Starting mileage 220
End mileage 430
Lincoln, Lincoln, Lincoln... Illinois prize posession. I woke reasonably early to visit New Salem, a place where Lincoln lived and work in his younger years. Im not one for history, i scored 12% in my school exam but the place was fascinating. Suspended in time, the original buildings still stood and were perfectly preserved. There were characters around the town dressed and acting as though they were still there. I had joined up with a group of German media guys and was shown a tour of the town.
It does seem though that every part of Illinois has some sort of link with Lincoln and they try to squeeze as much out of it as possible. This, in turn, explains the formalness you see in the towns through Illinois.
I jumped back on the bike to Springfield to collect my bag from the hotel and made my way to Cozy Dog drive in. A route 66 classic. They supposedly were the first to invent a battered hotdog on a stick. They didnt invent the hot dog or the stick but they invented the combination. Clever. ! ?
I heard my first English accents as an older group from t'up north came in. Very friendly as you would expect and we had a quick chat. Outside I asked a guy with a decent looking camera if he would take a picture of me on my bike with my camera. Not only did he do this but he gave me two books on route 66 Oklohoma and Tulsa things to see. Apparantly quite a popular writer and photographer it seems.
Onto Cuba, slightly behind schedule, i swept passed St Louis on I55. A very impressive city with a 630 foot gateway arch shining silver as you approach.
Nearing Cuba I stopped at a tourist hotspot of Mermac Caverns. Stunning caverns that stretch for 15+ miles. Artificially lit and completely still pools that reflect the cavernous ceilings creating an optical illusion of a deep chasm below. Pretty cool but im sure you have to be there to feel the same excitement :)
Riding into Cuba again i notice how quite everywhere is and no real signs of shops or bars. I find the Wagon Wheel hotel and ask where I can eat or drink tonight. The owner was not sure! She saw the Harley outside and suggested the Loose Ends bar, "a biker bar". I dumped my gear showered and went to take a look. It was 7:30 ish and from the outside it looked closed. Well not just closed it just looked like a small warehouse with a black window next to the door that you couldnt see through and some Harleys parked outside. Deep breath, open door, step in. As my eyes adjusted to the darkness i quickly realised that there were 2 groups of oversized bikers staring at me. Ha just a little uncomfortable i made my way to the bar and ordered a beer. She wouldnt just get me a beer she had to recite a whole god damn beer directory which just highlighted me more as an out of towner. Dust settled i ordered some food and blended into the background. A shaven headed guy walks in and gets the same hostile look. He sits at the bar and within minutes he starts talking to one of the bikers girlfriends. He is clearly also not from missouri and somehow gets away with it. I overhear he is from LA. I ask the barmaid where else is busy and she suggests I try the Rose about a mile away. They have Karaoke! wild! I leave LA to his fate and walk to the other bar. Its about 9:30 and the other bar is even less busy. In fact just 6 people there all seated at one corner of the bar. I get the same hostile look so i sit at the other end of the bar and order a whiskey. I get chatting to the barmaid and let her see im not any trouble. It became clear that everyone was related or in a relationship.
In walks LA. Doesnt acknowledge me from the other bar and sits right next to the locals and starts up a conversation about how good he is at everything. Within 20 mins i look and one of the guys is squaring up to him. The local then grabs a glass ans smashes him over the head. This is 2 seats from me so I step out of the way. After about a minute of punches and kicks the owner Rose comes screaming out of the back. Asks LA to get the hell out and rewards the local with a beer.
I get talking to Rose and she tells me its normally the Loose End bar that gets rowdy! She gives me a Rose bar tshirt (i think she didnt want bad word to travel) and i left.
Walkimg the half mile home i felt very unsafe. Not many streetlights and the few cars that went past slowed as the went by. One even beeped and a guy laughed out the window as he went by. I was very glad to get back to my room. I felt very alone and very exposed.
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Chicago to Springfield
I arrived at the Harley Davidson dealership, bag in hand and feeling a little nervous. The guys there were what you would imagine a HD person to look like. Big dudes covered in tattoos, mean looking mo fo's hands covered in all sort of rings that looked like knuckle dusters. This image changed instantly he opened his mouth as a high pitched squeakiness said "Hello Sir, how may we help" I kept the chuckle inside.
After the paperwork was finished and I bought myself some cool shades and grabbed one of their hire helmets. I was taken to the bike and shown around the working of checking oil etc and the security features, disc brakes etc. All finished the guy left me in the parking lot with just my steed.
I think this will be the biggest pause of this trip. This is where it started. This is where I will be out of my comfort zone from here on. I couldn't go.. I just sat on the bike waiting for my hands to start the engine. I don't get nervous, I usually love these challenges but I stayed there frozen for a good 5 minutes. Then i got off to go get a drink.
After a talking to myself I got back on, fired it up and headed straight to the exit where dual lanes flowed the wrong way. In the deep end we go, wrist twist and I was on the road.
Heading out of Chicago was relatively easy but I was very aware that one wrong junction or exit would put me in completely the wrong direction. Left up to I55 junction then right towards St Louis. I55 South I was looking for. This was very simple and once out of the city it became a doddle.
After 30 miles or so i saw signs for old route 66. I followed this onto I53. This took me 60-70 miles through great little towns named Joliet, Pontiac and Bloomington. I didn't stop at these places as there didn't seem much to do and i was also conscious I was running behind schedule after starting late that morning. I noticed all other Harley riders were wearing no helmet so I pulled over and put mine in the side panniers. As soon as I had pulled over a Harley rider appeared and asked if I needed any help. I thanked him and said I was ok. This would become a theme along today for every other HD rider I would see would raise a hand to me, handle bar height, no matter how far away they were. On the other side of freeways, in gas stations as I rode past. I was now a member of the HD gang for sure.
I53 was mainly dual carriageway with huge fields and farmlands dotted either side. The few 'housing estates' I saw were perfect grids with big houses, perfect straight roads and incredibly clean. I can only describe these places as looking so false and as if they were built as nuclear testing towns that I have seen in films.
I also started to see religion creeping in on signs, buildings and bumper stickers. I noticed one Catholic driver showing a large sticker that only half the people that enter abortion clinics come out alive.. I didn't expect to see too much of this stuff until further into my trip but I guess its a huge part of American culture wherever you go and more so in these noweheresville towns.
I pressed on to get to Springfield as I had no accommodation booked. With my helmet off and riding the freeway I have never had such a feeling of freedom. Even the buzzing of the Blackberry was not felt over the rumble of the engine.
It was clear blue sky all the way and the sun was now overhead chasing me and I could see my reflection on the chrome handlebars. I had my forehead in the sun but the wind was keeping me cool <<< Spot the English mistake here.
I stopped at Dixie66 in Mclean, a famous Route 66 trucker stop for some lunch around 2:30. A big chicken sandwich, chips and almost a litre of coke. I thought places like this would be full of bikers but I was the only one on two wheels there. I was 45 miles from Springfield and making good progress.
Back on the bike I pulled out past a McDonalds. It then struck me that I had seen a McDonalds in every town, every exit, everywhere there was a mention of food. Mcdonalds is a beast of a company and they are everywhere, sometimes just a block apart.
I came off I55 into Springfield and as soon as I slowed down to look for hotels I felt the burning of my forehead. I couldn't find any hotels/b&b's so i pulled into the shade and asked a local. He pointed me to the State House Inn where I got a room for $100 and made my way quickly to get some after sun and suncream.
On way back to the hotel I stopped in a small bar called the Brickhouse and ordered a beer that turned out to be Texan (something Brock). I got talking to a few guys there. One guy was filming at New Salem, just 20 miles out of town. He was a part in the new Spielberg movie about Lincoln. I will be heading there the next day so hopefully see some stuff going on. I also got chatting to a guy from the Army who hated Springfield due to its lack of anything to do in the evening. He educated me that Springfield is the capital of Illinois just because it is Abraham Lincolns town an roots. He was from Chicago and couldn't wait to go back every weekend. He also told me a lot about the current Iraq/Afghanistan wars and what the media didn't report. Interesting and morbid stuff.
Nachos and 6 pints later I went back to the hotel. 110,000 people live in Springfield and you would be surprised there were that many, streets were empty and it was only 9:30. It has a very federal feel all very formal. Courthouses, Bureau's, legal buildings. Great for history but not a good place to party. Bed by 10pm and I woke once to the sound of the train horn rumbling through town.
Tomorrow night I will be in Cuba. I have some things to see along the way and will definitely by wearing my helmet and suncream on route.
(I cant upload any photos yet due to hotel pc restrictions)
After the paperwork was finished and I bought myself some cool shades and grabbed one of their hire helmets. I was taken to the bike and shown around the working of checking oil etc and the security features, disc brakes etc. All finished the guy left me in the parking lot with just my steed.
I think this will be the biggest pause of this trip. This is where it started. This is where I will be out of my comfort zone from here on. I couldn't go.. I just sat on the bike waiting for my hands to start the engine. I don't get nervous, I usually love these challenges but I stayed there frozen for a good 5 minutes. Then i got off to go get a drink.
After a talking to myself I got back on, fired it up and headed straight to the exit where dual lanes flowed the wrong way. In the deep end we go, wrist twist and I was on the road.
Heading out of Chicago was relatively easy but I was very aware that one wrong junction or exit would put me in completely the wrong direction. Left up to I55 junction then right towards St Louis. I55 South I was looking for. This was very simple and once out of the city it became a doddle.
After 30 miles or so i saw signs for old route 66. I followed this onto I53. This took me 60-70 miles through great little towns named Joliet, Pontiac and Bloomington. I didn't stop at these places as there didn't seem much to do and i was also conscious I was running behind schedule after starting late that morning. I noticed all other Harley riders were wearing no helmet so I pulled over and put mine in the side panniers. As soon as I had pulled over a Harley rider appeared and asked if I needed any help. I thanked him and said I was ok. This would become a theme along today for every other HD rider I would see would raise a hand to me, handle bar height, no matter how far away they were. On the other side of freeways, in gas stations as I rode past. I was now a member of the HD gang for sure.
I53 was mainly dual carriageway with huge fields and farmlands dotted either side. The few 'housing estates' I saw were perfect grids with big houses, perfect straight roads and incredibly clean. I can only describe these places as looking so false and as if they were built as nuclear testing towns that I have seen in films.
I also started to see religion creeping in on signs, buildings and bumper stickers. I noticed one Catholic driver showing a large sticker that only half the people that enter abortion clinics come out alive.. I didn't expect to see too much of this stuff until further into my trip but I guess its a huge part of American culture wherever you go and more so in these noweheresville towns.
I pressed on to get to Springfield as I had no accommodation booked. With my helmet off and riding the freeway I have never had such a feeling of freedom. Even the buzzing of the Blackberry was not felt over the rumble of the engine.
It was clear blue sky all the way and the sun was now overhead chasing me and I could see my reflection on the chrome handlebars. I had my forehead in the sun but the wind was keeping me cool <<< Spot the English mistake here.
I stopped at Dixie66 in Mclean, a famous Route 66 trucker stop for some lunch around 2:30. A big chicken sandwich, chips and almost a litre of coke. I thought places like this would be full of bikers but I was the only one on two wheels there. I was 45 miles from Springfield and making good progress.
Back on the bike I pulled out past a McDonalds. It then struck me that I had seen a McDonalds in every town, every exit, everywhere there was a mention of food. Mcdonalds is a beast of a company and they are everywhere, sometimes just a block apart.
I came off I55 into Springfield and as soon as I slowed down to look for hotels I felt the burning of my forehead. I couldn't find any hotels/b&b's so i pulled into the shade and asked a local. He pointed me to the State House Inn where I got a room for $100 and made my way quickly to get some after sun and suncream.
On way back to the hotel I stopped in a small bar called the Brickhouse and ordered a beer that turned out to be Texan (something Brock). I got talking to a few guys there. One guy was filming at New Salem, just 20 miles out of town. He was a part in the new Spielberg movie about Lincoln. I will be heading there the next day so hopefully see some stuff going on. I also got chatting to a guy from the Army who hated Springfield due to its lack of anything to do in the evening. He educated me that Springfield is the capital of Illinois just because it is Abraham Lincolns town an roots. He was from Chicago and couldn't wait to go back every weekend. He also told me a lot about the current Iraq/Afghanistan wars and what the media didn't report. Interesting and morbid stuff.
Nachos and 6 pints later I went back to the hotel. 110,000 people live in Springfield and you would be surprised there were that many, streets were empty and it was only 9:30. It has a very federal feel all very formal. Courthouses, Bureau's, legal buildings. Great for history but not a good place to party. Bed by 10pm and I woke once to the sound of the train horn rumbling through town.
Tomorrow night I will be in Cuba. I have some things to see along the way and will definitely by wearing my helmet and suncream on route.
(I cant upload any photos yet due to hotel pc restrictions)
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Chicago
I landed in Chicago about 10:30am. There is a 6 hour time difference and I had been up since 3:30am UK time. With the token overweight American woman next to me on the plane with arms like kebab shop meat I didnt sleep a wink whilst in the air.
The cabbie to the hotel hardly spoke English so I was pleased to meet a pretty looking receptionist at the hotel who I could have a chat with. She told me my room wouldnt be available until 3pm. I sorta expected this but had planned to use the superpower ability us English have here, a little English charm. She had weak resistance and got me my room straight away. :)
Showered and changed I grabbed a map and headed out to take a look around. Chicago is a very tall city. I could see numurous buildings towering above a low cloud that had seemed to engulf most of the skyline.
I walked for miles, no joke. Navy Pier, Grant Park, Sears tower all good to see but doesnt make for interesting writing. Around 2pm i needed some food so I grabbed a table at Dicks Last Resort, a rock n roll themed bar overlooking the river. Here i met my first character of the trip. Nya.
The waitress swaggers up and says "Here, catch." with that she throws the napkin bundle of knife and fork at me and sits on the table to introduce herself.
"Hi i'm Nya and ill be your waitress if I can be bothered. Have you been to Dick's before? No? Ok. Dicks is a concept bar. We are Dicks and we like to play. If you like to play with Dicks then you should stay. Beer?"
It caught me off guard at first and i was like a deer in headlights with my response. "errr yeah". On her return I started to play along and gave some backchat, we were then friends. A few beers later and my first of many burgers I decided to grab the bill and head back. She was intrigued with my trip and wanted her picture taken for my records. As i was leaving a family came in and she started the same script. This time i heard her address the parents as big momma and big daddy. She asked for ID of the daughter and tossed it back towards her. It caught a breeze and almost flew over the balcony. The daughter called her a bitch and they both laughed. Great place but a little strange in its approach.
I walked through the shopping streets of Chicago. Big trucks, yellow taxis, sirens and smokey manhole covers. Traffic police directing traffic and shouting at drivers, helicopters overhead and a ton of steakhouses on route.
It was around 4pm that i got back to the hotel room and had a lay down with the intention of a few hours kip. I woke up at 4am!!!
Oops. There goes my night out in Chicago. 12 hours sleep! Im sorta glad as i feel fully refreshed for the start of my Harley trip and i could have been easily swayed to find a bar and have a few beers, waking with a fuzzy head.
10am pick up for the bike. I will be heading to Springfield on I53 and I55 which is about 200 miles and I have no accomodation booked. Leaving the protection of a big city is a little daunting. This is jumping in the deep end for sure.
The cabbie to the hotel hardly spoke English so I was pleased to meet a pretty looking receptionist at the hotel who I could have a chat with. She told me my room wouldnt be available until 3pm. I sorta expected this but had planned to use the superpower ability us English have here, a little English charm. She had weak resistance and got me my room straight away. :)
Showered and changed I grabbed a map and headed out to take a look around. Chicago is a very tall city. I could see numurous buildings towering above a low cloud that had seemed to engulf most of the skyline.
I walked for miles, no joke. Navy Pier, Grant Park, Sears tower all good to see but doesnt make for interesting writing. Around 2pm i needed some food so I grabbed a table at Dicks Last Resort, a rock n roll themed bar overlooking the river. Here i met my first character of the trip. Nya.
The waitress swaggers up and says "Here, catch." with that she throws the napkin bundle of knife and fork at me and sits on the table to introduce herself.
"Hi i'm Nya and ill be your waitress if I can be bothered. Have you been to Dick's before? No? Ok. Dicks is a concept bar. We are Dicks and we like to play. If you like to play with Dicks then you should stay. Beer?"
It caught me off guard at first and i was like a deer in headlights with my response. "errr yeah". On her return I started to play along and gave some backchat, we were then friends. A few beers later and my first of many burgers I decided to grab the bill and head back. She was intrigued with my trip and wanted her picture taken for my records. As i was leaving a family came in and she started the same script. This time i heard her address the parents as big momma and big daddy. She asked for ID of the daughter and tossed it back towards her. It caught a breeze and almost flew over the balcony. The daughter called her a bitch and they both laughed. Great place but a little strange in its approach.
I walked through the shopping streets of Chicago. Big trucks, yellow taxis, sirens and smokey manhole covers. Traffic police directing traffic and shouting at drivers, helicopters overhead and a ton of steakhouses on route.
It was around 4pm that i got back to the hotel room and had a lay down with the intention of a few hours kip. I woke up at 4am!!!
Oops. There goes my night out in Chicago. 12 hours sleep! Im sorta glad as i feel fully refreshed for the start of my Harley trip and i could have been easily swayed to find a bar and have a few beers, waking with a fuzzy head.
10am pick up for the bike. I will be heading to Springfield on I53 and I55 which is about 200 miles and I have no accomodation booked. Leaving the protection of a big city is a little daunting. This is jumping in the deep end for sure.
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
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