* Bicycle trip Virginia to Wisconsin:

5-28-10 thru 6-4-10 A tough 780 mile, 8 day, ride. My plan was to ride the old “Lincoln Highway”, one of the first east - west routs in the US.

Getting past the mountains of WV & MD, proved to be serious, with winding roads exceeding 3000’ at Backbone Mountain and road grades of up to 13%. Damaging the sidewall of my rear tire early on in the trip set me up for a frustrating set of flat tires, culminating in trying to hitch a ride until I stumbled onto “Cool Springs,”  an old town in WV, that was all of one large general store that sold everything, even tire repair kits.  After getting what I needed, I sat down to a grilled cheese sandwich and potato soup at an old counter set up right in the store.  “Trail Magic” at it’s best.
 
Crossing the Ohio River, was like going back in time, with horse drawn buggies and old fashioned clothing; this was Amish country. The scenery was beautiful, with rolling hills and lakes, but the roads lacked a good shoulder, which made for a rough ride. Finally, I got onto the Lincoln Highway (RT 30) at Wooster, OH. Unfortunately, this section had been converted into a freeway, forcing me to take detours when possible, and having to evade the police when on RT30.  I’ve been doing long distance cycling trips for 30 years, and this trip I noticed that McDonalds and Wal-Mart were the only stores in many of the small towns. It’s great for a cyclist because they can provide most of what you need, not so good for society, though.

Riding through Fort Wayne, IN, during rush hour was unavoidable, but as I left the city, a closed-down, old rest area was a welcoming sight for the night. After hanging all my gear to air out, a police officer snuck up on me, and to my surprise let me stay the night.  Indiana proved to be very cyclist friendly.
 
Timing was critical getting through Chicago, so when I spotted an abandoned house in Merrillville,  just outside of Gary, IN, I jumped on it. What a cool old house, I couldn’t help but wonder who had lived there and what had happened.  While camping out is fun, it’s so nice to not worry about bugs and sleep without a rock sticking in your ribs.  I was also able to tune up my bike and get it ready for what would prove to be the longest ride of the trip.