The campground I stayed in was right next to an interstate highway and you could hear the traffic all night long. Surprisingly, it didn’t affect my sleep. I left camp a little after 9:00 this morning. About a mile later I stopped at a truck stop to get something for breakfast. It was 8:10. For a moment, I thought I broke the space-time continuum. Then I realized there are several counties in northeast Indiana that are in the central time zone and I was just further north than I realized.

For over 30 years, just about every time I have gotten on a bicycle, I imagined that I am riding across the country. The further west I go and with each state line I cross, it sinks in a little more that this summer I am not just imagining it, but actually doing it.

Today was one of those days when each mile seemed like a real struggle. I am not exactly sure why. I slept well last night. The wind, though stronger, is still coming from the south rather than the west. The terrain is still mostly flat. The heat and humidity have been rising, however, and the heat index was near 100 this afternoon. That may have been part of it.

I rode through a wind farm along the border of Indiana and Illinois. The wind turbines are kind of graceful in their own way as they quietly turn. They can be very relaxing to watch.

I found a picnic pavilion in Sheldon, IL and stopped for an extended break. I also found some ice cream and thought it would help cool me off. I haven’t shaved or even trimmed by beard since I left Brooklyn. My mustache, which grows faster than my other facial hair, is just long enough now to keep bugs from accidentally flying into my mouth as I ride. It is also long enough to keep the ice cream out of my mouth and I think I licked more off my mustache than the cone.

When I got to Watseka, IL, I decided to call it a day. It was still pretty early, so after checking into a cheap motel, I immediately fell asleep and took a nap.