Day 24 - Easy Day to Ohio

Today we left Indiana and made it an easy ride to Ohio.  When we got up it was very humid and someone said we had a 40% chance of rain.  Did I say it was humid?  Susan N commented that it was only 7 am and it felt hot - its not hot!  We have been really lucky with the weather on this trip.  We had the one heavy rain day, but it was not as bad as it could have been.  The main weather blessing has been the temperatures.  Hopefully they will stay fair as 100 degree temps have been common around the country.  I can say with confidence that my last 4 training rides in Texas two weeks before this tour were harder than any 4 days of this trip.  The reason was the 97+ degree temps, heavy winds and chip seal that will rattle your teeth.  Cross your fingers that we will continue to have mild temps, favorable winds and smooth roads.

Anyway, today was an easy flat ride.  I just rode at my own pace - averaging 16 to lunch (and still riding at the back, not that it matters).  Today there was less corn - surprise!  It appears to me that the last several days we have had really big farms with really large masses of land to plant the crops.  I don't know if the land is owned by a corporation or by a family, but the crops were very expansive.  Now, it seems as if the crops or the land the crops are grown on is smaller with more farm houses separating the crops.  So I am guessing that these are most likely smaller family owned crops.  However, this did not translate into more barns.  Darn.

The highlight of the day was lunch.  Matter of fact, lunch is a highlight of most days!  It is always neat to see what Susan and the crew have fixed us each day.  Today was grilled chicken in a hot dog bun.  I ate mine with BBQ sauce.  Grilled chicken day may become one of my favorites.  My hands down favorite lunch is grilled cheese sandwiches (w tomato), followed closely by hot dog day.  I like hot dog day because I get a second dog to go and eat it on the road or in the motel room after the ride.  I also like burrito day, but those don't taste so good when you have a climb immediately after lunch.  Of course there is also hamburger day.  We always have a wide variety of veggie salads.  Today was cabbage and beet salad.  Yes, this is something I would have never ever tried had it not been on PAC tour, but because it is PAC tour, I ate it and it was good!  We had quinoa beet salad a week or so ago and it was good too.  Another salad favorite is something with carrots and rice noodles  - I really like it.  We almost always have chips and sweets, but I don't eat as much of those.  We have had sweet corn several days recently too.  It is sooooo good and fresh.  I have also had really good peaches and watermelon. 

Morning glory growing on a corn stalk - I would have taken more pictures of the morning glories as they were beautiful, but I got caught in the corn field as I took a "bio break".  Someone saw my bike and thought I was injured - nope, just couldn't find a better place to pee!

I think this is the barn of the day

Entering our 9th state - whoo hoo!

Sunflowers in a garden

More flowers in the same garden

Time for dessert!  A yummy chocolate/butterscotch chip cookie that Mark's girlfriend made.  As you can see I ate all of my beet and cabbage salad and all my chicken on a bun except that last little bit of bread.  We use sporks and paper plate holders every day at lunch - I do try and color coordinate my plate and spork!

Barn hiding in the bushes

 

Message board - every day we have to check the message board for any instructions.  Typically it will tell us what time breakfast will be.  As you can see - we weren't supposed to drink the water!  Fortunately, the boil water notice was lifted not long after we got in.  Notice breakfast is at 7 again - yeah - 30 more minutes of sleep!

Thanks again for reading and commenting.  I really do appreciate all yall (plural of yall!).  I really look forward to checking the comments. 

It looks like we have another shortish day tomorrow - only 94 miles.  This is the last of the flattish days - we will hit the Appalachians on Thursday.

Oh, BTW, rumor has it that tomorrow may also be grilled cheese and tomato day!  Yeah!