I left my ol Boy Scout camp site the wrong way and emerged on a nasty piece of gravel road. Large rocks, deep and wet. Rode about 6 miles of this crap to Waverly and was really tired.

I found a breakfast café and sat inside for my first cooked breakfast meal of the trip and only second restaurant you could sit inside. Tasted so good! 

As I recovered at café, I realized just how tired this ole man was getting. As I rode, something was always hurting. If didn’t hurt, as soon as I thought about it it would start hurting. It was like “So ok, you are finally paying attention to me” says the Left ankle. “I have not said anything yet, but I’m tired and sore, so I will now let you know about it.”  

Going to have to take tomorrow off and rest. 

Beeds State Park

Stopped at Beeds State park outside of Hampton, IA, to camp in primitive sites at 11 bucks per night.  

Later my brother Steve texted me notes from his hand-written journal in 1984 when he biked across US from Elkhart, In, to Seattle then down the California coast to end in San Diego where my wife and I lived on Pacific Beach. His notes show him also stopping to camp at same campground. Cool. 

My family has a history of long treks across the country. Steve started it with his grand trip to San Diego, then my son Jesse at age of 19 walked/backpacked from Los Angeles to Jacksonville FL touching both oceans. He later biked from Westfield IN to Denver or close to Denver where my cuz Angie came to the rescue. I have another cousin who has just recently hiked the Colorado trail as well (well done Ashley).  

I should note before they all 3 add post replies that I have done the whining about hardships. There, it has been said. Back to the whining….