Pittsfield, IL to Hannibal, MO

Sunday was a very short and easy day and we were able to sleep in to 7am, which felt great especially in our hotel beds. We got a slow start to the morning and all met up at around mile 30 at the Mississippi River. We waded around in the water for a little bit until everyone caught up. 

Mississippi River. 

From there one of our team leaders had arranged a police escort to drive with us into the town of Hannibal. We partnered up and rode in together as one big group  with the trailer leading the way and the police car following us. It felt great riding in a huge group together and had a bunch of cars honking and waving at us. 

Police car getting ready. 

Starting the ride in. 

Entering Missouri on the bridge. 

When we got there we first relaxed and had lunch. Since we had the afternoon a bunch of people went around town and went swimming. Unfortunately I was on laundry crew and had to do that for a few hours. Afterwards I went into town but only for a half hour. Hannibal is famous for being Mark Twain's hometown so there were a lot of historical places and museums dedicated to him. We went to the gift shop of a museum and quickly rode around town before we had to be back to the church for dinner. 

Gift shop. 

Town of Hannibal. 

Mark Twain statue. 

At night we again had our weekly family meeting to discuss our highs and lows. This week I said that I pretty much had a high every day from the great rides and riding groups, the donation magic meals, the 4th of July celebration, the build site, and the police escort. I said my low was getting cake in my ear from the food fight, but I was only kidding. And then I gave kudos to one of my team leaders Katie because she always takes responsibility to clean up and stay positive, especially when the kitchen at the host site had flooded one morning. This past week was probably my favorite so far and I'm looking forward to the adventures ahead. 

Springfield, IL to Pittsfield, IL

On Saturday the ride was mostly flat with a few small hills towards the end of the ride. It was our one month anniversary since the start of the trip so out leaders told us to ride with some people that we have never ridden with or haven't ridden a lot with. I switched ridding with a few different groups in the morning and had a good time talking to everyone. Some of the roads were very empty so it was easy to be able to talk with each other. 

Biking through farmland. 

Illinois river. 

Random tree on the side of the road. There aren't many trees along the road with farms every where. 

Sign we passed by. 

In the afternoon we were greeted by very friendly hosts and some great food. Before dinner we had some old cake that went bad since it hadn't been refrigerated. One thing led to another and we ended up having a food fight with it and got pretty messy.

We were also treated to some amazing sleeping arrangements. We were all split up into small groups to stay at different places such as people's homes or hotels. I ended up at a very cozy small hotel and shared a room with my friend Amanda. At night a few of us also went on a walk and went by a hotel called the Watson hotel, which is famous because Lincoln used to stay there. 

Zebra decorated hotel room. 

Watson hotel. 

Sign outside the hotel. 

I think this is a courthouse. 

 

Springfield, IL build day

On Friday we had a build day where half of us went to a habitat for humanity restore warehouse and the other half went to a build site. I chose the build site because I thought I would more likely get assigned something interesting to do and  it ended up being a great decision. When we first arrived the site was just getting started. 

Site when we first arrived. 

Our job for the day was to build the foundation for the house. In the morning I helped dig out the dirt in the wood path and help clean out in between the boards. A smaller group went to build a shed for the backyard. After the holes were dug out we waited for the cement truck to come. In the afternoon I ended up switching jobs and worked on putting the shed together but I took pictures of the people working on the cement foundation. 

Cement being poured. 

Backyard shed. 

Hammering some nails. 

Building some trusses for the roof. 

I was really glad I chose to work on the build site since we were able to get a lot of work done and I learned a lot about the process of house building. We also got to meet the family moving into the house which is something we don't often get to see. 

Effingham, IL to Springfield, IL

On Thursday we had another early morning but were delayed to get out the door because of some sewage problems in the kitchen. During our route meeting though we celebrated the 4th of July with some fireworks and flag waving.  

Team leader Johnny. 

During the ride I rode with a pretty fast group and we rode around 19-23 mph. It felt great to ride so fast and pace line with each other. It was a really sunny day too which was nice since it was pretty cloudy this past week. 

Riding on a rail trail. 

At the host we had another hose shower but it wasn't as cold as previous ones. That night we celebrated the fourth of July by watching some fireworks in the town and also by lighting our own in the parking lot. 

Linton, IN to Effingham, IL

On Wednesday I had my second sweep day. I was a little worried that I wouldn't be able to finish the ride again but it ended up working out very well. We woke up at 5:15am and also switched time zones so we had extra time to ride. I was able to take a few pictures as well but it was mostly cloudy. 

Indiana farms. 

Entering Illinois with my sweep partner Maya. 

Passed by some bulls. 

That night the church did not provide us with dinner so we were told to try to get some donation meals from local restaurants. A few people went out and did really well and got us some really good food from random places. Since Maya and I swept we got first dibs on food so we had a delicious ending to our day. 

Bedford, IN to Linton, IN

On Tuesday we had a very short and easy day of about 45 miles. Since it was pretty flat and quick we didn't have our usual lunch at the half way point and just ate at the host site in Linton. I didn't take many pictures along the route but there were a few nice farms we passed by. 

When we got back to the host we had a lot more time than usual. I went around time with a few people and we picked up $125 worth of donation money from various places. I also had time to clean my bike which was very necessary due to the rainy rides. This week I'm on laundry crew so my group and I did the laundry before dinner. It wasn't as bad as I was expecting and I had a good time hanging out in the laundromat. The local paper also interviewed a few riders in the group and wrote an article about us. The link can be found here: http://www.newsbarb.com/2013/07/02/bike-and-build-and-manitoba-visit-greene-countyhelp-fund-affordable-housing-projects/

Louisville, KY to Bedford, IN

On Monday we rode around 70 miles but it was one of the easiest rides yet since it was mostly flat roads. It down poured in the morning at one point but we were able to take cover at a convenience store. I didn't take many pictures but we rode by some pretty farms. I stopped to take pictures of some miniature horses and when they saw me they came right up to the fence. 

When we got back to the host I took a picture of some nice chalk drawings that people had made. Along each of our rides we always chalk turns to make sure everyone following goes the right way. We also use it for inspiration or to mark places to swim or when we have gone to a store to ask for a donation. 

Amanda's art work. 

Since we had time before dinner a few of us rode into town to try to get some donation food an money. We stopped at about 5 places but weren't very successful because the main managers weren't around. We ended up getting a $10 gift card to a grocery store and a large pizza which I had to carry back on my handle bars. 

Not the easiest way to ride a bike.