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We didn’t have to check out of our hotel until noon, so we thought we’d take the morning off and cleanup our bikes and hang out with Kate and Kara. I finally replaced my worn rear tire with a new Schwalabe, which are supposed to be top of the line for touring/durability tires. We hosed down our bikes to get ride of the fine limestone dust which had coated them while riding the Katy Trail, and degreased/re-oiled our drivetrains.
We were hoping to hit the nearby Golden Corral for an all you can eat breakfast buffet but saddly realized it was only served on the weekends. We’d have to substitute that massive caloric onslaught with a trip to Denny’s.
Eventually it was time to say goodbye to Kate and Kara. It was awesome of them to drive over three hours each way to come and spend the evening/morning with us, not to mention treating us to a hotel stay and dinner. Tip of the hat to Kate and Kara. It was tough to leave the comfort and company of friends/family in Carbondale, but we do have a destination to reach. Being in Carbondale had special meaning for me on this morning. Today was the 5th anniversary of my Mom passing away from cancer, and Carbondale is where she attended college as a young woman. I wish she had the opportunity to meet my riding partner.
After riding 54 miles through some pretty hilly countryside, we decided to call it a day in Eddysville at about 6PM. There aren’t a lot of services in this area so we asked the proprietor of the local minimart/gas station if we could pitch our tent out back in the grass, she graciously agreed. Tomorrow we cross into Kentucky.