Traveled today: 348.2 miles (a VERY light day!)
What an awesome start to the day and the trip. I teased my wife about leaving earlier and earlier, but ended up leaving the house at about 6:30am. First, I had to get a few shots of the bike all loaded up, my daughter (who actually got out of bed to see me go) and my beautiful wife.
Then hit the road. Stopped at the Circle K on State Street, where the clerk looked at me like I was nuts. She was quite interested in her fresh tattoo, which she had done yesterday. Elenora (I think) didn't seem to grasp the concept that I was going to Alaska. But I'll give her a break, she had just gotten freshly inked and it was early.
On to Valparaiso I went, where I fueled up again. The clerk at the Speedway I stopped at could not care less about my trip, my charity or my presence. I don't recall her name but I think she was the manager. Once she saw 'biker' she shut down the pleasantries. But it was interesting how the young lady in front of me was 'Sweetie' and the young dude behind me was "Honey". I was just "Is that all?" That's okay Ms. Manager, I can spend my money elsewhere. And I will from this point forward when it comes to Valpo. At least Mary came jogging by and was really intrigued about the trip and let me take her picture. 
She also took mine.
She also took mine.If you have a few twenties laying around doing nothing and you want to use them and get absolutely nothing, I suggest taking the Chicago Skyway and Illinois toll road system around Chicago. I've never been interrupted so many times in so short a distance and had to pay that much just to ride on their tar-snake and crack-infested roadways. Geez, I musta spent $25 just getting around Chicago. I did make a detour for Lakeshore Drive (because I love it so much, and then made a little jog through 'town' to go by Northwestern University.) 
I had to do that for my daughter because her heart is set on going there. Let's just hope that Mega Millions ticket I bought today works, otherwise I dunno how she's gonna pay tuition!
I had to do that for my daughter because her heart is set on going there. Let's just hope that Mega Millions ticket I bought today works, otherwise I dunno how she's gonna pay tuition!At a Rest Oasis (love that name) in Des Plaines, I met up with Neil from San Francisco. I approached him and interrupted his breakfast/lunch. He seemed interesting because he had a bike helmet (motorcycle) sitting on the picnic table next to him. 
So, being the really skilled genius I am, I deduced that the only other bike in the parking lot must be his. Looked new too. It was. He had just flown to Indianapolis, purchased the bike and was driving it back to SF. Cool trip! He was going through Glacier National Park too! I think he thought I was going to beg money from him at first. When I told him what I was up to he quickly handed me a 10 spot as if to brush me off (I really don't think he was rude, I just think he was hungry and I was stopping him from eating his Egg McMuffin!) I asked him to contribute through the blog instead and he said he would. Strangely enough, Neil works for a pharmaceutical company in SF called Genetech (I hope I got that right) and they make drugs for the treatment of both Crohn's and Ulcerative Colitis! Talk about your small worlds!
So, being the really skilled genius I am, I deduced that the only other bike in the parking lot must be his. Looked new too. It was. He had just flown to Indianapolis, purchased the bike and was driving it back to SF. Cool trip! He was going through Glacier National Park too! I think he thought I was going to beg money from him at first. When I told him what I was up to he quickly handed me a 10 spot as if to brush me off (I really don't think he was rude, I just think he was hungry and I was stopping him from eating his Egg McMuffin!) I asked him to contribute through the blog instead and he said he would. Strangely enough, Neil works for a pharmaceutical company in SF called Genetech (I hope I got that right) and they make drugs for the treatment of both Crohn's and Ulcerative Colitis! Talk about your small worlds!I hope I meet up with Neil again (after he's just eaten something). He seemed to be a really cool story to tell, but I was getting anxious to get back on the road.
I was making great time (save for the 5 or 6 weird traffic jams that seemed to appear out of nowhere and have no discernable cause).
Anyway, the next worthwhile story for you comes from my lunch stop in Janesville, Wisconsin. Now, for some reason I didn't get her name, but a youngish Mom and her kids (and very cute puppy) pulled into a spot at Arby's just as I was getting ready to leave. She was kind and when I gave her my card and told me what she was up to she was very interesed. Even her teenage kids - who were more interested in getting inside Arby's, like most teenage kids- were very respectful and also seemed intrigued by the Alaska concept. The now nameless woman came back across the road after saying goodbye to hand me a $5 bill and said that even though she knew she could contribute online, she wanted to give me something NOW. That was awesome!
Stacy: (and I know you are out there Stacy), as my relatively frequent magician and agent (because you disappear so often), you gotta remember - $5 goes to CCFA on behalf of the 'mystery mom' in Janesville. I guess I could just call her "Jane". Duh.
The rest of the ride was pretty. Lots of farmland in Wisconsin and with the exception of it being more hilly, it looked a lot like Indiana. Corn, corn, corn, soybeans, corn, corn, dairy farm, corn, corn, dairy farm (phew!) corn, corn....
I'll post a review of my hotel in a bit. Gotta go clean off Cheeto and get her ready for tomorrow! She also needs her blanket (bike cover), even though it's 85 degrees now (and I started this morning at 61 degrees. It got hot quick!)
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