Day 30:

Another hot day today. When we left at 7:30 in the morning it was already hot. Did a better job of route finding today which took us on some scenic roads that seemed to be rolling for the whole ride. Drank probably 300 oz of water but only went to the bathroom twice. My body was holding on to every bit of water I gave it. It was very nice over the last few days to have my Mom support us. She met us in a small town with a cooler full of food. We ended up setting up lunch inside a Casey's (gas station) using the shelf where they had the liters of soda. We just moved a few things around and had a nice area for making sandwiches. No chairs, this was a standing lunch. We got quite a few funny looks, but it was all worth it for the short time in the air conditioner. The Midwest is great! Where else can you draft behind a tractor. This tractor in the picture passed me on an uphill but I was able to stick with him for a few miles averaging 23 miles, but not having to work too hard for it since he was blocking the wind. Once again we found nice accommodations. In Muscatine Iowa, Diane and Dan Olsen, our neighbors at the Lake of the Ozarks fed us a great meal and have been very kind to us. Tomorrow is a big day, not only crossing into a new state, but crossing the Mississippi, into the East.

miles biked today 115

miles biked total: 2266

day 29: On the road again

The time in Des Moines was a great rest stop. I feel fully recuperated after that. It was great to see family and friends. We had a little bit of a later start because we were planning on heading to Pella which was only a 60 mile ride. Well you can't always set expectations when you are on a bike tour. After a few wrong turns we quickly made the day into an 80 mile day. My Aunt and Uncle put john and I up at there house and fed us quite well, thanks allot. Legs are feeling good and I look forward to the next leg of the trip.

Miles Biked Today: 80
Miles Biked Total: 2151