Thursday, June 11th, 2015
Start/End: Champaign/Bradley, IL
Mileage: 79+
Weather: Another hot, humid day!
Looking at a map, it is so remarkable that we have already come so far on our journey, and a little intimidating to see how far we still have to go, but it is truly exciting, especially after all of the experiences that we have had so far. Today’s morning was a little funky, since we were all spread out around campus to meet up at the Alice Campbell Alumni Center. But we all made it there and got ready for a great ride today with some community members who support our cause, including faculty.
Today we started out with a ride dedication which today went to a history professor from the University of Illinois who passed away this past February from cancer.
We rolled out of campus with some awesome guests pretty immediately catching a tailwind. The ride was so flat, especially after doing all of the climbing out east. I just can’t get over how quickly the miles went by today! We mostly stuck along US route 45, so it pretty uneventful and we did not need to make many turns. It was pretty warm along the route and the sun was blazing, but we all stayed well hydrated and made sure to use plenty of sunscreen.
Last year, Illini 4000 stayed at the Zion Lutheran Church in Clifton, IL, and so because this was along the way, we decided to stop in and say hello! They were so gracious and had lunch prepared for us! We got to make some cold cut sandwiches with chips, which was just the right food that many of us were wanting. We got to meet the pastor and speak with him about the trip.
After lunch, we had less than 20 miles to ride so we just cruised along through more corn fields until we reached our final destination in Bradley, IL at the Adventure Church that was generous enough to let us stay in their space. We were thrilled to have the opportunity to interact with some of the church members. It was also great because for dinner tonight, we were generously donated pizzas from Little Caesars, Pizza Hut, and Luconis Pizza. As college students, most of us can eat pizza quite often, so after a very fast-paced day. Thank you so much for the generosity from everyone that we have received today! It has just been fantastic.
Tomorrow we will roll into Chicago! We are so excited to see friends and family and will be at the Bean in Millennium Park at 2 PM, so if you are around, come meet us!
