Today was a celebration of all that is great about America.  It was also the opposite.

We started the day at mile zero for Route 66, recently relocated to Chicago’s Navy Pier in honour of its 100th anniversary.  We had a glorious send off in the bright and chilly lakefront venue, chronicled by news sources from Fox and ABC. And with that, we started our adventure surrounded by the grand architecture and parks of downtown Chicago. 

We rode today as a team, with Bill, Jim and Dan driving the support vehicles.  Departing Chicago was not without its problems.  It’s a big, busy city and that makes for a long and challenging route out.  We thought the worst was behind us when we left the City, but the outskirts were downright scary. We were close witnesses to an attempted murder, when a gunman in a passing car fired a shot at a pedestrian, thankfully missing. After the car sped away, the presumed target played up to bystanders, with the taunt “I’m still alive”. So were we, which we demonstrated by getting out of there as quickly as our egg-beater legs could go.

The day also had other challenges which, in many contexts might end an adventure before it starts,  But, as our banner sign says, “Parkinson’s riders don’t know the word qwit.”

We look forward to calmer roads and encounters ahead.