Day 36- Monday, August, 2nd
| |
Day 36- Monday, August, 2nd |
|
La Porte, IN to Kendallville, IN - 88 miles
| Today was so sweet, I think it was one of my favorite days so far. This
morning started out with a spectacular sunrise, which we watched as we ate
breakfast, having already packed up our gear, and loaded it in the truck.
We left LaPorte with mixed feelings as we were so well treated there. The
route today was set for 87 miles of mostly flat Indiana countryside with
a favorable wind. I fell behind Scott in the morning due to an extra stop, and pushed hard for 20 miles to catch up to him. We then rode with a group of cyclists at a fast clip toward Amish and Mennonite country. Much to our surprise, a Mennonite woman, her daughter, and grandkids were waiting by the side of the road at about mile 30, with cookies, milk, and hand pumped well water. She says she meets the ride most years if she’s not elsewhere. She had us all write down our addresses and promised to send each of us a letter, and extracted a promise that we would write back. We continued riding and encountered a young man riding a recumbent bike on his way home from work. He sported what appeared to be a Mennonite hat (we didn’t ask his religion or affiliation.) He was willing to have us take his picture, and we rode with him for almost two miles. The balance of the day took us through Topeka, a center for the Amish and Mennonite farms in the area. There were many horse and buggies parked around town, and many people who were probably from these religious communities. We found them to be very friendly and open for the most part. Our stay tonight is in Kendallville, at a park on the lake. I took a swim after we arrived, and got only slightly wetter than the 100% humidity had already gotten me. David and Chris stopped for lunch on a lawn on the road today. Within minutes, the residents had provided them not only with water, but also ice cream and strawberries to freshen their afternoon. I’m sure they will never forget that gracious hospitality. Hospitality we are all feeling here in Indiana. I trust we will pay it forward ourselves in the best way we can. |
 |
 |
Scott and I perform our classic belly bump. The bellies aren't as big as they used to be, so the maneuver is getting more difficult |
Erin is our rider of the day today. She just completed a two year stint working in London for her company, and is now moving to Houston and planning for her upcoming wedding. She is a very good rider and finishes near the front every day. |
 |
 |
| This mornings sunrise was a treat to view after we got up. | This stream connected two lakes that appeared to be quite nice. |
 |
 |
| Our morning pace line was a lot of fun. We're really riding quickly, espcially with that tail wind. | These lovely people are serving us milk and cookies by the roadside. We all promised to write back when they write us. The kids blew bubbles while we were there. |
 |
 |
| Someone put a lot of time and planning into this roofing job. | Here is our recumbent rider. He's riding a very sophisticated bike. We saw several recumbents today both in yards and on the road. He is returning home from work. |
| |
Day 36- Monday, August, 2nd |
|
The email I'll use this summer is brucesherman@mac.com. Send mail to this address to say hello and I'll be able to read it on the ride.