Corn. Oceans of corn.
Unbelievable how much corn is grown in Southern Illinois. And I expect in Indiana, Ohio and many other places we'll be passing through. The production scale is huge ... Like the wheat in Kansas. It brings home the "breadbasket to the world" and makes that marketing phrase actually believable. Apparently even just 5 years ago you would see a lot more soybeans planted on this route, but ethinol has fueled a huge surge in corn that has all but pushed out other crops.
Yesterday riding the 107 miles between Quincy IL and Springfield we estimated that at least 85 miles of the first hundred were corn miles. Corn tunnels (what I started calling the small rural roads pressed on both sides by corn fields as far as the eye could see deep. Signs identifying the corn as a special genetic modification (like that would fly in Seattle) or as seed corn. Most getting tassels and the rest just knee high. A cool wet spring meant a late planting for most farmers here. Small white houses boxed in by huge oak trees sitting in the middle of huge cornfields. Corn on rolling hills and corn on pancake flat land that stretched for miles. No wonder corn syrup is in so many foods ... We raise enough corn to demand as many potential markets as possible.
Biking both yesterday and today was essentially 200+ miles venturing through corn with the occasional soybean field and pasture land and small town.
To amuse ourselves we invented CORNY jokes like: What do you call a group of cyclists taking pictures of corn? Cornography.
Another entertainment was the various insects that seem to like the hot humid summers around the cornfields. Every now and then you pass through a cloud of gnats and can feel them plastering themselves to your arms and face. You try to remember to wipe those off before grossing out normal people when you head into a cafe or gas station.
Or there are the beatles. Low and slow flying, about half an inch long, they occasionally bounce off your helmet or arm with a THWACK! Occasionally one flies into the vents of your helmet (or better a riding companion), and then it's amusing to watch them trying to get the helmet off and the beetle out while still pedaling 18mph. Nothing like a big bug crawling around in your hair to inspire drastic action. Better is when one flies into your jersey or sports bra ... That generally entails colorful language and groping around in your clothes trying to extract those prickly little buggers while pedaling.
Yep - that's what passes for entertainment biking through 200 miles of corn. Wonder what we'll come up with tomorrow?
But thankfully there were a few non-corn related happenings that broke up our trek east.
In the tiny town of Chapin about 60 miles east of Quincy, Bob and I pulled into to a convenience store for a little caffeine rehabilitation. Parked out front was a very homemade looking recumbent bike. ... Meet Leroy. He's a former navy guy who now is the welder in Chapin. He made this enormous recumbent bike himself, complete with a tie rod to steer, a kick stand, duel rear baskets and a huge hood ornament. The wheels were solid rubber. The handlebars were like those old bars on girls bikes with the banana seat. It must have weighed well over 60 lbs. After duly admiring his wheels, he offered to let me take it for a spin. I couldn't actually reach the pedals, but felt like sitting in a homemade recliner. Both LeRoy and his Bike were a kick.
Springfield, Illinois is all about Abe Lincoln. We got into Springfield in time for me to get a bike repair done (maybe more bad news on the frame around the water bottle connectors) and then to visit Lincoln's house when he was a lawyer and elected to the state legislator and before he won the Presidency. The Park Service had restored a 4 square block area and led tours of the neighborhood and of the Lincolns old house. They had acquired much of the Lincolns furniture that they had sold off prior to moving to DC. Lots of information on the family, their philosophy on raising children ("let them be free of parental tyranny") Mary Lincoln (a hottie from an aristocratic family who was also courted by Lincolns Political Rival Steven Douglas.).
Really interesting is they just discovered some letters that confirm that Lincoln's neighbor 4 doors down was a station master on the underground railroad. The Sheriff lived next door, too. Hard to believe that Lincoln and the Sheriff didn't know about and condone UR activity happening right under their nose ... Wonder what light this can shed on his choices as president. The whole park is really well done - worth a stop through.
Then I headed back to the hotel and cleaned up for a visit from my friend Bryan Dozer who recently moved to St. Louis with his wife. We rode together for many years with Team in Training in Seattle. It was delightful to see him and catch up ... Bryan you look fabulous and clearly this move was a really positive (even though I miss riding with you.)
Today was more corn.
Springfield to Champaign was 98 miles, but it felt pretty easy with a nice tail wind and everyone was pretty mellow and not in a hurry.
We had our first rest stop at a state park where the Lincolns had a cabin when they first moved to Illinois. Then after more corn a second rest stop at a cemetery where another ABB staffer came down to visit and brought yummy watermelon. He hung around through dinner and gave us a little presentation on ... Sex in the Corn Field. Yep ... We learned about how corn reproduces ... It can self pollinate or cross pollinate - which is why corn is planted so closely together. Appropriate to end our corn ride with more corn facts.
Tomorrow we go to Indiana and no doubt pass a lot more corn.
Goodbye 2015, Hello 2016!!
9 years ago
