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Day #28

I'm at in Farmington, MO tonight at a terrific hostel. I've heard best things about this place from many of the cyclists I've passed going west-> east, so I'm sure this will be my best hostel visit of this entire trip. Here's a video I just took of this hostel.

This morning I crossed the Mississippi into Missouri. Here's a video I took at the river:

As I said in the video, last night I was at a shed + shower deal for trans-am cyclists behind the Eagles Bar in Chester, IL. I shared the space with a pair of Britts cycling from San Francisco, CA to (iirc) Yorktwon, VA. They actually got in 105 miles that day--almost double my average mileage. They said the trick was to be on the road at 5AM--that way they could get in 60 or so miles by 11AM, rest from 11AM-4PM (during intolerable heat of the day), and get in the rest in the late afternoon. I keep trying to get up early, but can't seem to get to bed soon enough to do so! Anyway, We had a nice chat including everything from cycling to international politics. Most importantly, since they came from my specific destination, I got a lot of valuable information preparing me for the road ahead. Good luck Simon & Ade!

I was passed by 2 cyclists during my breakfast at Double L Grocery in Big Clifty, KY. I didn't get to talk to them, but I ran across a family cycling the TransAm in Sebree who said their names were Mick & Julie. Turns out they're biking from Orlando to Calgory. Everywhere I go I see their names signed in these journals just a day before mine. Hopefully I'll be able to catch up to them one of these days...

The heat is still one of my biggest daily battles. Today at 4PM I was sitting in a shaded picnic shelter and my thermometer read 100 degrees. I can only imagine how hot it was during the peak of the day. I also just read that there's a National Heat Advisory for this area until Tuesday--it sure feels like it!

Here's the photos I collected from Illinois:

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2 comments to Day #28

  • NikkiNicho

    How many hostels did you end up staying in on this trip? I want to open one in Tally... could use some input! 😀

    • admin

      Not many. 1 in Damascus, VA. 1 in Sebree, KY. 1 in Farmington, MO.
      --but they weren't your typical hostels. Damascus was cool because it was on the AT, but Sebree & Farmington were cyclist-only. I'm sure if you google "trans america cycling hostel" you'll find a list of them.

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