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We are going home today!

We are waking up to a beautiful day to bike home. I'm both excited and sad. We've been so, so lucky to have had this awesome trip, and now it is almost over. I am ready to bike home, but I will also miss our "simple" days biking, eating and sleeping.

We shared our last camp out with good friends (just like a sleep over), and it sounds like we will meet a few more friends today on the ride into town. What a great way to celebrate the last day. "Good Bye" U-Tour, and "Hello" Madison, WI!

Hello WI!

Been a long time...

Jane Addams Trail!

15.1 mi till WI

Lunch in Freeport IL

North end of Hennepin Canal Bike Trail ...

in the daylight.

Night riding

Yesterday, after a 50 mile day, we arrived at our campsite (Lock 22) at the south end of Hennepin Canal bike trail the north-south feeder of the east-west running canal. We'd had a fairly easy day half on a bike trail, half on small quiet farm roads, mostly flat, just a few rollers, and an awesome tail wind. We discussed riding longer to take advantage of the great conditions, but my legs haven't recovered from our 108 miles day yet, and we had the little campground along the canal all to ourselves.

We set up camp, ate dinner ... and checked the weather on our phones. Our apps were predicting "likely heavy thunderstorms with high winds and hail" for tomorrow's ride, 70 miles to Freeport, IL. We ate dessert, discussed our options, and decided we'd rather ride the 30 miles to Rock Falls/Sterling, IL (the next city with a motel) tonight in the dark, than tomorrow in the storm. So we packed up our gear and at 8pm started biking along the north-south Hennepin feeder canal. We rode as fast as my legs would let us (at least it was super flat!) as long as we had light. We had a beautiful pink sunset around 8:30, some dusk riding, and by 9pm we were riding (a little slower) by headlamps and bike lights. And that's when the fun started. Apparently the feeder canal bike trail is not a popular, well ridden trail. Although it began as a well maintained crushed stone path, it turned into an over grown dirt path with low branches, high grass, and sometimes down to one track for us to follow in our headlights. The other clue that the path was not used much was the wildlife we were scaring up as we rode down the path. We saw deer, great blue heron, many raccoons (some a little too close to our front wheels), and beaver (one slapped his tail spectacularly for us); and, heard splashes and other stranger screeching noises from animals we couldn't identify.

At 10pm we found, with great relief, the end of the trail, and edge of town (Rock Falls, IL), AND a motel to wait out the storm. So this morning I am writing this blog post from our motel room ... and the storm hasn't arrived yet. Now our apps are predicting heavy storms later this afternoon, and clear skies with head winds for tomorrow's 80 mi ride to New Glarus State Park, WI; and, our last night on the road! At least, the storm has given us another adventure, and a day off the bike for my tired legs. Hopefully my legs will get enough recovery for one more hard day, and then a short ride into Madison, and into our own driveway.

Lunch in Wyoming

But I don't think it qualifies as "a new state"!

Creation stories

Heidi got "Free Tibet" socks from "our support team", which are awesome.
We posted a photo of them on Facebook; and lots of people "Like"-d it.

And then, of course, we read the dioramas and historical info at the "Land Between the Lakes" Visitor Center. We read about "the Trail of Tears", where the tribes who lived here were marched West by American tribes/armies to "clear the land for 'settlers'", sort of the like the Bataan Death March that the Japanese army forced on Phillipino and American soldiers in the Phillipines during WWII (judged to be a "war crime" - by the victors of that war). Lots of Cherokee (and others) died on "the Trail of Tears". The Cherokee were forced to march during winter, in fact.
Get out! And stay out!

But that's not part of "our" "history". "Our" "history" is all about "freedom" and "democracy", the "Boston tea party", "the Founding Fathers" and "the Constitution". We call our sports teams the "Redskins", the "Indians" and the "49ers" (after the CA "gold rush" of 1849, as I'm sure you recall). The lily white suburban fans in Atlanta faithfully do "the tomahawk chop" at "Braves" games.

If someone says their people came from the Raven, does that really sound any crazier than "the Earth was created in 7 days"? That "Eve came from Adam's rib"? If someone's creation story values the Earth and the animals (other than humans, as well as human animals) and plants is that any crazier than living by a book written by many different people thousands of years ago, translated many times, and interpreted in many different ways, even when it leads to perverse actions and outcomes? Is it "better" because it is written down, as opposed to an oral history?

When we call our sports teams after the era of "our" people that overwhelmed "their" people, the ones who lived here before our recent ancestors arrived here (the Cleveland Indians, "the Texas Rangers") can we really be critical of the Chinese that are "rushing" to Tibet to mine, to build trains, highways, airports, electricity generating power plants and transmission lines (for themselves, while claiming they are doing it to help the "backward" Tibetans; just like "the missionaries" who taught "the Indians carpentry - and how to survive in the wild"), even when those things are in or on "sacred" sites of "the natives"?
Freedom?
Moral?
Good?

Will the Chinese "creation story" of their very own "Manifest Destiny" portray their "settlers" as heroes? As marauders? As "civilizing" the heathen natives? As thieves? Will they name their sports teams after the Tibetans, the "gold rush", even the "warriors" that fought against them in the 1959 Tibetan uprising against Chinese "settlers" (supported by the CIA, by the way - and by your [or your parent's] tax dollars)?

Our push onto other people's lands began as soon as "we" Europeans landed on "North America", and we pushed West in earnest by around 1830. The Chinese are doing it now, starting with their invasion of Tibet as WWII came to a close in 1951 (with Soviet help), a mere 120 years after we did the same thing to Kentucky, to Tennessee, to Texas, to California etc
How long have Arizona and New Mexico been states?
100 years.
And that's not very long, is it?

It sure is sad to SEE it happening in Tibet, of course; as it surely IS happening. But we Americans, Canadians and Mexicans (via the British, French, and Spanish, primarily) really ought to look in the mirror more and consider doing a better job ourselves before we scream "human rights!" when we see what other nation states/govts/people/'corporate people' are doing; and living in denial about their abuses as they write their own "creation story". I'm sure they'll have their own "Founding Fathers", their own "Louisiana Purchase", their own "Lewis and Clark". And they'll likely celebrate them as much as we do.

And we should remember that; we should remember our own history. And try to do better, next time, no matter how wonderful our own "creation stories" are - that we tell ourselves.

People in America

There are a LOT of poor people in America.

I have been amazed at how many people live in trailers and mobile homes. We have camped in RV parks across a lot of this big country, and there are many gainfully employed people living out of their RV's. There are construction workers, law enforcement officers, cleaning staff, park employees, you name it, living in RV's; likely with no "benefits", no "golden parachute", no "mortgage interest deduction" (We saw a television advertisement from a realtors group advocating for keeping the current mortgage interest deduction - it's in their interest after all - and they're willing to spend millions of dollars trying to keep "the status quo" - which is also advantageous to those buying huge [2nd?] homes.)

I keep thinking back to 2008 when surveys said Americans were very concerned about the 50 million Americans without medical insurance (who would [have to] go to the Emergency Room when desperate for care.) It was the number one concern, in fact.
Then you had the Affordable Care and Patient Protection Act.
And immediately wealthy, powerful Americans and multi-national 'corporate people' - and their political party - began fighting dirty to prevent it from moving forward (a perverse sort of "preventative medicine"?!) They, on behalf of obese insurance 'corporate people', dropped "the public option". How could those CEO's justify their $10+ million/year salaries if the govt could do it cheaper, and more straightforwardly? It would make them look bad.

Now we find out that "our" govt is spending Billions of dollars (on the NSA and huge, private, for-profit-only contractors) spying on us; tappin' our phone lines, readin' our email, savin' our attachments - in huge, expensive complexes in MD and UT. (And, in one of the ultimate ironies, Facebook, Google and Apple - those tax cheats [extremely creative tax-avoidance-scheme 'corporate people'] - are facilitating our govt spying on us while NOT paying their fair share of taxes to pay for those $200,000/year "Booz-y" contractor salaries. Freedom!)
Remember when there was the push for all cell phones to have a GPS chip in them? Well, "our" govt is storing where you make and receive your calls too.

But "we can't afford"
To make walking safer?
To make biking safer?
To make sure all Americans have some sort of basic public education and ("public option"?) medical care?

Well, clearly it is not a case of "can't afford". It is a case of "won't choose to" make it happen. A "Christian nation"?
Hardly.

"We" love war and the wealthy (well, "our" govt does anyway), just like so many imperial powers before us.

But the people you meet, the people on the street, are curious, funny, kind and generous. It is just too bad that "our" govt is not more like THOSE Americans; rather than like the greedy, venal, and vain "leaders" of our political and business "elite".

As well as Caterpillar, Chase and PNC banks, "this" is Peoria, Illinois
http://m.usatoday.com/article/news/1910091

I wish it was more profitable for "our" govt and "our" (American?) 'corporate people' to help the American people get a decent education, basic medical care, and some sort of economic opportunity (other than delivering 'recreational' drugs by bike/backpack in cities like Peoria, Illinois.)
Until "We, the people" are able to wrest control of "our" govt back from the unconscionable greed of multi-national 'corporate people' - and billionaires - the reality for tens of millions of Americans is going to continue to be a life of poverty, sickness and lack of hope or opportunity.
And that's too bad.
Unless you are already among the comfortable or super-wealthy, of course. In which case, maybe you should try harder to be content with all that you have - and stop trying to squash the smallest of attempts by those living in RV parks to "make the leap" up from the bottom of the social and economic ladder - and stop preventing "our" govt from attempting to help the American people.

The weather

Everyone loves to talk about the weather.
So here it goes, "the weather" for the ground covered on the U-Tour.
NorCal is foggy, misty, moist.
SoCal is sunny.
"The desert", stretching from SoCal East of the 4,000 climb outta San Diego to about Leakey, TX, is HOT. It's hot, dry, as in "11 year drought" sunny and dry. I was definitely surprised that there weren't more photovoltaic panels and passive solar hot water heaters. It seemed WAY sunnier "than Germany", for about 6 weeks of biking - straight.
As you approach Austin it turns green again, and you can absolutely see and feel the humidity comin' off the Gulf (of Meh he Co). Thunderstorms, rain.
East Texas ends up bein' like Wisconsin, but hotter - and more "oily".
Louisiana is hot, humid and swampy.

The Mississippi River basin is overflowing with water. The river is at flood stage. There are alligators in the river, pushed out of their habitual backwaters in Louisiana/Mississippi. The farmers in Illinois are a month behind in planting because their fields are still so wet.

So, the weather: 11 year drought for the entire Southwest; floods for the Mississippi River basin.
That's it for weather tonight.

The NSA is Awesome!

Well, since they're recording all American email senders, recipients, subject lines and attachments...figgered I'd give 'em a shout out!

But seriously folks. There is humor out there in this big old crazy country of ours.
Like dinner tonight.
We walked over from the motel (no camping in the Peoria area; and not sure I'd want to camp in many parts of this area...) to the Panera - and had to dodge out of the way of the woman comin' out of the drive-through in her Land Cruiser, "multi-tasking".

We go in to order food, and I'm impressed with all the Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau quotes - plus the bikes in the art, several times, as well.
BUT - we have to go outside to eat - because the air conditioning is cranked "up" so high in there that it is freezing!

America is so funny.

Saw one of these billboards today

While riding through Peoria, Illinois.
http://m.usatoday.com/article/news/1910091
Powerful.
Sad.

If we can afford to spend Billions of dollars spying on Americans - to keep them "safer".
We should be able to help keep these kids safer.
And it'd be a lot cheaper too.

Path in Peoria

Illinois

Sprints with Eddie

We had a record dog chase yesterday.
I figger he musta run bout a mile.
Lucky fer us he got a late start.
After his two compadres started the fireworks, he belatedly came a lopin' out after us.
But he kept comin'
And comin'
Even after the road made a 90 degree right turn
He kept comin'
So we put on a little "burst of speed" to try to discourage him (and you know, with loaded touring bikes, I mean that we went from 12 mph to 16 mph)
It seemed to do the trick
But we stopped a short while later, "lost" in rural Illinois. We were trying to figure out a way across the river blocking our progress Northward.
And I did keep checking behind us, just to make sure that "Eddie" hadn't resumed his chase...

100 days on the road

Couple hundred miles left to go
Till we're home again

Banana Split!