Day 1, July 31

Noblesvilles IN to Danville IL

95 miles

Got off to a great start after morning coffee and setting the house up for us to be gone for a while.  Had to fight with the bags for a while and that was not as easy as I had hoped it would be.  The problem is the side bags that hide the seat release after I figured out how to open it became easy.  We had no bag problems for the day and everything seems to be stable on the bikes.  

Left the house and started down rural roads had no traffic whatsoever it was easy riding but a lot of stops and starts.  Then got onto HWY 47 just 17 miles from Thornton IN.  That road was busy.  Lots of cars passing all the time.  No problems until we reached I65 then some jerk beeped his horn at us as left Hwy 47 on the ramp for I65 south.  We continued on Hwy 47 with much less traffic and it was easy riding.  

Once we hit Crawfordsville  IN it was fast choice to stop for gas.  I decided to put on my wind jacket I was really cold.  This was surprise to me, I expect a lot of heat but no it was chilly.  I made Dianne put her coat on too as she was shivering a lot and her lips were blue too.  

The road out was of town was Hwy 136 West and was like Hwy 47 light in traffic.  But where 47 was flat and straight as an arrow this was winding with a lot of slow bends.  It was fun to ride lots of trees and I much warmer after putting the coat on should have done it earlier.  This rode runs through many small towns, Waynetown, Veeburg, Coveington, and finally Danville IL.  Stopped and took picture entering Illinois right at the state line is the penitentiary.  It looks like they wanted to move it as far away as possible so long it was not in Indiana.

The weather was OK cloudy and cold until it started to rain.  Started as a light drizzle but when it became serious I stopped at a MacDonald for hot coffee and french fries.  The apple pie we ordered never arrived.  

I had convinced myself we were staying at the Best Western and drove by our hotel twice before I realized we had reservations at the Days Inn.

After unpacking we walked to Danville Museum and toured the Fithian House.  Lincoln slept there several times, so now I have been in three places Lincoln slept in for sure, his home in Springfield, the White house and this home.  The history is great.

Bikes fully loaded

Di crossing Walbash River

Glass in Fithian House and my finger

Me outside of Fithian House

Sites along the way

• Grave site of a member of Louis and Clarke expedition
• a flock at least 10 turkeys
• One Perdue turkey farm (at least they sounded like turkeys.
• One jet fighter
• A wedding just getting out of the church for pictures.  
• 3 turkey buzzards
• 1 bluejay
• 3 slow Racoons
• 1 slow possum (It did not look to me like he was playing possum
• 1 helicopter hovering over truck filling a crop dusting liquid
• 10 full size motor cycles all but one waved
• 3 cars passing on solid lines (this is do not understand we ofter pull off and let them pass if there is not a good passing place). One car passed us twice and he had a wheelchair in his trunk.