Day Eighteen: Iowa to Indiana!

Got up early 100 miles west of Des Moines to make it back to Vincennes in time for "ride night" with our biker buddies. We got into Vincennes 10 minutes before they were set to leave.

We didn't even have time to go home first so after quick hugs and such off we went back to Illinois for dinner. On the way to dinner we had the closest call of the several close calls we had over the last 18 days. The lead bikes stopped really quickly and one of the bikes went into oncoming traffic lane and a car spun around in a circle, I almost took to the ditch to avoid hitting the guy in front of me. Nothing like riding on unfamiliar roads and varying terrain for 7000 miles to just come home and crash. Thank God no one was hurt.

Our other close calls: I almost cleaned off a guard rail on a twisty road in California with my knee and Robby almost got ran into the median today by a car that didn't see him on I80, we are very thankful to be home safe. ;-)

Stats:
States -->Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, Arizona, Nevada, California, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, and then back through Illinois and finally Indiana. 16 states in all!

Miles --> Chris has 7002 miles, Robby has 6950 miles. We have no idea why? We stuck together the whole trip. Robby said it is because Chris drives like a drunk. Chris says it is cause she swerves around pot holes that Robby drives right over. You be the judge. ;-)

Wildlife --> Robby said there was a lot, Chris didn't see much.

Haybales --> About a million and four different types. Actually five if you count the new straw bale snakes we saw in Idaho.

Skydiving --> One jump from a perfectly good airplane. Well, actually the plane didn't look so good after all.

Trees driven through --> One very large tree with a pre cut hole, not one we made by a crash.

Mountains climbed --> One very tall mountain with very rough roads! Pike's Peak was Robby's favorite thing though, so it was worth it, all 14, 110 feet of it!

Gas Stops --> approximately 54, we stopped getting receipts cause they were weighing us down.

Awesome friends that let us stay with them or use their house --> 5, thanks so much Bryan and Bea, Julie and Kelly, Brenda and Mike, Mike N, and Lenny and Kathy! You were all so very hospitable. Your sharing of your homes made our trip so much better, you have no idea.

Postcards sent to the kids back home --> Robby would answer this as, "Seriously? She bought them every time the kickstand went down!" I sent several post cards to my brother's kids and the little girl I mentor. Who doesn't love to get post cards!

Thanks for joining us on this adventure. It was fun to get texts, emails, and calls from several readers to let us know how much they liked it or to ask where the next one was. ;-)

Chris and Robby! CIAO!