We stayed overnight in Waterloo, Illinois after riding to Valmeyer, Illinois yesterday. This morning we drove back to Valmeyer, unloaded the bikes and started pedaling in a slight rain. After a few miles the showers let up as we pedaled on. At mile 45 our route took us on route 3 which was very busy with coal trucks going to and from the Chester Dump Site. At the dump locally mines coal is stockpiled until it can be loaded on barges and shipped down to New Orleans. After talking to some local railroad workers at breakfast I had already decided that I was not going to ride on that 7.8 mile streach of Route 3. Additionally, when I got to that point my back tire was very soft so I climbed in the van and proceded to change my tire while Emiel bumped me ahead to the end of coal truck route. By now the rain had started again although not heavy and continued the rest of the afternoon. At about 1:30 we finished the ride at Gorham where we found lunch at a small local tavern (The Bottoms Up). Because of the way we were dressed one of the locals always asks us where we are from or where we are going and in turn we find out a lot about the local history.
Today we rode past the Menard Correctional Facility which was established in 1925. Sorry no pictures. Also we saw a depot where coal trains from out west are unloaded and the coal is also stockpiled for eventual shipment down the Mississippi.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment