November 28, Keithsburg, Illinois

If a sign says South, be weary.  My South road took me West. Bastard.  So much for not looking at maps.  After two hours of hand numbingly cold driving (I was wearing single layer leather gloves with no insulation.  Smart, huh?), the sky turned from gray to black and it was time to stop for the night.

There are three bars in Keithsburg.  I pulled into the one with the "bikers welcome" sign on the front.  Why not?  The ambient noise at Smitty's Bar hushed as a shivering, leather-clad stranger moseyed through the door. Twenty sets of eyeballs were on me; hardly wavering until I pulled up to the bar and ordered... a water.  For shame.  I heard about that one from a couple of the more outspoken patrons, but the mood quickly lightened.

This place was unbelievable.  Sunday night is free pool and free stew.  Free stew people!  I ordered a tenderloin at the bartenders suggestion and for a bit of good will.  I kid you not, the tenderloin was as big as my outstretched hand.  Good as it was big, too. 

Soon I was playing pool with a couple of the friendly locals and actually not getting my ass handed to me.  A couple of the regulars even had their own cozies kept at the bar.  You could buy the opportunity to draw for a Christmas gift. Presents ranged from a screw (talking hardware here people, get yer mind out of the gutter) to a free drink from the bar.

I got spoiled for the rest of the trip at Smitty's.

Despite the good advice of the bar patrons I chose to forgo the hotel for the night and spend my night outdoors.  I set up on a picnic table on the back deck of a defunct restaurant formerly called The Lighthouse overlooking the Mississippi River.  Must have taken me at least two hours to fall asleep.  I was busy worrying about somebody messing with me or the bike.  I realized that I had never spent the night outdoors alone.  Gotta admit, I was frightened.

I woke suddenly in the middle of the night to a spotlight, the hum of an engine.  I freaked out.  Sat straight up with the sleeping bag still wrapped around my head and slowly fought my way out of a wet nylon bag to see a barge passing down the Mississippi. Unfortunately, the picture doesn't do it justice, but there are two here.

My heart rate dropped back down to normal and I pulled the tarp over to keep me dry from the sprinkling for the next couple hours until 6:00, when I would continue the journey.