{"id":778,"date":"2009-08-05T02:00:38","date_gmt":"2009-08-05T09:00:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/liveforthepath.com\/?p=778"},"modified":"2025-01-28T08:28:03","modified_gmt":"2025-01-28T15:28:03","slug":"day-51-keokuk-ia-to-bushnell-il-psuedo-rest-day","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/liveforthepath.com\/?p=778","title":{"rendered":"Day 51 \u2013 Keokuk, IA to Bushnell, IL \u2013 Psuedo-Rest Day"},"content":{"rendered":"

58 miles in 5.66 hours \u2013 Max Speed 26.5mph<\/strong><\/p>\n

I woke up early and went down to the lobby to get breakfast at 6:15, as soon as it opened. Got to love free breakfast. I went back to the room and did a bunch of website stuff until around 9:30, when I went down and ate another free breakfast. I mean, you have to make the most of what you paid for (or in this case, didn’t pay for), right? I finished the website stuff, packed up, and got out of the hotel like two minutes before the 11:00 check out time.<\/p>\n

I headed down through downtown Keokuk and crossed the Mississippi river and passed into Illinois. Sorry for the lack of good pictures, but the bridge I was on wasn’t really the best for stopping and snapping photos. <\/p>\n

\"This<\/a>

This was taken in Iowa. You can tell we are close to other states.<\/p><\/div>\n

\"Yup,<\/a>

Yup, that's the Mississippi.<\/p><\/div>\n

\"Luckily<\/a>

Luckily I did not bring any cigarettes with me.<\/p><\/div>\n

\"Historical<\/a>

Historical Marker<\/p><\/div>\n

\"Another<\/a>

Another shot of the Mississippi.<\/p><\/div>\n

On the other side of the river I had a pretty big climb with no shoulder (worst case scenario, always), but I made it through and it got flatter as the day wore on.<\/p>\n

\"I'm<\/a>

I'm on a totally different historical road.<\/p><\/div>\n

\"Historical<\/a>

Historical Marker. Cliff notes version: If you're Mormon you're probably getting shot in Illinois.<\/p><\/div>\n

\"'Mom,<\/a>

'Mom, can we go on an adventure today?' 'No hun, but we can go on an AGVENTURE!' 'Ohhhh, not again.'<\/p><\/div>\n

Anyway, I had diverted from the John Egan path by going to Keokuk (any bike tourers will know that name) so I was just winging it as I went along. Quickly the 136 turned into a four lane divided highway, but a quick scan of the Illinois laws didn’t say anything that would lead me to believe that I wasn’t allowed to be on it, so I went along in a gigantic shoulder. Eventually they were doing some construction, so then I not only got the shoulder, but the entire right lane as well. All you have to do is smile and wave at the county workers.<\/p>\n

I got into Macomb, a fairly large town at around 3, and I stopped and had a late lunch. I headed back out and decided to head north on another 4 lane divided highway and then to go east on route 9. Everything was going perfect until, as I approached Bushnell, my stomach began to feel not so good. So I stopped in town while things worked themselves out. Getting stomach issues is never pleasant, but it is particularly unpleasant when you don’t really have any place to call home and cannot really move that quickly. Luckily it generally doesn’t happen to me all that often, but it happens to everyone now and then.<\/p>\n

After a couple hour break in the local fast food establishment I felt better, but it was already getting late, so I looked and saw that there was an RV park just a few miles away. I got there, paid the ridiculous camping fee, and set up. I took a shower, worked on the blog for a few hours, and went to sleep with absolutely nothing around me.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>

The road to the RV park.<\/p><\/div>\n