After leaving the brilliant Earphoria Hostel I headed to my new hosts for a couple of days. Another wonderful family that I found on the warm showers.org website.
Mike, Susan and their children have all been very welcoming and helpful.  Way before arriving they were sending me tips and advice on things to see and do in the city. They have certainly made me feel like their home is my home.  We have shared some great home cooked meals, a few hours on the beach, a couple of cold beers and watched the Hawks  win the grand Final.

One of their daughters is currently hitchhiking through Iceland and Norway and from the sounds of it is also receiving much generous hospitality. They decided they wanted to 'repay the word' so have opened up their home to me. I can see a chain reaction beginning because I am certainly going to be doing the same once I return home.  
How long will this good will continue being passed from person to person?

I will see them again when I return to Chicago because they have also offered to store and look after my bike and all my stuff while I'm in England.

So Chicago seemed like quite an expensive place to find accomodation so I googled hostels instead of motels and struck gold.

I found this place called Earphoria which only really likes accommodating guests who are musicians or who have a passion for music.

Anyway, they let me in despite not really fitting the criteria which was nice of them. Of course they know about my dj'ing past and I guess that was good enough for them.

The house is in a great spot in Chicago, close to Logan Square, where it seems a lot is going on. It's full of very cool, friendly, relaxed people. It wasn't difficult rounding a few people up to head out on the town to share some beers the first night. 2nd night there are all sorts of brilliant performances going on.

Great place. I love it.

Tomorrow I'm moving to some very helpful warmshowers hosts who have offered to put me up and look after my bike while I'm back in England for the week.

Ok, that's it, I'm done. For now......

My riding is now complete until the 3rd of July where I will commence the last leg of my journey, Chicago to the east coast and Maine.

It will be approximately 1,100 miles in 4 weeks. Barring injury that is quite an easy schedule compared to what I have already done.

I'm now taking a week and a bit holiday.

After spending 4/5 days sightseeing in Chicago I'm going back to England to attend (and be usher and no doubt guest of honour at) the wedding of James and Katherine. ;)

After that, there is the small matter of a gathering of people in a field in Somerset that I'm obliged to attend.

Yesterday I rode as far as Naperville which is basically a suburb of Chicago.

It was a 61.3 mile ride.

Things started out very rural and slowly the roads got busier and busier as I approached the big smoke.

I'm moving to stay in Logan square today for a further 2 nights Which should be more convenient for sightseeing.

I have opted to take my bike on the Metro From Naperville to downtown to avoid the urban riding. Yesterday's journey wasn't the most fun with traffic etc. So far Chicago doesn't feel like a bike friendly place but I'm hoping to be proved wrong.

So I sign out having ridden 2718 miles through 8 states in 52 days.

It's been emotional ;)

P.s.

Anyone thinking about sponsoring these 2 worthy charities, now is a great time, before I arrive in the UK and start badgering you about it.

So my self diagnosis on not feeling great recently is..... sun poisoning.

I'm not sun burned because I use so much sun cream/spray but I have been over exposed.

I had begun wearing a vest top a few days ago because it was the most comfortable option, but have just been a touch overconfident.

It had kind of wiped my energy, given me hot and cold chills, aching skin and hands and some sleepless nights.

So to combat I drank more vitamins and salts etc, kept cool as much as possible, soaked in cold baths, slept with aircon set to super, maxo, mega arctic, slapped on some Aloe Vera, started riding earlier, fewer miles and with arms fully covered etc

It seems to have done the trick because today's riding was the best of the last 3 days. I took things slowly and managed to go 69.6 miles by 13.15.

I started out cautiously. Up at 6 and on the road by 7am having had a good nights sleep and a healthy breakfast!!!

Getting out of bed is more difficult when there is a wall of cold air waiting for you though.

I wasn't sure if I was feeling better but after 3 hours of riding I began feeling more confident.

I have been lucky the last couple if days because when I needed cooler temperatures I got them. The hottest I have had to ride on has only been around 26C/78f once the day warmed up.

Not much to report on the roads today.

I bought an actual roadmap for Illinois which has proven to be a lot more accurate than google maps on the phone.

I had another road closed dilemma. Again I opted to ignore it and found a very easy way around which saved many miles of detouring. The scenery is still fields and occasional small towns - but I can smell Chicago and I can't wait.

Since reaching the Plains And travelling beyond, very often, the small towns I have passed through have had spooky feel about them.

Most have been partially and some even completely deserted and delapitated.

It has been very obvious that many have had better times.

It feels like there is more activity and life the farther east I travel, however things can still be eerily quiet at times.

Even when I hit populations of 15,000+ the 'city' centres or downtown areas can have next to nobody walking the streets. There is often a train line going through these places too but the only trains I have seen are several mile long freighters. Not for passengers.

These giant walls of grinding, steel containers constantly sound their very loud, droning horns as they pass through. Several times I have been walking, feeling like I'm in a scene/chapter from War of the Worlds where the Tripods let everyone know they have arrived. I'm the only one not to have disappeared though.

Today was a short day but still it was tough going.

I rode 46 miles and arrived by 12 but certain things went against me.

Wind, roads deteriorating to gravel tracks, other roads not suitable for bikes e.g. too busy. There was also probably a more direct route but unfortunately I didn't choose it.

I really wanted to finish riding as early as possible to give myself plenty of time after to keep cool and relax. Still not quite feeling 100%. I'm not sure what it is but it's not flu.

I almost forgot about this. Thanks Jen and Lance for sending it to me.

Just a couple of small errors in this journalism. hehehe

Today was a nice leisurely 50.5 mile ride into Illinois, the 8th state on my journey and the home of Chicago, yee haa.

I managed to avoid letting myself believe the day would be easy. I told myself I was going 100 miles.

The temperature and humidity went up a few notches but I was still comfortable, or so I thought.

Strangely it's when you stop riding that you realise how hot you are. The wind/draft really helps to cool you.

At its peak it was 30-32C or 86-89f.

After crossing the Missisipi the fields and crops were noticeably muddy and wet. The whole area for miles from the river has flooded recently, apparently for the third time this year!

I was hunting out the quieter roads to ride which is becoming increasingly difficult. I had some music playing to help me keep a good tempo.

I often wonder what the local hillbilly (No offence) farmers must think when they hear some Industrial Techno music coming out of nowhere - only to then see sweaty old me coming over a hill, or around the corner, doing my own brand of bike dancing. To some people I must look and sound like I have just landed.

Since arriving I have been feeling some flu like symptoms. Mainly aching hot and cold skin, but not too bad. Worst case scenario is it's Man flu but it could be too much sun/heat exposure.

Anyway, I'm staying cool and replenishing everything and anything I have lost. I will see how I feel In the morning and if I'm not 100% I might stay put again and stay cool.

Last thing I want is another day off but I will take it easy if needs be.

I started the day with 1 of the biggest breakfasts I have ever had. One plate full of egg, bacon, toast and a massive pile of (American) hash browns and a second plate with a stack of pancakes!!

I set off feeling very rested and with plenty of energy.

The roads were fairly quiet because its Sunday. I had some upbeat music to help me hammer out the miles.

I was flying, or at least I felt like I was.

The roads answered my prayers and flattened out which made for a nice change. There was cloud cover almost all day, no rain, almost no wind and temperatures stayed under 25C/77F which made for perfect riding conditions.

I had done 50 miles by 10.50, 60 miles by 11.30 and finally 88.12 miles by 2pm.

I actually made Burlington on about 85 miles but messed about for ages looking for a decent motel pushing the distance pedalled up.

I feel like I could have gone double the distance today (at a push). I'm forcing myself to slow down though.

I'm already giving myself 4 days to hang out in Chicago. If I continue that pace of riding I will be in Chicago for longer and things will get expensive.

Does anyone have any recommendations for Chicago?

Burlington sits on the mighty Missisippi River. When / ifI cross it tomorrow morning I will have arrived in Illinois.