Walk Across Illinois: So Let It Begin

August 31, 2010—leave home about 12:30 p.m.
It took longer to load and get away from home that I had expected, but the reward for my late departure was to sit down and eat a delicious chicken burrito that Mary fixed. I decided to take I-72 to Quincy for several reasons, but the main consideration was the time saving.

A Very Naïve and Smiling Rob Setting out for Quincy

I chose to start my walk in Quincy for several reasons. Quincy has historical significance. It’s also at about the latitude at which I want to do the walk, and, of course, it’s on the western side of Illinois. I chose to walk from west to east in part because of the prevailing westerlies. Central Illinois can be a windy place, and I’d just as soon have that wind at my back. Of course that’s means I’m walking into the early morning sun, but one can’t have everything.
The Bayview bridge leads into Quincy from Missouri, carrying U.S. Route 24 traffic. Quincy is in Adams County, Illinois, and both county and city were named after President John Quincy Adams. Some historians say that the town square was unofficially dubbed “John Square” to complete the use of President Quincy’s names. I haven’t been able to confirm that idea.

The Bridge at Sunset

(double-click for full photo)

Quincy schools still offer the German language, a reflection of the city’s German heritage. Oktoberfest is still an annual celebration. Though I can’t be absolutely certain that there are no German restaurants in Quincy, I didn’t find any.

Quincy has a population of over 40,000, but it is the primate city of west-central Illinois and of east-central Missouri, areas that are home to about 112,000 residents. Built on limestone bluffs overlooking the Mississippi River, the city has a rich early history, including serving as a station on the Underground Railroad, being a major river port, and being an industrial center. The city is a marvel of business and industry. Motion Industries, Craig Industries, Ktm, H & B Quality Tooling, Harris Corporation, J.M. Huber Corporation, Titan Wheel Corporation, EnPro Industries, Quincy Compressor (owned by Colt Industries), and Can Am Industries all have facilities there. Please pardon the many omissions of company names.

Quincy is also home to Quincy University, and 4-year liberal arts school that is associated with the Roman Catholic Franciscan order. Most students are undergraduates. (http://www.quincy.edu/)

I got to Quincy at about 4:00 p.m. and did a little exploring. I located the WGEM Radio studio so I would know where to go on Wednesday morning for my 7:50 interview on the Morning Program. I explored the park at the foot of the hill, right between the bridges and eventually sat on a park bench to read the fine article in Tuesday’s Quincy Herald Whig, which appeared on pages 8A and 9A. My supper was a can of Bush’s baked beans, an apple, and some beef jerky.

Though my GPS doesn’t know it, there is a campground just a ways north of the Bayview Bridge, Driftwood Campground, and I spent the night there. At some point in the night it started raining, and it rained throughout most of the night. I was snug and dry in the topper, though I closed the screened windows when rain started coming in.

September 1, Quincy, Illinois
A Quincy landmark worth seeing is the Villa Kathrine, which houses the Quincy Tourist Information Center and the Quincy Convention Center. The sign says the house was built in Moorish/Islamic style in 1900.

Villa Kathrine Just off the Gardner Expressway in Quincy

Not only is the house handsome, the grounds are pretty and well kept, and there is a great view up and down the Mississippi River from the grounds.

View toward Hannibal Missouri and Lock and Dam #21

View from the Villa Kathrine Grounds toward Bayview Bridge

The grounds also has a lovely rose garden, cared for by the Mississippi Valley Garden Club

After a delightful hot shower (the primary reason for staying at a campground instead of in a parking lot), I headed off to the WGEM Radio studio for my interview. Bryce had called me the previous morninng to set up the interview. Greg and Rick of the Morning Program conducted the interview, which they handled with aplomb. You can hear the interview, at least for right now, by going to http://www.wgem.com/Global/category.asp?C=133159.

Kyle West of WGEM TV jogged down the hill while I drove from Washington Park. He carried his video camera and tripod, to the park where the walk was to start. He was joined in the park by photographer Phil Carlson of the Heral Whig and Tegan Orpet of KHQA News. The Herald Whig’s Web site is at http://www.whig.com/, and KHQA News has a site at http://www.connecttristates.com/news/contents.aspx?id=~\News\Lists\Local%20and%20State.

Rob’s Custom Bike Mount

It was a pretty steep climb up Hampshire Street to Washington Park, and I was puffing like a steam engine as I pushed my flag with flag up the hill, but WGEM photographer Kyle West stayed ahead of my so he could shoot some pictures, and so did the Herald Whig’s photographer Phil Carlson, who was taking still shots of the action.

I got a lot of honks and waves, and a few thumbs up gestures as I walked up Broadway. When the sidewalks gave out, so did I, and I got on my bike and started back toward my pickup. I had ridden only a few blocks, though, when I heard what sounded suspiciously like an air leak from my front tire. Once the tire went flat, there was no alternative but to get back off the bike and push it. That made my morning walk almost double the length I had expected, but, as Robert Burns wrote, “the best laid schemes o’ mice an’ men gang aft agley and leave us naught but grief and pain."

Though I had little grief, I did have a fairly painful left knee by the time I got back to my pickup at the park. Walmart had the right size tire and tube, and it took only about half an hour to select and buy them and mount them. A brake pad had moved just enough to wear the sidewall of the old tire, and that mechanical malfunction was sufficient to ruin that tire and tube.

As I was remounting the tire on the bike, a lady in a nearby parking place asked me for a knife so she could open the package containing her new steering wheel cover. I cut the zip tie for her, but then she had such a hard time installing the cover that she came back and asked me for help putting it on. It took about 10 minutes to stretch and worry that thing over the wheel, but at least it won’t slip.

A gentleman stopped by to offer his advice, and his presence led to a discussion of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, wars he doesn’t believe we should be involved in. Though he didn’t serve, two of his sons and many other relatives have served, and one son recently came back to the States with his unit after only a short deployment to Iraq. Dad was grateful to have his son safely back on U.S. soil.

I rewarded myself for all my hard work by stopping at Deters for a vanilla malt. The reward was wonderful. Then I drove to 12th street and followed it north past Locust Street. On the left side of the street is the entrance to the Illinois Veterans Home, a place I had heard of, but never visited. I parked under the biggest catalpa tree I had ever seen, and sought out two men sitting in a gazebo. "I want to talk to a veteran. Am I in the right place?" I asked, to break the ice.

They were residents Dick Boyd and Burt Weaver. Dick served 20 years in the U.S. Navy, and said he’d go back and serve 20 more if they’d let him. He spent lots of time at sea, and he did a tour in Viet Nam. Burt served in the U.S. Army during World War II (1944–1946) and then joined the Army Reserve. His unit was called up for the Korean War, and he saw action in that conflict too. We were joined by Sandy, who went into the U.S. Marine Corps the same year I entered the Army (in 1966). Before I left I thanked all of them for serving our country. There are about 437 residents (the person who told me this is also a resident) in the home at this time.