Don't trust the Google

That seems like a broad, sweeping suggestion.  If you are on a bicycle, don't trust the Google.  It'll let you down.

Today, we let Google do our mapping, seeing as their suggestions for the trip between Carbondale, our starting point, and Cave-In-Rock State Park, on the Ohio River, saved about 15 miles and a whole lot of climbing.  Based on the very long days we've had, we needed a shorter, easier route. The day started off fine, as we took a route between Carbondale and Marion, IL that was busy, but had a big, wide shoulder.  It's not that we wanted to stay on a busy road, but it was a means to get farther down the road.  The strange thing about this section of the road was that we never saw a separation between these two cities.  Carbondale never ended, and Marion never began.  It was just like one long, busy commercial area with businesses lined up along the way.  The sad thing, in my mind, is that this "strip" of businesses has likely replaced the businesses that existed in their towns.  Unique shops and restaurants have been replaced by the local Chili's, Applebee's, etc. etc.  We could have plunked ourselves onto this strip and not have known what city it was - or wasn't.  "Lost in generica."  

Dinosaur sipping a Coke along the strip

The Google then sent us on a series of smaller roads, and for this we were grateful.  It was much quieter, and we were able to pass a number of places that we would only see by bicycle.  We were actually impressed, as this part of Illinois seemed to be fairly well off.  Even the corn stalks were bigger than anywhere else we had seen.  Perhaps it's the good soil, combined with lots of rain, but it seemed very nice.  Our trip took us through the Shawnee National Forest, another instance of understanding our history.  The Shawnee nation lived in Ohio, along the Ohio River, so the name of the forest here suggests that this was where they were sent, before being sent further and further away from their original home.  In any case, the roads that Google was choosing began to get a bit more obscure, until finally we faced roads where there was no pavement at all.  At first this was a small stretch of road between two bigger roads, but eventually this got to be the norm.  Based on the tires we brought, which are NOT designed for these types of roads, we were very afraid these roads would leave us with shredded tires and walking a long way.  

We kept looking at the maps, trying to decide which roads were more likely to be paved.  It was decided that the fewer digits in the number, such as "13" or "3" would likely give us a better road.  County Road xx was likely to be pretty bad.  Especially when the road was also nicknamed "Hickstown Road."  Bad news.  Bumptiy, bumpity, bumpity we went, hoping that we would continue to keep air in our tires.  We did pass a historic site, Iron Furnace, which produced iron during the 1800’s, including the iron for the ironclads in the Civil War. 

Iron Furnace, sideways, from a postcard

Finally, as we were trying to make one of our last turns, I spotted a UPS truck coming down the road.  The driver, a doppelgänger for my neighbor Sean McDermott, but with longer hair, gave us some directions.  He asked if we were doing the Trans-Am route - and when we said we were he said, "they'll send you down Tower Rock Road.  You don't want to go down there."  And he suggested the better route, which we gratefully and dutifully followed.

The trip ended in Cave-In-Rock State Park, on the Ohio River.  This is the last stop in Illinois, and tomorrow morning we will take the ferry across the Ohio into Kentucky.  We had rented a cabin at the state park, so we went to find it.  We stopped at this restaurant, called Kaylor's, and they apparently run the cabins, the restaurant, and pretty much everything else in this park.  The cabins are very nice, and they sit overlooking the river, but it's not exactly a destination.  Cave-In-Park's "downtown" looked deserted.  Sadly, I think this little town expects a number of cyclists on the Trans-Am, and that just isn't happening this year.  They have painted bicycles all over the town.  One Cafe said "Welcome Bikers," and I think they meant us, not the motorcycle kind.  At the same time, the sign in the window said closed, and carryout only.  

Our view of the River from our cabin

We did take a look at the Cave-In-Rock, which is a rock formation overlooking the river.  It's kind of cool, but their take on it was a bit funny.  They suggest, without actually claiming, that perhaps some "nefarious" characters may or may not have had operations around the cave, perhaps, but not with any proof, robbing boats as they passed by.  They filmed a movie here in 1956, "Daniel Boone and the River Pirates."  And in 1962, parts of "How the West Was Won" was filmed here.  So there you have it, nothing has occurred here since 1962.  

Rumors of “nefarious characters “

The actual Cave

Tomorrow we set sail (literally) for Kentucky.  We will be negotiating the roads between here and Berea, and beyond, trying to fit in our abilities to ride miles with the various places to stay.  They don't always match up, so this will, as always, be interesting.