Day 18: 5/12/21: Ferne Clyffe State Park, IL to Marion, KY

On one of the many country roads I was on today, a guy pulled his car up beside me and asked me if there were any gas stations up ahead.  I told him I didn't know.  As he started to pull away he said, "I'm almost out of gas, man." I didn't see him stalled as I rode on so he must have turned on I.S. Hwy 45 and either ran out of gas on that road or found a gas station.  If he had stayed on the roads I was on, he would have been doomed because I didn't pass any gas stations.  I thought this whole scene was appropriate given our gas circumstances today (hack into pipeline causing shortages).

So my Google Maps cue sheet had me get on the Tunnel Hill Trail for about 0.4 miles.  Pics below.

At about 0.4 miles, I was to turn on Jackson Road.  I rode about 1 mile on the trail and saw no Jackson Road.  I turned around and went back to where I got on the trail, and got back on the main road.  I climbed a pretty large hill and at the top of the hill was Jackson Road.  It actually ran above the tunnel on the trail, and there was no way to get to it from the trail.  I guess Google Maps just saw the 2 intersect and had no way of telling one was on top of the other.

Below are a few pics of Illinois countryside.

I ran across some other touring cyclists today.  Below is a pic of Nate from Denver.  He started in Denver, and is riding the Transam Bicycle Route to around Marion, KY, where he is going south on the Underground Railroad Route.  His trip will end at his grandfather's in Florida.  This is his first fully loaded long distance tour.  We rode together for several miles today and met the next 2 cyclotourists.

Pic below is Claus.  He is from Oregon and is riding the full Transam from Virginia to Oregon.  At the time we saw him, he had already ridden over 70 miles, and was planning on getting at least 40 more miles today.

Shortly after meeting Claus, we met Chloe (pic below).  She is from Bangor, Maine, and is also riding the full Transam route from Virginia to Oregon.  This is Chloe's first bicycle tour.

Below are some pics from around Elizabethtown, IL.

After Elizabethtown came Cave-In-Rock, IL.  Nate decided to stop for the night at Cave-In- Rock State Park. Pics from around town below.  I really liked the decorated bikes that were on almost every street corner.

I hopped on the free ferry at Cave-In-Rock and went across the Ohio River into Kentucky (pics below).

Pics of Kentucky scenery below.

I made it to Marion, KY, where I am staying at the Marion United Methodist Church.  They have been hosting cyclists every year since the inaugural trans-America ride in 1976.  The church allows cyclists to sleep inside the church. They also have a shower for cyclists.  What a great service they provide for road weary cyclists. Pics below around Marion.

Pic of church hosting me tonight.

The church has even installed a bike ramp to allow cyclists to easily push their bikes up the steps (pic below).

Total miles today: 76.4