The Windy City, also known as Chicago, IL, chose to welcome us roughly 80 miles outside of the city in peaceful Fair Oaks, IN. As I confidently strode out of our hotel this morning, I was nearly taken down by the 20 mile per hour wind gusts. Instead of trying to start our 65 mile journey with the inescapable wind, we biked about 100 yards and hung out at the COWfé. After that brief ride, I was ready to hang up the bike for the day, eat ice cream, and stay another night at our amazing hotel. In the meantime, there was no way that Charlie and I could spend time at a dairy farm without eating ice cream. I had a waffle cone with a scoop of mint chocolate chip ice cream and a scoop of butter pecan ice cream while Charlie had a butter pecan malt. We both loved the butter pecan and Charlie applauded how buttery it was!
After about an hour and a half of procrastination, Charlie said we should hit the road to make it to my Aunt Cindy and Uncle Joe’s house by sundown. We walked outside to the same wind gusts we had experienced earlier. The day was already off to a rocky start.
The first 25 miles of the ride had to have been the least enjoyable miles of riding since our 90 mile ride to Lancaster or wrapping up the C&O Canal. It felt as if we spent three hours climbing a mountain when our elevation had not changed. There were times in which I felt my legs slowing down, yelling at me to just hop off the bike and call it a day. My mind was so tired that I wasn’t thinking of songs to sing anymore, I needed motivation from Spotify to show off my beautiful voice😉. Even as the wind decreased throughout the day, the morning’s exhaustion prohibited me from appreciating the beautiful afternoon.
I did focus a lot on nature today though, most likely as a coping mechanism for the difficult riding. Charlie and I have been amazed by the wonderful seas of green that we witness as we bike. The long strands of grass flow in the wind similarly to waves in the ocean. I can’t help but relate the view to the background of Windows XP (pictured below). I also watched a bird as it flew parallel to Charlie and I for about a minute, contorting its body to persist through the headwinds. I wondered at what point it would give up and follow the wind in the opposite direction; I wished I could do the same.
Slowly but surely, the miles ticked down and we eventually reached Frankfort, Illinois, our meeting place with Aunt Cindy and Uncle Joe. They picked us up enthusiastically and we took a picture on Old Plank Road. We then made a quick pitstop at a bike shop given that my frame broke and Charlie’s gears were acting a little funky. I think everything is fixed for the time being 🤞. We settled in Downers Grove, our home for the next few days, and had Portillo’s with my cousin Amy, her boyfriend John, Aunt Cindy, and Uncle Joe. Honestly, nothing beats a Chicago-style hot dog.
Charlie called it a night about three hours ago, it was quite a long day. We thankfully get to chill here for the weekend. Cheers.
-Maddie
Total miles: 1070.3
Special shout-out: Charlie taught me the capitals of all of the states today. Thanks Charlie!!!
Maddie’s Music of the Day:
Feelin’ Myself playlist on Spotify
Good Days by SZA