Quincy, IL to Springfield, IL, 107 miles

Yep, today was just another average, dull day. We did not go for the continental breakfast this morning. Instead, we pedaled 14 miles outside of town to Liberty, IL to eat at a local place called Mike's. It had a great country feel to it, and we had a great breakfast. After we left there, we made it quite easily the next 50 miles into Jacksonville where we ate lunch. We finally had to break the pizza mold, because we do not want to ruin ourselves on Pizza Hut for life. Ironically, we ended up at a pizza place, but we both ordered gyros from our great waitress, and they were very tasty. After lunch, we only had 40 miles to ride, and I am pretty sure the wind was right on our backs. Once we got into Springfield, Dad struck out. Yep... Strike 1: Normally a pro at room price negotiations, we went to three different places, and they all stuck their ground on the price. One kid said "that price is out of the question" with a very rude tone...no time for Phil humor. We found it funny that each of these places had about four cars total in their parking lots, and that they wouldn't sell a room for a lower price when they are that empty. So...here we are at Microtel. Strike 2: Our waitress that had the personality of a robot at Carlos O Kelly's tonight carded dad when he went to pay with his credit card. He was visibly upset, and I told him not to take it personally. When you think about it, he hasn't combed his hair in three weeks, he hasn't done much shaving, he had a green coat on that he looked like he picked up from the Salvation Army, and again, the $1 flip-flops came back to haunt him. Also, the tan lines from his helmet also kinda make him look like those not-so-human-wrinkly-foreheaded dudes from Startrek. Strike 3: We got back from dinner, and Dad gave it his best effort to help himself to whatever he could find in the cupboards underneath the breakfast bar. He couldn't find any hot chocolate, so he asked the front desk guy if he had any. To obtain the hot chocolate would have meant he would have had to walk across the street to the IHOP. He wasn't about to pay for any... However, he did come back up to the room to offer me some peanut butter that he found. I asked him what he planned to put it on just as he was downing the first packet straight out of the container... he has most definitely gone bonkers. So yeah, the most action of the day happened when we were riding through a neighborhood with businesses that were predominately beauty shops and liquor stores, and about three miles from our hotel, a lady yelled "get on the sidewalk" to Dad. The sidewalks were about as clean as the Missouri shoulders. We didn't listen to her at all. That is all for tonight...I've checked the map for tomorrow 100 times, but it still says we only have a 77 mile day. We can't believe it. Goodnight.

Blake