Day 36 - August 2nd - LaPorte, IN to Kendallville, IN
| Route Distance: | 88 | Average Speed: | 16.3 | |
| Total Distance: | 2553 | Maximum Speed: | 32.3 | |
| Riding Distance: | 91.4 | Elevation Gain: | TBA | |
| Riding Time: | 5:36 |
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| Picture
Notes: Morning pace line Charming Mennonite family that provided a surprise rest stop Scott Broberg and Scott McNeill at Scott Drive Indiana gentleman on his afternoon commute home Restaurant parking lot in Topeka, IN Ron & Kris Pancner, long-time friends from Fort Wayne, IN, who took me to dinner tonight Click here for more pictures from today |
| Finally, a tailwind day! We rolled out of camp
at 6:30 am after the usual breakfast and once again headed east, but this
time with the winds at our backs. I felt really refreshed from the rest day
and was more energetic than usual, so pulled a pace line for a large part of
the first 10 miles. I joined the "E-train", which we call any pace line lead
by Erwin (although Erin also led this one), and we quickly chewed up the
miles. We were surprised by an unexpected rest stop provided by a wonderful,
friendly Mennonite family (see 2nd picture above), who have done this for
past Big Rides and provided milk, ice water, homemade cookies, and great
conversation. Another Big Ride moment! We rode along further and took a short detour to the town of Topeka, IN, which has a large Amish and Mennonite population. It was really interesting to see the juxtaposition of cultures, like the family that pulled up to the Subway/mini-mart in their horse and buggy and proceeded to get their kids Icee's from the store. After getting a quick snack in town, we continued on up the road, past many Amish/Mennonite farms, saw a number of horse-drawn buggies, and even had the chance to converse with a gentleman riding a recumbent bicycle on his way home from work (see the 4th picture above). The countryside is beautiful in this area, but the one thing that's the most difficult to get used to is the humidity. It's almost like the air I'm riding through is palpable, like it slows me down. Still, I feel fortunate that it's not too warm, it makes it at least bearable. We arrived in Kendallville around 1:00 pm and before heading for the campground stopped at a convenience store for another snack. Inside I spoke to the cashier about the ride, and after asking about donations she reached into her purse and pulled out a $5 bill and handed it to me. This happens fairly frequently to various Big Riders, but it's a first for me on this trip. Every little bit helps! After I setup my tent and did some bike cleaning and chain lubing, several of us headed to the lake (a few hundred yards away) for a swim. Boy, did that feel good - very refreshing! Back to the showers, work on the web site, then a hamburger dinner brought in to the campground by a local caterer. I ate lightly as some friends from Fort Wayne, Ron & Kris Pancner (old friends from when we lived in Germany in the 60's) picked me up at 6:30 for dinner in town. We had a great time reminiscing and catching up, and it was good to have some visitors of my very own. Back to camp around 8:30, and to bed. I hope it cools off tonight, this humidity makes it hard to sleep in the tent, and I can't remove the rain fly to get better ventilation since the dew is so heavy and overnight thunderstorms are forecast. Just another day on the Big Ride! |