Dear Indiana

Dear Indiana,
Please repave your roads.
Love,
Suzanne

So, today we left Illinois and entered Indiana. There was no sign since we enter on country roads, but we were welcomed with potholes and insane amounts of tar trying to compensate. The tar is not any better on bike as it still makes for a bumpy ride.

This morning I started out with Sam, Tim, Chacko, and Todd. Sam was on a mission to get to...wherever we are now. We're staying at Valparaiso University in Indiana. Sam and Tim left the first check point very quickly, so Chacko and I left a little later. I had a hard time clipping into my pedals since I had walked through a muddy cornfield to go to the bathroom. Eventually I got all the mud and gravel out of my cleats, and I was good to go. The headwinds and crosswinds were relentless, but we pushed our way through. Sam and Tim were already at the lunch stop, and they didn't hang around long. We were near a Walgreens, so I went in to try and find a pin or at least postcard. Epic fail. I didn't find either.

After an hour or so, Chacko and I finally left lunch to complete the last 30 miles. Still unforgiving winds. We almost missed a turn because the street was not marked, but luckily Chacko saw the Dan Henry. At the last check point, we asked Dave if he put it there. He said he did, and I finally had to ask what the heck a Dan Henry is. Apparently it's just a circle with an arrow in the direction you need to go, and they're put on the road when turns are tricky. I actually have seen them before, but I've always just thought they were for underground pipes or waterlines or just random markings for the city. Anyway, I told Dave that when Bridgette mentioned the Dan Henry that I had missed yesterday, I thought that I was looking for a sign with a president's face on it. He got a kick out of the fact that I thought Dan Henry was a president. There was Eisenhower highway in Illinois, and there was a picture of his face on the sign. So, I thought that Dan Henry might be a famous historical figure with a recognizable face like those of the presidents. Apparently Dan Henry is just some rider who came up with the symbol. Struggle. Everyone is quite entertained by my little remark.

Chacko and I made it in good time and beat the gear truck. We met Kristin and Sue and decided to find an air conditioned place to sit and get something to drink. In the process of riding in circles to decide where to go, we saw Bridgette drive up with the gear truck. So, we followed her to the dorm and unloaded the truck. By this point, many more people were here so unloading went pretty quickly. We took out out tents to let them dry, and then I took a shower. I really should start running, but after biking all day, all I ever want to do is shower. It's one of those 'tomorrow' things. So, maybe tomorrow I'll run.

We had dinner at the cafeteria, and they made root beer floats for us! I'm waiting for my laundry to dry right now. It's our last night in a dorm, so it's all camping and the occasional school stay for the rest of the trip!

Tomorrow we ride 109 miles and go almost all the way through Indiana! It's a much much shorter state than the seemingly never-ending

Love from somewhere in Indiana!
Suzanne

P.S.- I've finally caught on my blog. Whew!