IL, KY, IN, KY.

At the junction of the Ohio and the Mississippi Rivers, four otherwise large states are funneled into tight quarters, to observe the union of these two slow moving arteries. For the first time on this trip, in this region, we crossed multiple borders within the span of one week. We also crossed into Kentucky twice, which makes it the first revisited state.

We left Cape Girardeau, MO in the beginning of a Midwest heatwave. (By the way, we wouldn't have without the help and generous trust we received from Cyclewerx, who I previously forgot to mention, and who let us borrow two tools of excessive value, so Dan could rebuild his wheel; thanks.) With the high humidity and temperatures, the heat indices ranged from just over 100 to 123, depending on who felt the need to share. Living outside in such heat requires patience and humility. Patience to keep cool heads; humility to be near other people after a few days without showering.

I've really come to enjoy our daily visits to convenience stores this side of the Rockies. Most places have a few tables inside, for comfort while customers enjoy their purchases. It seems most convenience stores on the west coast encourage everyone to leave as fast as possible; instead of tables and chairs, there are "No Loitering" signs. I assume real estate is a driving factor for these components, so they may disappear again when we hit the eastern seaboard.

At any rate, it's sitting at these tables where we've had encounters with a great number of interesting locals. Typically, our arrival sparks quiet, glancing interest from the patrons and proprietors alike. Sometimes the cast includes a handful of older men, sometimes just one random soul--usually AARP potential. Once we pay our tabs and sit down, the initial awkwardness is killed with a simple question from the alpha; "Where y'all ridin' to?". When they hear our answer, they tend to show amazement, which can only be followed with a comment about the weather, which has usually been hot. Once we've established our credibility, these kind folks usually run their gamut of questions about how we do it, why, why they can't, etc. Often the conversation turns to the best local roads, camping intel, and so on. And while we're being interviewed, we're simultaneously opening the minds of these people to a variety of things they're not usually exposed to, namely us, and visa versa.