Coasters are Coasting!

This morning we woke up to more sunshine and blues skies.  We had breakfast biscuits with bacon and cheese this morning.  Jan we used your little toaster oven for buttermilk biscuits this morning and they were excellent!   It work Fabulously.

We started of  right  out of the campground heading down hwy 22 to Fort Madison.  It started with some hills this morning and then it flattened out a bit.   We did have some head winds today but we just kept plugging along.   I was drafting the whole way.  I am getting really good at it now too.  It's a gift you could say.  HAHA!   We pretty much had the roads to ourselves today being it was Sunday.  There was basically no traffic.  It was a treat!

We went through several old beautiful river cities today with old brick buildings and quaint shops.   Burlington Iowa was a lunch stop along the river and it was lined with fountains and parks and views of two bridges.  One was an old draw bridge and I wish I had taken a photo of that too. The town of Burlington was very industrial but had a real old world charm about the downtown area and along the riverfront.

Coming into Fort Madison we came across an ole Penitentiary that is still in use and has incredible architecture.  It looked like an old castle with turrets for the watchtowers.  We crossed over into Illinois on a very old toll bridge.  It was as great view from above looking both North and South.

We were invited to stay at a cabin on a hill overlooking the Mississippi in Ill. by some of Mom Fox's friends.  We gladly accepted.  Jim Delaney greeted us in the historical town of Nouvo. We were greeted by our host Jim Delaney who was standing on a  corner holding out a book of Lake Wobegan by Garrison Keillor.   I knew right away it was our host Jim Delaney.  It was a short drive out of town and up a hill to the cabin on the hilltop with a spectacular view of the Mississippi and the tree lined shores of the Iowa side.

When we got to the cabin Jim's 90 year old mother and his 92 year old aunt were sitting in the yard waiting to greet us.  Pretty sharp ladies!!!  They showed us the cabin and then left us to our evening tasks.

Dinner was a quick meal of pasta and garlic bread.

 There are large barges parked across the way next to a railway along the river waiting to be loaded. I tried to take a picture but the lighting was to sharp. I will try again in the morning.

The evening is still and we are very comfortable.  This cabin has a charm that I cannot describe.  It is so comfortable you feel like it has been in your own family for years.  Tomorrow the guys will start riding right from the cabin and head south on the Ill. side.

I don't think we have finished the blog this early since we've started. It will be nice to get into bed at an early hour. So I don't have to end the blog with "My eyes are getting heavy" again.  Although I still need to take a shower.  Can't wait!!

Just want to say thanks to Del & Monica for my riding gloves.  They are a god send.  My hands still have some skin left after riding without them for the first couple of days.

Calling it a day!!!  Oh yeah mom Fox do you have anymore friends along the way this has been great!

Dave, Terry & Julie