Friday, September 25, 2009

Day 6 - The End!


Well, we made it. Today, after 485 plus miles, dozens of Clif Bars, and a few flat tires we made it to the end of Illinois, the river town of Cairo.
We started the morning in light rain coming out of Chester, Il. We were in great spirits after the reception we had the night before and the knowledge that the end was near! The local regional paper, The Southern Illinoisan, did a great article on the ride. Yet another way we can get the word out to others about CAS.
The ride through the river bottoms was very peaceful, even though we were pretty soaked. We saw just a few cars. We headed east a bit and then south again, stopping for lunch in the town of Jonesborro, IL. A lady in the restaurant we ate in recognized us from the Southern article and gave us encouragement and a donation.
We got back on the road and headed south into a sky that finally began to show us some sun. We had a great pace and worked together to keep the tempo up on the last part of the ride. We came into Cairo just before 4:00 PM and followed the main street to the tip of the state, the merging of the great Ohio and Mississippi rivers. I have to admit, it felt great knowing that when we put the bikes away tonight, we did not have to get back on them tomorrow AM.
Will do a recap of our week and some final thoughts shortly. Thanks!

1 comment:

  1. Well, Tom, the ride is over. Feeling has begun to return to your posterior after a solid five days of riding. The cramps in the calves of your legs from hill climbing have subsided. And the goose bumps from the rains have lessened. The disappointment of hearing a popping sound as your tires go flat has left your ears.

    Now, you can sit back and relax knowing you did well in your effort of raising awareness for CAS.

    From me to you, I hoist a glass of wine, salute you, and say, "Job well done."

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