Flatlands, Dust Bowls, and Diners

Today I was finally riding free and easy on the flat plains of Indiana. It’s nice to get out of the hills, although the scenery isn’t quite as beautiful in my opinion. I stopped at G’s Diner for lunch in Westport, IN and met a few guys who knew where I was going because they traveled to Camp Grayling for duty in the National Guard. There are not many training missions going there now – go directly to Iraq, do not pass go, do not collect $200. We all agreed how proud we are of the young men and women serving, and hope there will be lasting benefits in the Middle East because of their efforts. Our hats are off to you in your honor, Lance!

I got “blown off” the road for the first time today. A tractor was plowing a field and threw a cloud of dust in front of me that was so thick I had to close my eyes. Next thing I knew, I was riding in the farmers front yard. Yikes! I didn’t fall down, thank goodness, and actually got the last laugh. I found a quarter at the side of the road right in front of this house. HA! Serves you right, you rascally wabbit.

From Sanducky to Rushville the wind was right in my face, and blowing like there was no tomorrow. Hills may be a hassle, but for every uphill climb, you can be pretty sure there is a downhill cruise. The wind, on the other hand, is unrelenting. I was getting wasted and ready for a rest when, lo and behold, the Southside Drive-In appeared from nowhere to save the day. It’s an old fashioned, pull your car under the carport and get served type of place, right out of the 1950’s. It’s a spot you have to visit if you’re ever in Rushville – I had a strawberry shake (made with REAL strawberries, not just flavoring) and a butterscotch sundae. Man, after that I was kickin’ and did another 35 miles! The picture is of Sue Peck, the owner, Bobbie Martz, and Tracy Borne, who is quite a character. He used to live in Phoenix and bicycled there all of the time up mountains for fun, and to work – for fun! His daughter has won a number of Junior Olympic gymnastics championships and hopefully you’ll see her competing for the U.S. some day in the Olympics. You heard it here first!

My day ended at the Westwood Lake campgrounds in New Castle, IN, which boasts a national caliber mountain biking trail. Unfortunately, it does not boast any shower facilities. As soon as I settled in, I went swimming, even though it’s not allowed because the Westwood Lake is too deep and treacherous. But not for me! Nobody was around so I decided to go skinny dipping (and save on wet clothes), but as soon as I got out of the water a few guys in a fishing boat passed by and were blinded by my white tail end. They whistled at me and told me to put it back in some shorts. I told them that I thought they were a bunch of playboy models; they replied I’ve been watching too many beer commercials.

For breakfast I pulled into the Highway 38 Diner in New Castle, which looked like it sounds. It was filled with picture posters of classic and sports cars. It was also filled with the morning breakfast club, including Ronnie, Vicki, Ed, Larry and his mother. They really enjoyed my little tale, and are thinking of making the same trip themelves – with Ed driving and Larry in the sidecar. Only after finishing the pancakes and getting ready to leave that I found out Larry was the owner of the diner and of most of the cars in the pictures. And Vicki owned the others. I don’t know, maybe they will make that trip?

I’m actually posting this blog on Thursday’s events on Friday, May 11 at 4:00pm. It’s my first chance at a wi-fi connection since yesterday, and it’s at the Super 8 in Portland, IN with Christa and Terry Murphy. But you’ll have to wait until tomorrow until you hear about that…..

Here are a few items that have slipped my mind but bear some mention:

Lizards: Until the past day or two I have seen lizards running around my entire trip. We don’t have lizards in Michigan and I’ve been thinking that it must be great to be a kid in the south, being able to spend your free time catching them. For those of you who know me, I am a lizard nut; maybe it’s time to purchase a new Chameleon when I return.

Dogs: A hundred cars can pass by every day and a dog won’t notice, but when they see a bike it’s a challenge they can’t pass up. By far, Kentucky and Tennessee were the most frequent dog havens, but I’ve encountered them all along. Mostly they just want to give chase; I’ve never been threatened. But I am worried about them getting hit by a car, because once I appear their attention is totally devoted to running me down. A car barely missed a dog in Alabama – I mean it had to slam on it’s brakes right behind me to avoid hitting the little pooch. Now I urge the dogs to “Go back home, baby, and look out for the cars” as they chase me down.

Bungee cords: All of my gear is strapped onto my bike with two bungee cords, and the first time I saw some at the side of the road I thought about stopping to pick them up, just in case I needed them. After traveling for a few weeks, I’ve found thousands of bungee cords on the shoulder of the road. Good thing I didn’t start collecting them….

Regrets: As Frank Sinatra once sang, “Regrets, I’ve had a few, but far too few to even mention.” But there is one that really gets my goat. My first day on the road I stopped at a Starbucks in Naples, Florida and paid $40 for one months service of T-Mobile internet, figuring I’d see a bunch of Starbucks along the way. NOT! I have not seen a single Starbucks since then. NOT ONE! I have just been stopping by at libraries or hotels and asking them if I could hook into their wireless internet AND HAVE NEVER BEEN REFUSED. You know what a cheapskate I am, so this has been grinding on me since April 20^th. Forty dollars for one entry! Thanks for letting me get it off my chest.