Going along with our new understanding of "Pay more now, and end up paying less over the long haul", I started the day by getting new bike shorts at the bike shop. I had bought two pairs of the cheapest pairs I could find pre-ride and now both had holes on the underside that caused excessive rubbing each time I pedaled. Very uncomfortable.
Bucket hat game on point. Good looking out pops.
We spent the day biking through southern Illinois, by far our shortest state on the route. We biked up and out of the Mississippi River Valley and back down towards the Ohio River. The heat was back. And this time it brought along the humidity.
To distract ourselves from the heat we talked all things Big Ten basketball. Get ready for the Hawkeyes this season. Jason Fullen we felt you here today in spirit.
Perfect fuel for the ride: eating pie as we wait for the ferry.
We crossed the Ohio River in Cave Rock, IL by taking our second ferry ride of the trip across the river. Hard to believe it's cheaper to run a ferry 7 days a week instead of building a bridge across.
Pops had drove ahead (over a bridge, not the ferry) and was waiting for us in Marion. There was one hotel listed on our map, the Royal Inn Hotel.
Welcome to Kentucky. Who needs a bike when you have a boat that can carry a bike?
Lesson #78: Always trust the locals, especially when there seems to be a strong pattern of advice.
To sum up every interaction I had with the 6 people I met in Marion at the gas station and the local DQ - I have never seen such looks of horrors on peoples faces when you tell them you're planning to spend the night at a motel. Honestly, every person went out of their way to tell me to avoid Royal Inn at all costs. They told stories of bed bugs, crazy managers who raid your room midway through the night, and overall negativity.
I appreciate people looking out but the more they talked with such certainty the more I wanted to explore this place.
As it turns out tonight was the start of "Little Sturgis" here in Marion so we couldn't find a room. The B & B in town was also full. We ended up finding a reclusive B & B in the basement of a house outside of town.
Tomorrow we've got our sights set on Mammoth Cave National Park. Time to get the headlamps out and explore.
7 down, 2 to go.
Dudes, appreciate the shout out and love that you guys have been discussing all things B1G!! It's gonna be another wild year in hoops - either of you ever make it to Columbus during the season, you let me know and we'll hit up a Buckeyes game for sure! Miss ballin' with you brothas!!
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