Heat and Bugs (38)

We woke up early and were on the road by 6:30am. We put almost 50 miles in before lunch, with a goal to reach Cave-In-Rock State Park in the early afternoon.



I have been struggling with a red, bumpy forehead and puffy eyes. Luckily, Rachel has Zyrtec in her huge bag of toiletries (I usually give her a hard time about it, but in this case I was thankful), so we are hoping that it will help.

Yikes, not a good look!

Rachel is getting better at scaring dogs away. This morning, a blue heeler ran at her and she responded by yelling and riding straight at it.  The dog was so scared that it tumbled over itself down the embankment then hurried back to the safety of its yard.

 

 

It was exciting to cross the Ohio river; our day ended immediately on the other side in Illinois.    

Unfortunately, it was not one of our best nights… We settled at the campsite, and it was HOT.  To make matter worse, we had planned a meal that required cooking.  Every bite caused us to sweat even more so our appetites faded before we finished our meals.  The campsite was very buggy, and despite my irritated face, the mosquitoes still found me attractive.  Finally, the showers were a long walk away from the tent sites but at least it didn’t rain overnight, so we could sleep in the tent without the rain fly.

Trip stats, to date (Day 38)

  • Utica, KY to Cave-In-Rock, IL
  • Daily mileage: 83.7mi;  Trip total to date: 2,226.7mi
  • Daily riding time: 7hr 16min;  Trip total time: 197hr 44min
  • Daily ascent: 3,393ft;  Trip total ascent: 118,903ft
  • Flat tires: Rachel – 1; Chris – 0


3 thoughts on “Heat and Bugs (38)”

  1. You have allergy eyes ,I have the same reaction . Claritin Zyrtec are both good choices
    I think the red bumps are a heat rash
    Make sure ur sunscreen isn’t sweating into your eyes. Just cover ur forehead with bandana. An wash is frequently Do put sunscreen on your nose cheeks an ears but wash off mid day an reapply before riding. Love mom

    1. Thanks mom, it turned out to be a combination of allergies and my eczema flaring up which may have been worsened by being a bit dehydrated after riding through those brutally hot days. I’ve been more diligent about hydrating and used cortizone, now I’m all better! Plus, Rachel chose to use the worst possible picture in the post.

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