phone running multiple GPS functions, it needs to be recharged   halfway thru every day.
– stretch
– shower
– wash clothing and hang them out to dry
– spend 1-2 hours writing blog. Typing on iPad is a nightmare. Transferring photos is painstaking. And WordPress sometimes loses everything I just wrote (I hit the wrong button and   goodbye to an hours worth of work)
– eat dinner
– layout clothes for next day
– pack up bike so little to do in morning
– eat dinner
– sit with multiple maps and plan next days route
– hopefully go to bed by 9

Sunday
Frankfort IN Broad Ripple IN
42 Miles
Travel Time 3 hours
Saddle Time 3 hours

Fun relaxing day catching up with old friends Thygesens (Jack’s girlfriend Emily is in picture, Lindsay lives in Boston)

Started seeing CVS stores once I entered Indiana yesterday so I must be getting close to the end.
The clocks at the cheap motel I stayed at last night were incorrectly set an hour ahead. Then I learned today that when I entered Indiana I was now in Eastern Standard Time, so I am getting close!

Monday
Broad Ripple IN to Celina OH
111 Miles
Travel Time 11 hours
Saddle Time 8:11 hours

Yesterday I forgot to post week 5 results
Week 5- 714 miles
Total through 5 weeks 2,686 miles

Got started today on a beautiful bike path for first 10 miles, then worked my way all the way over to OHIO. Was able to take a picture of Welcome to Indiana sign on the way out of the state since there was none on the way in.

Passed a beautiful barn being built by an Amish family, followed a mile up the road with a Catholic Church designed differently than any other churches I had seen thus far, and then another mile up the road was the three story turkey housing unit.

Staying with Hans and Joan in their lovely house. Just had a great home cooked bahmi (Indonesian pasta dish) followed by homemade brownies!

Good news is that I am ahead of schedule. The bad news is that I can’t plan a welcoming party in LBI. My arrival date is too up in the air with not knowing how hilly the terrain will be in PA. And as I learned with my ride into Indianapolis, I didn’t know until Saturday afternoon that I wouldn’t make it there until Sunday. So I will have a celebration in Westchester after I get home.

Tuesday
Celina OH to Tiffin OH
107 Miles
Travel Time 10 hours
Saddle Time 7:20 hours

Let me describe how generous these Warm Shower hosts can be. Yesterday, I alerted my host, Hans, that I was 10 miles from his house. He emailed me back that there are signs on his road saying the road is closed, but that I should ignore them and walk my bike around the construction. As I approached the construction zone I spotted someone biking towards me from the other side. I realize it’s Hans coming to make sure I have no issues getting to his home.

Yesterday’s blog described the great dinner meal Joan made last night. Then this morning I wake up to a spread of cereals and juice waiting for me. I get to do a mixture of cereals in one bowl (something Abby and I always compete on). Plus, Joan has baked me chocolate chip cookies for my journey. Finally, Hans bikes with me to town at 6am to give me a tour and to get me to Walmart to load up on my daily groceries! This is what makes this trip so special!
Staying with other Warm Shower hosts tonight, Chris and Rebecca and their two children.

On a down note, today I had my scariest cycling experience so far. I was riding on the small shoulder of the road when a big truck went by me very quickly and extremely close too. When large trucks pass, the wind gust always gives you a nice boost. But in this case, the gust pushed me off the road. Thank god there was gravel there and I was able to come to a safe stop. I caught my breathe and biked a few miles and then saw the same truck parked in the shade on the side of the road. I went up to the driver and told him he almost killed me and that I was almost swept into his wheels. He started to say I shouldn’t be on these roads (not true) and then he said he couldn’t see me (not true). I argued with him some more and then biked on. A few miles up the road he passed me again…..at a much slower speed!

Haven’t seen that much new interesting stuff on the road. I saw a lot of homes with small man made ponds in front of their homes that I think they use for swimming. But they are all next to farms so I can’t believe there isn’t run off from the farms into the ponds. Also the ponds are usually decorated with strange items around the borders. I will try to get a better picture tomorrow.
Also saw an A frame home in the middle of Ohio.

Wednesday
Tiffin OH to Cleveland OH
112 Miles
Travel Time 10 hours
Saddle Time 8:15

Woke up to a lightening storm. Quickly googled whether it is safe to bike in this type of weather. The internet basically mocked me for asking such a dumb question, riding a steel bike with small thin rubber tires. So I waited a little while and the lightening passed but not the rain. I biked the 112 miles, mostly in the rain. The wind was at my back, so really the rain wasn’t a problem except I got wet and was a little cold. I decided not to stop for lunch because I was concerned I would tighten up, so I just pushed my way to Cleveland.
Along the way I took some more pictures of the homes with their ponds out front that I referred to yesterday. I also stopped to eat my morning snack at a gas station under the sign seen below. I couldn’t resist.

Once in Cleveland I decided to have my biked tuned because it hadn’t been gone over since Rapid City, 1,000 miles back. I dumped my gear off at my friend Jane’s home and then biked a mile to the local bike store. I wanted to get back to the house quickly so I could get out of my wet clothes and take a long hot shower. There was a women in the bike store interested in my adventure so I figured she would be open to driving me back to Jane’s. She was heading that direction and immediately accepted my request for a ride. HOWEVER, we didn’t get going immediately. She was having her biked fixed for the Point to Point two day 150 mile ride this weekend, and the bike shop was having some difficulty with her derailer. Then once that was done, she wanted to try new seats and every possible height adjustment just to make it perfect. It took 45 minutes. I could have walked back quicker! But she was very nice and I was happy not to walk.

Got back to the house and showered. Finished just in time for Jane to get home, pick me up and take me to Cleveland Museum of Art, where she works. More on that tomorrow.

Rest day in Cleveland

Went to Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. I am not a big music buff. I came into my marriage owning 3 albums, one of which was Israeli Polka songs (really). Yet I found the museum fascinating. Spent 3 hours there. Then walked around Cleveland and University Circle.

And since Larry B did not believe I had lunch with Lebron, I have included a selfie of me and him in front of the arena. He is tall so the cropping might not be perfect!

Tomorrow I start my final push through PA. People say the Allegheny Mtns are terrible. Worse than the Rockies because of how steep the roads are. We shall see!

Last night my high school friend, Jane, gave me a tour of what she designed at the Cleveland Museum of Art. For background, Jane had to drop out of Tulane University for financial reasons. A year later she got a job at MIT and started taking classes there. Then she transferred to a new job at Columbia where she took more classes and then graduated from there with a degree in Applied Math and Architecture. She then had various jobs in different data and computer management roles. But her passion has always been art. She was offered an incredible opportunity a few years ago to head up the technology side of the Cleveland Museum of Art. They had a blank chalk board and let Jane redesign how people can experience art within the museum. BTW, the Cleveland Museum of Art is a huge institution with incredible collections. Jane, as Chief Information Officer created Gallery One. I can’t even begin to explain all the interactivity that Gallery One intertwined throughout the museum. All I have to say is that all the top museums are either flying in to see her program, or they are flying Jane around the world to speak to them.
Follow your passion!

Friday
Cleveland OH to Gibsonia PA
110 Miles
Travel Time 12 hours
Saddle Time 9 hours

Picture of Jane and her girls from last night. Jane drove us 3 hours away (felt that way) to show off a town that she thought would be interesting for me to see (looked like any CT town). But the ice cream was delicious. Jane’s girls were a delight at dinner and loved hearing my stories about Jane in high school, including the years she was in a gang. I got to learn that both girls are excellent violinists and one of them just performed in an orchestra that was back up to Ben Folds! Listen to it during our 5 hour drive.

Today I learned where corn oil comes from…see pic

My difficult choice today was if I made it this far, where should I stay? Option 1, Barry Shepard, the best man at my wedding. Option two, Cindy and Scott Rice, the parent’s of one of Matt’s closest friends from college. They live 3 miles from each other. Decision: The Rices. This trip is about meeting new people when you have the opportunity. Had a great time and a very filling Italian dinner.

Tomorrow, Barry is going to follow Where’s Ken app on this Blog and track me down for breakfast. Major rain coming my way.