GMRR Day 19 - Keokuk, IA to Galesburg, IL

The link to today's route and ride statistics can be found here.

We managed to evade the rain for another day.  As I said yesterday, we barely made it in to Iowa, and this morning we immediately left.  We left the hotel, went across the bridge, and were back in Illinois. I am using my roommate Ken's photo of the dam and lock that are just upstream of the bridge from Keokuk to Illinois because mine was terrible.  The photo focuses on the lock, with the dam in the background.  Apparently, from what I learned in Nauvoo yesterday, this part of the river had rapids, and the Mormons made money portage goods around them.  This dam creates safe passage, but requires a lock.

Once we were over the bridge, we rode along the river to Nauvoo.  I have given you the Nauvoo story already, so I will move right along.  Once we left Nauvoo, the scenery did not change much all day.  Ken said you only need one picture to tell today's story, because one cornfield looks a lot like another. So here is a cornfield from today.

I did spot an interesting home on the way out of Dallas City, the site of our first SAG.  It just seemed completely out of character with the rest of the city and the region.

Our second SAG was in the town of Roseville.  In view of the Memorial Day weekend, I thought the folks here did it right.  They have flags all around the cemetery.  It made for an impressive and most appropriate display.

A final note on today's route from Keokuk to Galesburg.  If you look at the map, you will note we basically stairstepped our way from one to the other, alternating East bound legs with North bound legs.  The North legs were great, with a lovely tailwind, while the Eastbound legs had an almost direct crosswind.  Not bad, but you had to maintain balance and direction.  As you look at the flags above, that was a cross wind section.  All in all, it was a pretty good day to be on a bike.
Galesburg is best known as the hometown of Carl Sandburg.  They have the usual boyhood home and downtown statue, but I haven't made it to either.  Ken showed me photos from an earlier visit, and I don't feel compelled to put out the effort to get there.
Sara and her daughter and son-in-law are coming to see me in Moline tomorrow.  I guess I will have to hustle to get in early.