Day 2
Day 2: Joliet to Bloomington - 90.1 miles, 892 feet elevation gain
Just outside Joliet I got my first flat tire. The initial shock wore off and muscle memory helped me change the flat. You get rusty with these things after not riding your bike for more than half a decade. In Wilmington, IL I encountered the Gemini Giant, a 30ft fiberglass Muffler Man. “It's named after the Gemini space program and is a testament to the American fascination with space travel,” per Wikipedia.
In Dwight, IL I found Amblers Texaco gas station a fascinating tribute to car culture in the US. Not to be outdone, further down the road in Odell, IL you can find Standard Oil of Illinois gas station. I took a quick nap in a park in Lexington, IL before grinding on to Bloomington, IL for the night.
