Day 5: Joliet, IL to Dwight, IL

Today marked the first time I saw an actual Route 66 road sign, but the weather was brutal.

I brought some winter gear almost as an afterthought, and I am super glad I did! The temperature never got above the mid-40s (7C), and there was a constant headwind that ranged between 15 and 30 MPH. My average MOVING speed was 8.6 MPH, on mostly flat ground. It was really demoralizing.

I realized 49 miles was just too long to ride in these conditions, so I am going to aim for around 32 miles tomorrow.

I wanted to stop and see the famous Gemini Man in Wilmington, but forgot to stop. When I realized it, it was a few miles behind me, and there was no way I wanted to double back and confront the wind again.

The weather looks like more of the same, even somewhat colder, for the next few days, so I may end up “holing up” in a cheap motel!

I am super-aware that bad days become good stories, so I am pretty “zen” about this. As long as I am still on the tour, all is well!

I made a video of the wind: https://youtube.com/shorts/egG1nfQS1rI?feature=share