The Miles Are Good. The People Are Better.

Mile Marker 1150 and Iowa Begins

Today we reached mile marker 1150 and crossed the border from Illinois into Iowa.

I’m not exactly sure why it feels like such a meaningful milestone, but it does. Maybe every new state quietly feels like proof that this adventure is becoming real in a way that’s hard to explain.

Today wasn’t a long mileage day, but a steady headwind followed us all the way into Bettendorf, turning a shorter ride into one that required patience more than power.

Today’s Four H’s Rating:

Heat: 4/10

Hills: 6/10

Humidity: 3/10

Headwinds: 10+/10

That last number did most of the talking.

But the biggest lesson of the day had nothing to do with weather or miles.

Along the route, we met a family of six from France riding their bicycles from Montreal to San Francisco. Camping. Traveling together. Taking on a huge adventure one day at a time.

It struck me how universal adventure really is.

Different language. Different country. Same spirit of curiosity.

Then later, we stopped at an American Legion for lunch and found ourselves in one of those conversations that seems to happen often on this ride.

People asking questions. Wanting to hear about the journey, and sharing stories of their own.

Before we knew it, they bought our lunch.

And once again, I found myself reminded of something this ride keeps teaching me:

America is full of good people. Curious people. Generous people, and people who don’t have to help, but do.

You start out thinking a cross-country ride is about distance. But somewhere along the way, I realized:

The best part has very little to do with the bicycle. It’s the people.