The day started with us missing the first turn and it taking six miles before we noticed. We started down a country road and asked a guy if we were headed back to where we wanted to go. We didn't know it, but it was the easiest part of our day.

We soon made our way onto Rt. 6. I noticed a bike path along the road and kept thinking to myself it reminded me of one Nicole and I rode in Joliet during a morning ride we took while driving the support van to California. Then the bike path took a too familiar turn and I realized it actually was the path we rode. I didn't know we were that close to Joliet.

The temperature all day was in the 90s with the sun pounding on us. It was predicted to be the hottest day of the year. Much worse was the traffic. We were traveling through the southern suburbs of Chicago and the roads were narrow and crowded. We each got buzzed several times. Nicole got pushed off the road and an 18-wheeler came close enough to me that he would have hit my elbow if I stuck it out.

The day was like riding Rt. 22 from Newark to Plainfield, only not having any shoulder on the road. While in not-so-lovely Chicago Heights, we finally found a gas station/mini mart where we could use a restroom in relative safety. As we rode up we were greeted by an official “bum.” He let us know several times he was a bum, needed a couple of dollars and would be very happy to take care of our bicycles while we were inside. We might have looked like we just rode in from the cornfields, which we did, but having Chicago Height's official bum caring for my bike just didn't seem like the best idea.

We crossed into Indiana, my home state. It felt great to be pedaling in familiar territory. And that is when the traffic jam started. Car and trucks were jammed for miles, but luckily there was a shoulder in sections of the road and we cruised along faster than the vehicles.

We ended the day in Valparaiso, south east of Chicago. My brother got his law degree here and it is the eastern edge of the Chicago metro area. Tomorrow we hopefully are back to riding in less traffic.

Dan didn't get run over, he's just meditating before starting riding for the day.

We got a bit lost and came across this rural roadside memorial.

Loren was happy to enter his home state.