Today we road 95 miles from Denver, IN to Iroquois, IL (spoken Irokwah, which is actually closer to the Native American pronunciation). Mostly flat and warm; I must be getting in better shape as it was a pretty easy ride. Indiana is flat and farmy, but pretty exotic. We passed through or by Peru, Mexico, Chile, Texas, Florida, Denver and Egypt, none of which were particularly evocative of their namesakes. The farms in Indiana seem different than in Ohio; in Ohio there seemed to be a predominance of smaller farms with modest barns and facilities, while in Indiana the farms are thousands of acres surrounding what looks like a factory facility. The farming equipment are the main vehicles on the roads (besides us) and are similarly huge; I asked one of the drivers who said that most equipment in the area is owned by either central companies or combines rather than individual farmers.
As some of the photos indicate, Indiana has a sizable conservative population; I was particularly struck by the “For sale- Go Trump” sign. Seems to capture the current political mood quite well.
We are staying in Dunning, IL tonight, population 240, in a town park. There is a great bar across the street where patrons go behind the bar and pour their own drinks, marking what they took on their tab. Everyone was incredibly friendly; I think bikers are a significant part of the economy here. It’s pouring out now and windy–a good test of my tent staking skills.
Jeremy Bikes for MS 