Day 24 - Chester, IL

I struggled in a blistering sun as the temprature shot up past 90. My route, again courtesy of google, took my along winding country roads past farmland and woodmills on route to Carbondale. Parts of the road were stained with tar and my tires sizzled as they rolled over the small black bubbles oozing from asphalt.

I started at 10, far too late for this kind of heat and I only had two good hours of riding before the temprature slowed me down. The heat will knock 3 or 4 miles off your speedometer as easy as an incline will.

After 35 or so miles I reached Carbondale, a large college town, just in time for lunch and a reprieve from the midday sun. I stopped at a sandwich shop and while eating noticed another loaded bicycle across the street at a Mexican joint. I was back on the Trans-America trail. As much as I wanted to kill time, I inhaled my sandwich and became a bit antsy. I pushed on down the road to Pheonix Cycles, one of three bike shops in town, curiously all on the same block. The folks in the shop where nice letting me loiter inside and plug my phone into their wall socket. An hour had passed and I still had 40+ miles to go. I sent Ryan a text wondering how he was doing.

Another 10 miles down the road and I was in the town of Murphysboro. I stopped again to rest and evade the heat at a DQ. A text from Ryan popped up. Not much info other than an expressed willingness to still make Chester. I pushed on.

I continued on another 30 miles mostly on route 3. The evening sun offered not much of a break. A series of hills had me sweating through my shirt and hands slippery on the bars. A long flat stretch along vast corn fields unfolded and I was able to pick up the pace. As I passed Rockwood I spotted the Mississippi for the first time. The sight gave me a boost of energy, just enough to get up and down the hills while entering Chester.




Chester is the home of Popeye the sailor man. There are numerous effigies of him about town including a sculpture in the town park and a painting of him and Olive Oyl atop the town hall. There is a Popeye picnic held in his honor once a year. Mothman, Superman and now Popeye have so far mascotted towns along my path.

I'm camping on the back lawn of the Fraternal Order of Eagles here in town with 16 other cyclists on an organized Trans-America ride. Being a late arrival I didn't get a chance to see any of them, just their tents set up around a volleyball court.

Inside the lodge I treated myself to a 7 dollar chicken dinner and a couple of 1.75 Stag beers. Easy livin'.

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Location:W German St,Chester,United States