Tuesday, July 11, 2006

Ottawa Illinois to North Platte Nebraska

First and update on the computer problem. It blew up this morning, but it worked just fine this evening. I have my fingers crossed that the problem is behind me.

It was raining this morning in Ottawa, Illinois. I pulled the bike under the awning in front of the hotel and we loaded it up. The roads were wet but it was mostly drizzle with a bit of real rain until we got west of Davenport, Iowa. At each stop, we took off more gear. By Des Moines, we were down to mesh jackets.

I had to stop a few times just from fatigue. Didn't get a lot of sleep last night while wrestling with the AOL impaired computer. That wore off as the day went on and I was chipper by the time we finished.

There isn't a lot to tell about the ride. We got into the long haul rhythm and the miles slid by. Des Moines, Omaha, Lincoln, Grand Island. I've done this route five times in six years so it is getting to be like a regular commute. The Kearney Arch is still there.

On the plus side, this is the nicest Nebraska crossing I have done. The temperature was in the 80's (10 to 20 degrees cooler than other times) and the humidity was bearable. They say tomorrow the heat will start. We finished in North Platte, Nebraska with 700 miles on for the day, but we didn't feel like we were pushing hard.

I checked the rear tire when we got in. The tread depth is the same as when we left home 1,500 miles ago. I've been keeping the speed down to an indicated 75 MPH to save the tire, but everything is passing me:-) Here's hoping that it keeps on like this.

Tomorrow will see us on the far side of Utah or in eastern Nevada.

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