Coast 2 Coast with Phil

Cycling adventure from Oregon to Maine Summer of 2022

Coast2Coast Day 56-57:  I-80/Muscatine, IA to Monmouth, IL via Burlington, IA;  Changing route and destination to Portland, ME

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After RAGBRAI, it has been a ‘hectic’ two days.  First, we left Des Moines, IA after helping to clean out the team bus.  (It was good to spend a night in a ‘real’ bed at Threase’s!).  We headed East in the van on I-80 to North of Muscatine, IA, and I rode down to where we camped for the night at Deep Lakes Park.  The bike/ped trail through Muscatine is very pleasant, and there was a ballet event in the park as I rode through the city.  The night was pleasant, with a significant lightning/thunder/rainstorm.

I was off on my bike early this morning, while some of the road was still wet.  The trip South from Muscatine went along many corn and soybean fields.  The traffic or the shoulders were good.

Cathy and I met up at the Burlington Public Library (after my stop, and a great ‘hello’ from Janet at Casey’s).  We called into Adventure Cycling, and after a couple of conversations with Nathan and Juliette, about the impact to the transamerica Trail logistics and the flooding in Eastern Kentucky and Western Virginia, decided to change our route and destination.

We are now tracking to the Northern Tier Route, with a target ‘finish’ location of Portland, ME.  The distance doesn’t seem to be much more, but the course doesn’t have the same possibility of detours/closed roads.  We also have a number of folks we can possibly see along the way.  We may even run into Chris and Bob, and e even Daniel, as we cross New England/New York!!

Tomorrow, we connect with the NT Trail, and begin the final third of the journey!!  (Cathy may spend a bit of time in Monmouth, as this is the birthplace of her fraternity!)

Be safe, Have fun, Spread joy!!

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1 Response

  1. Brian McKinley says:
    August 2, 2022 at 1:31 PM

    Phil, you and Cathy are doing a great job! How many sets of tires have you worn out on this sojourn? Hope you enjoy the northern route. Most of my father’s siblings and spouses attended Monmouth College. One uncle usually hitchhiked between home in SW Iowa and Monmouth during the depression (what college student could afford a car during those times).