Day One

Well, the ride is on. I started out later than I wanted to because work did that thing it does and got in the way of life. Leaving at 3:30 rather than 3:00 put me in Columbus smack in the middle of rush hour but 270 west was in pretty good shape so I only had to endure a couple of miles of stop-and-go getting onto I 70 west.

It was a rather warm day and the bike did really well. I got 260 miles out of the tank which is the most I have done on a tank to date. I will see if I can get the same tomorrow. No photos to put on the site today. I took a couple on the road of a most beautiful sunset but they did not come out very well.

When I stopped for gas I think the mosquito that attacked me must have decided to make me pay for all the bug guts on the windshield and the front of the bike. I had ridden the afternoon with the dark visor and I thought it was dusk until I got off the freeway and raised the visor. After tanking up I went around the side of the gas station to change to the clear visor and this persistent mosquito was bound and determined to get its two drops of blood out of me.

To make a long story short, it bit me on top of my head and when you are on a bike that really is not a comfortable place for a bug bite. I rode the last three hours with an itch I could not scratch.
Well, the first leg is done, the hotel is clean and quiet and the waitress at Cracker Barrel gave me a biscuit and a little corn bread cupcake thingy which I plan to eat before I get on the road at 4:00 tomorrow morning.

I checked the weather and I am supposed to leave Marshall, Illinois with temperatures in the low 50’s, travel through Missouri in the high 80’s and by the time I get to Kansas the rain will start. I am anticipating about six or so hours of riding in the rain tomorrow. I am going to get some shut-eye so that I can be well rested for the 923 mile trek across the prairies.