Chester, IL to Ferne Clyffe State Park

Ride Stats: 
Distance:  82 mi.
Avg Speed:  12.2 mph
Climbed:  3540 ft
Weather:  58 - 75 F, Sunny, Favorable Winds 10 to 15 mph

After a great night's stay and a hearty breakfast at The Stone House B&B in Chester, I hit the road with the wind at my back, and was making fantastic time.  That is, until I inexplicably turned the wrong way on a highway intersection and went 7 miles until I figured it out. If that was the only  mistake, it would have been OK, but I made at least a couple of more navigational errors.  This is the first time I've used the ACA maps on this trip, and I guess they will take some getting used to.

My legs felt pretty good all day.  The terrain was unusually flat, and that will probably be a rarity on this trip.  Our destination of Ferne Clyffe is an IL State Park, and was very nice and quiet.  Very few campers in the middle of the week.

This is a good example of the flat terrain early in the day, and some local color.  I know Chicken Booya is common in WI, but I've never heard of the duck version.

Murphysboro, IL is a big apple growing region.  I liked that they created their own cartoon character to promote their Apple Festival.

This seemed like an OK spot to take a break, since they don't specifically mention bicycling.

They have some nice big man-made lakes in Southern Illinois, and not overcrowded.

We found a great little campsite for the night, and enjoyed seeing the stars for the first time this trip.