Aug
04
2009

Day 50 – Centerville, IA (Sharon Bluffs State Park) to Keokuk, IA – Thanks Dad!

91 miles in 8.83 hours – Max Speed 27.5mph

Good morning from Iowa!

Good morning from Iowa!

I got up early and did around 20 miles into the town of Bloomfield, where I had another Subway breakfast. I realized yesterday that not only was it not so bad to go around 20 miles before eating, but that I actually preferred it. I like how it breaks up the day, because the time you ride before breakfast doesn’t even seem real because I am not fully awake until I eat something. While that isn’t entirely true, I don’t know how to better explain it. The time moves really fast before breakfast.

WARNING! IOWA MENNONITES WILL RUIN YOUR DAY!

WARNING! IOWA MENNONITES WILL RUIN YOUR DAY!

I chugged along route 2 for a while, which I have to say, in retrospect, was probably the worst road of the trip. There was a huge shoulder, but it was a soft shoulder, and therefore was unusable for me. There seemed to be a decent bit of truck traffic, and I had a lot of close calls on it. Not only that, but it’s quality was absolutely atrocious at times. There were potholes and cracks galore in it. Finally, between Centerville and Bloomfield there was a rumble strip on the entire right side of the road, so I had to ride dead center. They had paved over it, probably due to complaints from bikers, but it was still unrideable.

Delightful.

Delightful.

But, at least the road does allow what has to be the lowest intersection sum in America? There are no route 0's correct?

But, at least the road does allow what has to be the lowest intersection sum in America? There are no route 0's correct?

I went through some more very small towns and stopped in the town of Farmington for a late lunch. There was a restaurant that had a buffet but they had just opened it up to the employees, but the lady said I could have it too at a discount. I agreed and ate quite a bit. I started talking to some of the locals, and one of them wrote for the local newspaper. She asked me a bunch of questions and after lunch took some pictures of me and the bike outside. They got my address so they could send me a copy if it made the paper, but I still (7/30/09) have not gotten anything from them. Oh well.

I thought the clouds in the lower right really looked funky. It doesn't really come through though in the picture. Which brings up the question of why this is here. But when you make your own website you can make your own editorial decisions.

I thought the clouds in the lower right really looked funky. It doesn't really come through though in the picture. Which brings up the question of why this is here. But when you make your own website you can make your own editorial decisions.

I had been talking to my dad all day today because I knew that I was going to need to stop in a motel tonight for a shower and to do laundry, both of which I was in need of. He confirmed my suspicions that Fort Madison, my planned stop for the day was not the best for hotels and Keokuk, around 15 miles south of it would be better. So I set out and got to the town of Donaldson, where the road splits. But I noticed that the road heading south to Keokuk was a four lane divided expressway, so I didn’t know if I was allowed on it. I called him back, and he told me that he had booked me a room in the Hampton Inn using his credit card, so that if I wanted a free room I should figure out how to get down there. He then looked a little and said that there was another road that would take me part of the way down.

I hopped on the old 218 and headed south, but it again hit up with a four lane divided highway, but at least this time it wasn’t an expressway (i.e. there were no on ramps and off ramps). But, it also did not have a rideable shoulder (it being Iowa, clearly it was a soft shoulder). Sweet. So I just got on the white line and started riding. Almost immediately there was a frontage road that I got to take for around five miles, so that was a lifesaver. When that ended I was only a few miles outside of Keokuk so I just went fast until I got into the town. I checked into the Hampton Inn and then went to a nearby laundromat and did my laundry.

Showing off my stylish outfit I wore to the laundromat. That is my rain jacket, rain pants, and nothing else, cause everything else was absolutely filthy. Classy.

Showing off my stylish outfit I wore to the laundromat. That is my rain jacket, rain pants, and nothing else, cause everything else was absolutely filthy. Classy.

I worked on the website, mapped some things out, and then went to bed, late as usual in hotels.


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