Route 66 has few cars and trucks and plenty of charm. Each town is focused on the route, having kept a lot of the old vintage stuff intact. The Palm Cafe in Atlanta, Illinois was a time warp. Obviously the place was gussied up a bit but pretty much the genuine article.
After lunch I am cruising down the road, no traffic, wind at my back and having a very pleasant ride. Up ahead, "ROAD CLOSED". Only for cars I hope. No way, there is NO bridge with a new one under construction. Now what, I am not riding back five miles and have to suffer a busy four lane highway. Ah yes, train tracks parallel the road snd the train bridge is intact.The tracks are in good shape but appear not to be used tinfrequentlt. Sure enough as I am pushing the bike along,eight feet from the tracks, a train whistle starts blowing followed by a locomotive with ten cars barreling down the tracks The earth is shaking as I sheepish look up and wave. Kind of a surreal scene and definitely something I will remember. I push my bike up to the trestle bridge and navigate the old ties of any older bridge next to the new bridge. No way was I getting up on the new tracks. The old ties were sturdy with the exception of two or three. So if I fell l through, it was only thirty feet into a deep slow moving river. I tunnel focused on the ties, one at a time, trying not to think about the hairy situation I had put myself. Once safely over the bridge, I walk into a road crossing the tracks. With photos of the event, I high tailed it out of there before the railroad cops show up. Good adventure, my second railroad story in two days. I think I am slowly going native or getting more into the wild side of being on the road alone for so long. Not that I mind either, I am out of the envelope and relishing it.
The rails to trails seem to be everywhere. Bloomington has one which brought me to the outskirts of town. Using my app, another Warmshowers couple took me in and feed me a gourmet dinner avec red wine, IPAs and ice cream with chocolate sauce. Bruce and Sarah Jackson took me in like family, therapy for the traveler.
Tomorrow I check out Illinois Wesleyan College and pick up my new Adventure Cycling maps in Normal. I may make it to the northern tier route.
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