We interrupt this journal post for some exciting news about our Champaign-Urbana arrival on Tuesday, June 16th:

The team will be arriving at the Alice Campbell Alumni Center (601 S. Lincoln in Urbana, 1 block south of Illinois St.) at 3 p.m.  Come out and cheer us on as we parade down Lincoln Avenue!  If you'd like to join our ride for 16 of our 4000 miles, ride out to the Nature Center at Homer Lake by 1:30 p.m. to catch the team rolling through (or meet us on Main St. in Homer before then - look for the Illini 4000 support van) .  Bring your helmet, a water bottle, and a sense of adventure and excitement!

And just to give you a heads up for the weekend:  The team will be riding into Millennium Park at noon on Friday.  Our ride-along will take place this Sunday at 9 a.m.  Join us at Millennium Park as we roll out of the city and into Highland Park.  Check back for more details!

We now take you back to our normally scheduled journal post, already in progress:

We left the Bartholomew household this morning well rested and well fed, bound for Rockville, Indiana but looking forward to our homecoming in Champaign tomorrow. After being on the road so long and passing through unfamiliar places, the thought of a place as familiar as Champaign feels like home. 

On our way out of town, the group rode into downtown Indianapolis to see the Soldiers and Sailors Monument before heading westward.  With tomorrow on our minds, the day\'s ride seemed to be a short one and we effortlessly arrived at our stayover in Rockville.  Rockville incidentally has the best and biggest ice cream cones we\'ve had on this trip so far, courtesy of the Dairy Barn. 

Many thanks to two special people we met along today\'s route.  First, to Mark Bailey of Magnode Corp., who offered water, snacks, and facilities to one group of riders as they changed a tire.  Second, to Roussa (sorry if we\'ve butchered your name), who kindly donated to the Illini 4000 while we stopped for lunch between Greenwood and Rockville.  Thanks to you both.