The last time I saw my mom was 7 weeks ago in Crissy Field in San Francisco. She was waving good-bye as I started the Moxie Ride. After pedaling through 7 states and 3,200 miles, I finally saw her again tonight! What a sight for sore legs.
Today’s Route
We left Starved Rock this morning and pedaled 63 miles of more cornfield-lined country roads to get to Sycamore, a small town just west of St. Charles, my hometown. The sky was cloudless,
the wind was tame, but the sun was hot, and the humidity was looming. While we could have pushed the last 25 miles to get to my mom’s house, I cringed at the thought of another humidity-laden, sun-scorching, energy-sucking 85-mile ride. So we opted instead to stop in Sycamore and invite my mom out for dinner (and s’mores!) on the grill to start our homecoming celebration.
Jeff, Ellen, Angela, and Kirby
As an unexpected surprise, my wonderful friends Jeff and Ellen stopped by as
they were driving past Sycamore on their way home from a weekend at the lake. Jeff will be joining us on the Ride for a few days starting on Friday, so he was hankering to hear about Rob’s experience, and relieved to see Rob still in one piece after 4 days on the bike.
With Jeff and Ellen were Angela and Kirby, two of their friends visiting from Texas (the couple on the right in the picture). Angela is in marketing at GameStop and when I asked her what she loves about her job, she said that it is constantly changing, thereby always making her think and approach problems differently. Her husband, Kirby, is a financial planner and what he loves about his job is educating his clients and empowering them in complex and important matters in their lives.
Interesting Sights
- My mom!
- A park in Ottawa, IL where one of the Lincoln-Douglas debates was held, attracting over 10,000 people (this is a picture of a statue erected to memorialize the event)
- 2 cemeteries tucked back in cornfields (below is a picture of one of them)
Day 51 Stats
Day 51 miles: 62.67 miles
Total mileage: 3,195.50 miles
Total interviews: 85
Road kill count: 1,163
(Added 51 today. An unbelievable number of dead birds on Illinois roads – these creatures could use a few lessons in taking off faster, requiring less runway, and flying higher. Clearly their tactics are not working.)
Destination for Day 52: St. Charles, Illinois (my hometown!)
moxieride 
Continued good luck in your journey. Best wishes for a happy ride with Jeff, who is very excited about this trip. Sue ( Ellen”s sister )