Wendy and I had an early breakfast with Mark and Linda, packed our gear back on our bikes, then said our goodbyes and headed out towards the home of Popeye the Sailor, Chester IL.
We were on a road called Bluff Rd with fairly flat bottom land farmland to our right between us and the Mississippi which was not within sight most of the day. To our left was often bluffs and steep hillsides. The road managed to thread the needle and avoided alot of elevation changes. With the wind at or backs and the fair weather we managed to maintain a quick pace throughout the day.
This is an example of some vertical cliffs that would have been to the left side of the road as we headed south. Ancient cultures may have used this area to provide some partial shelter. Today, the roof of the cliffs housed a bird species.
We stopped at a midway point for a sandwich stop in the town of Priarie du Rocher.
Closing in on Chester we get a hilltop view of the Mississippi for the first time all day.
Chester is a town spread across a high hilly bluff overlooking the Mississippi River. It is also the home if the creator of the various Popeye characters. Statues of different characters are scattered throughout the town. We plan to capture some of the artwork on our way out of town and hope to share it with you tomorrow.
