We’re officially back on the TransAmerica Trail! Jordan and I decided to stick with the original plan and get back on the TransAmerica route after the Missouri Katy Trail instead of the Eastern Express. We decided that the Eastern Express went too north and risked running into rough weather. According to Julie’s very helpful and detailed route planning, we’re on track to hit Yorktown by 15 November.
To get back on to the TransAmerica trail, we’ve spent the last three days biking through Southern Illinois. I must say that I have NOT enjoyed biking in this state. After crossing the Mississippi River from Saint Louis, we were immediately faced with the task of biking through Eastern Saint Louis. This is by far the roughest area we’ve crossed. Seems like a place that has been totally neglected and left to fall apart. It was a relief to get some distance. After that, we spent one night in the charming town of Belleville, Illinois. I really did enjoy our evening there. Jordan and I went to the Grafted Wine bar and had a lovely bottle of Puligny-Montrachet, one of my favorite wines. The bar was set in a historic home and was fully decorated for Halloween- it was so nice! As much as I enjoyed this experience, however, the next two days proved to be on the opposite end of the enjoyment spectrum. We were on a southeastern trajectory into Kentucky and had to battle a very strong headwind that remained persistent over two days. The wind made our 60-mile days feel more like 100-mile days. In addition, the road conditions were not great. There was little to no shoulder and the small shoulders were often full of debris and gravel. Don’t get me started on all the pickup trucks that passed a little too aggressively.
Tomorrow, we’ll cross the border into Kentucky. We’ll be in this state for a while, going across almost its entire length. Our maps warn us to be wary of the road conditions there as well (little to no shoulder), so I’m a bit nervous on what lies ahead. We’ll also be going through some very rural areas where our only option for accommodations will be church basements…so some interesting experiences to come!