Day 23 - July 9

Another great day in the USA! We started today by crossing the Mississippi into Illinois and even though corn, beans and flowers were the same, there is a difference. Illinois is flat and that has a charm all its own. The roads are cut straight and you can see forever. Our route was custom designed by Bob Loch and it delivered on character and beauty. It was more work to support because it was hard to find the correct small roads, but worth it because it showed another side of the country side. It was quite serene and planned at every step. This land is organized to work and produce.

You will notice I found the 100mm macro lens and tried it on more flowers and bugs.

About 11am it was time to eat and we found a 5 star café tucked away in Manlius called Tilley’s. The slogan “Warm beer and lousy food” is a sneaky way of always exceeding expectations. The food was really good and the service made me want to order more. I enjoyed the meal and hospitality. Thank you Tilley.

Bob Matt and Gary ended the day at 120 miles and we had the pleasure of Bob and Gary’s old friends at dinner which was a home cooked feast. We gathered at a family farm established in 1866. I visited with their college friends and it was clear that the roots run deep here.