8/10-Four is the Magic Number for Today

The thunderstorm of last evening was over by this morning. No rain in the forecast for today’s ride! As expected, it did not get reasonably light enough to ride until about 7:00 (cloud cover didn’t help). I even turned on my taillight until I got onto the trail. Fortunately, that was only after a half mile on the road.

Trail #1 for today

The Nickel Plate Trail took me the first 22 miles. Along the trail I saw 4 deer, and 0 humans.

Deer 1

Deer 2

Deer 3

And Deer 4

The little gnat bugs were thick. I finally pulled my buff up to keep them out of my mouth. 

I kept having to brush them off my shirt

The trail was the typical green tunnel. There was a bit of small branch dodging, but nothing too bad until this terrible downed tree.

Going into the darkness!

Just kidding! I did have to get off, but it was nothing. 

When the trail opened up, the sun was even shining!

Not so buggy either!

The first 22 miles ended not too far from Peru. It was cool because the trail does continue, just on the other side of Peru. There were pavement markings to navigate through town, and back to the trail.

“Trail Ends” (but not really)

Peru was a circus town

Back to the trail!

Also Cole Porter’s birthplace. There used to be a motel called The Cole Porter Inn. It has closed.

I stopped for some chocolate milk and a snack at a Casey’s just off the trail. Refueled, I hopped back on for another 10 miles.

Nice bridge

Wabash River

 In this section, I saw 0 deer, and 4 cyclists. In Bunker Hill, one was Jerry. He had ridden from Kokomo (the end of the Nickel Plate Trail). We chatted for a bit. He took my photo, so I took his. 

Jerry

I wouldn’t be riding all the way to Kokomo, as I was heading to Marion. I got off the trail about 4 miles later. 

I had two relatively short gravel road sections. For a bit, I played leap frog with a mail carrier. 

Decent gravel…mostly

I pulled into the town of Converse. I asked some locals, “Is is Converse like the shoes, or Converse, like having a conversation?” It’s like the shoes. I was at about 40 miles, so I got a snack at the Dollar General. I looked ahead at Sweetser, where there was supposed to be a trailside ice cream place. Closed on Mondays…Dang! I wasn’t surprised.

Next up was the Converse Junction Trail.

Trail #2

It wasn’t terribly long, but it seamlessly connected to the Sweetser Switch Trail.

End of Converse Junction, beginning of Sweetser Switch

Trail #3

Cool covered bridge with picnic tables!

Old rail car in Sweetser…maybe the ice cream place?

The Sweetser Switch Trail was a bit longer at about 4 miles. Then it seamlessly connected to the Cardinal Greenway.

Trail #4

Now I was getting close to Marion. I checked the route, then after a bit further, used my phone to Google Map my way to the College Inn B&B that I’m staying in tonight. Ah Google Maps, a bit of a failure where it told me to turn right, but the trail was above the road, and no access to the road! I went back to the last street crossing. Then Google took me down some sly dog alley. Oh, it worked, but it was weird.

I arrived at the B&B with an hour to go until I could get in. I was texted a code for the door that would work after 3:00 (reminds me of the Jefco Inn in Nebraska). I went to the Circle K next door for some food.

The B&B is across the street from Indiana Wesleyan University. Looks like a nice campus. The B&B is actually two houses. I’m in the white house.

when I booked the room, I said I was on a bike. They put me in a main floor room right off the kitchen. Perfect! During the week, breakfast is self serve grab and go. They have made breakfast burritos and put them in the freezer. That will work nicely.

Kind of weird how there were so many things with 4 today. The 4 tails were amazing. Tomorrow, I continue on the Cardinal Greenway for quite awhile.