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Glow in the Dark

Thursday September 14: 

I had hoped and intended to grab a whole bunch of IBETs during GitD and on the way out there - to insure my 50 and the neato plaque.  I also planned on scouting out potential MD 20-20 boni.  Hey, I'll be in Ohio and we need some locations out that away.  I also wanted to ride out US-50 again, Cheat Mountain, the works.  I stopped in Cumberland to visit potential Checkpoint Hosts and then headed down to US-50.  Then onto Parkersburg for IBET Number 1 on this trip.  19 to go.

I continued on 50 into Ohio and headed northwest to Baltimore, for IBET #2.  Yes, I know, I live in Baltimore, butt I wanted something "special".   I stopped for dinner in Reynoldsburg for a Schlotzski's.  Slogged my though the end of Columbus "rush moment" traffic and into and back out of rain on the way to Fargo.  Santa Fe is next, but it's raining pretty hard and I really don't want to ride in the rain unless I have to.  Find a Super 8 near Bellefontaine. 550 miles.

Friday September 15:

After breakfast and onto Santa Fe.  Do you know they way to Santa Fe?   I do now.  North to my replacement Ottawa, cause the one in PA is very weak.   I was feeling pretty good, knew I gained an hour changing time zones and didn't want to arrive at Check-In spent.  I took some time and realized I could head up to Michigan and continue to grab IBETs until I plain ran out of time.  Cool plan, worked like a charm.  Argentine, Alaska, and Kalamazoo, then onto the Lake for the run to Chicago.  That's 8 plus Chicago, total would be 39.  There are four local ones, for 43.

I arrived just before 4pm found several other riders had already arrived and were staking out parking spaces- turns out on the wrong side of the motel.  I meet my temporary roomie in Don Stevens and his beautiful 87 Connie with 25k miles (whazzat like??)  We chat a bit, and I have pretty much decided whichever route gets me the 8 or 9 IBETs I need to finish the IBET would be the ride I'd take.  I had taken the time to lay out the remaining confirmed IBET stops anywhere in the potential route ranges.  Having no idea where the GitD was heading or it's "concept" (which was a gas, BTW), and limited knowledge of Theme Parks lapping Lake Michigan, so I was just hoping to work something out.

Well, things weren't happening as Cindi had planned; it happens.  A group of headed out for an early dinner at a Cajun joint; kinda pricey, kinda mediocre.   Check-in opened at 6 with the collection of the Pez dispensers (easy 500 points).   Our odometer checks started a little late, right around 9 and the lists came out at 10:30.  Don and I quickly looked over the lists and the maps, and I realized my IBET plan was tanked.  Theme Parks had an 1100 mile base route on roads not real condusive for making good time.  I really don't "need" another 1000 mile day this year and I've "been there done that" with the Bridge, so it's GitD by default.  Don had planned on riding GitD and we consequently decided to ride together - I thought it was a good working relationship. 

By the looks, a run straight south then northwest to get the midstate mandatories.  East from the Mississippi and north to the last mandatory, depending upon "time" specific locations.  We sucked back a few brews, decided there is nothing we can do until the Rally Packages come out at 6:30, so we hit the sack around midnight.  600 miles.

Saturday September 16, Rally Day:

Somewhere after 5, Don's Meanie goes off (he's a trucker) and we gather our thoughts, review our intentions just to make sure they make sense.  At 6:30 the Rally Packages are out, with the additional announcements etc.  We huddle up back in the room and find, tada, there are three pages of time dependent boni that "Glow in the Dark" and that GitD is for Nuclear Power Plants- 7 in Illinois.  There are also two pages of "anytime available" and two pages of wildcards, including 750 pts for an inflated mylar balloon 15" min diameter, a pothole (100), a picture of a Savage (100), 6pack, cans only, of soda (500), and 100 pts per construction flagger, etc.  Looking over the sheets, we quickly checked the point totals: Theme Parks had more points available, but it was unrealistic to get more than a handfull at best considering the base route.

Examing the time dependent ones on GitD worth double when glowing, we figured out that the Buckingham Fountain on Lake Shore Drive was the key for a good score.  It was worth 12 times more lit than not (300 vs 3600); it's lit from only 9-11.  There was one other that was worth 6 times as much, but it's base value was minimal.  This is where we realized our southward plan needed a little work.  We would still head south, just not as far and we set a time deadline at the Quad Cities plant that would put us downtown in-time for the Fountain.  If we had to skip everything coming in, we would still have time to head back out for the last two plants and some others after getting the Fountain.   The finish line closed promptly at 8am, no exceptions. Rally Towels (glow in the dark letters representing the elements on black fabric, mine was Nb=Nobelium) and final odometer readings.

Now Don's longest day in the saddle was the Midwest Fest; he's well aware of my longest day (BBG), and he has yet to complete a SS1k; Don really wants that ride- today would not be his day either.  We take our Damn Savage pic at 8:01 for Boni #1, and mount up at 8:04, heading in towards town and then south on 294 towards 57 via 80.  We blow through a construction zone with a flagger - hey traffic was way too fast for comfort.  Here's where the CB comes in handy.    At the 80/294 interchange tollplaza, which we had planned on using, an 18 wheeler had done some "optional brute force remodeling" and traffic was at a standstill for about a mile to the plaza- he missed the gate.  I glance at my map and see that good old US-6 will get us to 57, so I wheel over and Don rolls up.  BTW, Don's a trucker but doesn't have a CB on his bike, yet, so all we have are hand signals and yelling.  I let him know that the road is basically closed up in front of us and we can divert around it by taking the US-6 exit.  Granted, we lose the toll receipt boni (point a penny), but making miles was our first priority. 

Less than 10 minutes later, we are burning down 57 towards our first of many locations, Cresent City, a place that "glowed in a bad way".  Along the way is a very very slow work zone, we pull over to the shoulder whip our flags out and take the pic (100 pts).  The flagger asks what we're up to, and I yell "a scavenger hunt - we have to collect flaggers" to which he smiles and waves.   Down to Cresent City, the scene of a propane train derailment.  Now we do some back roads to Onarga, little town, big ass sign.  Unlit worth 155, we get stuck as a train heads through town.  Continuing south to Champaign for the UFO dome at the University.  Football game today.  Uh-oh.  Our plan is to get as close as possible without getting stuck in traffic, get our pic and get out of town before things got real crazy, it's the Big 10 and all.  We get within two blocks of the sports complex, climb up onto a rail bed to find the buildings are partially obscured.  We take our pic and hope for the best (we find out later it was disallowed cause we shot the wrong building-oops).  This makes 5 boni.

Onto our first mandatory at De Witt for #6.  We get that out of the way and have to stop for fuel, the first today.  This is kinda odd, but we both did not fill the tanks entirely on Friday, JIC the Rallybitch decided to sneak in a time dependent gas receipt at the station across the street at the very start of the Rally.  We both note, that we haven't seen any other ralliers yet, with seven mandatories, we figured we were bound to run into some one now and again.  They'd be easy to spot as they'd be wearing a helmet (Illinois is a lid-free state).

From here, it's on to the cluster of 3 plants mid-state.  As we approach Bloomington, Don takes the 55 Business exit. Oops.  He'll catch up about 15 minutes later.  We pull off the slab at our exit and head towards the plant.   Just look for the converging power lines and cooling towers, you'll find them.  About  a mile short of the plant, #8, there are Burma Shave signs, #7, (this IS Historic 66 afterall) and they're worth 750 points.  I whip over to the left shoulder into the grass as Don blows by me.  He wheels around and asks how'd I know the signs were here; I didn't, it was keeping my eyes open for a known wildcard on Historic Route 66 where a lot of Burma Shave signs used to be.

The next plant looks tricky to get to and the directions are from the Interstate.  So, we go up the slab two exits with Don leading.  I see a work zone on the access road next to the Interstate; I try to get his attention with my headlight but no avail. Oh well. Click, #9.  He's waiting for me at the top of the exit ramp. "What happened to you?" "Consruction flagger, tried to get your attention." "Damn".  Onto to the plant.  I get screwed up when I turn onto County Route 9000 East when the instructions are to turn on 8000 East.  I get turned around and find Don waiting again.  Once again, he comments on the lack of other ralliers.  "At MWF, we saw ralliers all day long."  "Hope we're not doing this wrong," I said.  10 down.

The last plant of this group is between us and some major points in Ottawa.  Don's GPS does even show these little county roads, but my trusty AAA paper maps do.  It's flat and the roads are laid out straight.  Some careful reviewing, shows if we just head south a bit then west on some unlabeled local roads, we'll find ourselves at the plant in no time.  This worked like a charm.  We grab the last of the set, #11, head to Ottawa for fuel (bonus, #12) and along the river to Starved Rock State Park.  As we leave Ottawa, I see a lawn ornament place and wonder if we should zip in for a Virgin Mary- see, at Resurrection Cemetary also a bonus, there is an urban legend about picking up Mary near the Cemetary gates, but she disappears leaving only a damp spot on the seat.  Cindi had an additional 15000 points if you could bring Mary back, so I thought briefly about the laugh it would get at the Finish; shoulda done it.  A picture of the closed entrance at Starved Rock is worth a ton of points, other than the Gateway Arch, the Pedriodic Table of elements at the Science Museum dowtown and the Fountain, it's the biggest one out here.  Now I see why.  It was the only truly twisty road we were on all day.  I now have 13 boni today, and feel pretty good.

By the looks of it, we'll get to our western drop dead time about an hour early which is very good. As we approach Quad Cities on 80, we see Thane going the other way with a puzzled "why are you going that way?" look.  We just wave.   Up the Mississippi to the Quad Cities power plant (leaving 2) and continuing on for the big bonus in Savanna #15.  This is where I need "real" food to which Don agrees.  We settle in at a KFC-TacoHell to discuss how we are going to play the run back for the Fountain.  There are a bunch of boni on the way downtown, one of which is the Sculpture worth 600 when lit, but it's only "on" until 10.  Only two make sense on the way there: Black Hawk and the next plant; the sculpture is a plus, if the timing's right.  The Black Hawk directions state, that if the park is closed, you can get a photo from the west side of the river.  We decide to get that pic first, then go to the statue as that would avoid backtracking.  We wasted about 20 minutes trying to get Black Hawk from across the river- he's just too poorly lit for Polaroids to pick up.  We head to park, to find it open; it's a campground.  After some creative work, Don figures out, if you lay on your back and shot the picture upside down, you can get your towel and Black Hawk in the same picture- hey it worked. #16. 

The next plant is real closeby and I haven't been this close to a cooling tower in a long time.  Man there is a lot of wind off these things.  We get some curious stares as people head in and out of the plant, but it has been long apparent that the plants were aware of our activities- no security hassles at all.  That makes 17.

We figure out we should be downtown with about 15 minutes to find and shoot the Fountain.  We both recall seeing the Fountain in our previous visits to Chicago, but neither of us are quite sure where it exactly is.  The instructions are Lakefront Drive near Congress.  We head back downtown, collecting more toll receipts, to find the Interstate drops us right onto Congress Ave; how convenient.   Congress deadends at Lakeshore and there is the Fountain- tada. It's now 20 till 11, we have exactly one plant left and have only seen one other rallier so far in Thane- we must be doing something wrong. 18 in the bag.

Our plan is now more "flexible", with just the 8am time hanging out there.  I might want a nap later, so we head north to Zion and our last mandatory, stop #19.  We stop for directions to the plant, from the local cop and we cruise back to 94 stopping at the US41 intersection to collect our thoughts and decide how to play out the remaining time.  We have 8 hours left, and all of the Chicagoland boni plus the two about 20 minutes to the west yest to collect.  We have passed up the lit "Urban Towers" boni for 600 points, but can get it unlit for 100.  If we hadn't made a few wrong turn, got held up by that train, skipped dinner and did Black Hawk correctly, we would have got it too.  Hey, it's my first rally, I plan to finish at any cost.

As we spread out over a picnic table, we now begin to see other ralliers, finally.  First Gadget Dan with his tricked out "needs-a-new-cam-chain-adjuster-in-a-bad-way" 86 Connie, then the crumpled Valkerie and Tracy Horstman.  From now on, it's point to point, skipping the last "in-town" boni for the two left to the west, cause they're worth more and we have our "grocery list" yet of wildcards to do. It's at this point I realize we have only skipped six of all of the potential boni: the two way southeast, the Gateway Arch, the Periodic Table of the Elements, Springfield, and the mine in the northwest corner.  We are either going to finish very well or very poorly, based upon this analysis and the quality of the other ralliers. Afterall, we know all the "real" riders are at Gerlachfest (Sorry Don, couldn't resist).

There are several locations on the same corridor, so we elect to hit them north to south and see how it works, stopping at each one and figuring out exactly where the next one is.  We grab the two in Oak Park (missing the Continental Divide wildcard), and the "Urban Towers" in Berwyn for #22, when nature calls.  We land at a local 24 hour restaurant. Jedi's?, trying to figure out where the Manhattan's birthplace is.  The directions are kinda nebulous and we can't locate the cross streets on Don's BIGASS Chicago map.  The manager doesn't recognize the one street name (Cottage Grove) and he's lived in the area his whole life.  We finally find it near Washington Park, back out by the Lake.  We will leave it for last, time permitting as it's only 135 points and not worth the potential hassle considering the big points out west yet.

Continuing south, we get the partially, poorly lit Portage monument, the Resurrection Cemetary (no Mary) and proceed to the Red Gate Forest, the burial grounds of the Manhattan Project.   Here's where reading comprehension came in handy.  I had asked Cindi on Saturday morning what town this was in, 'cause it's not mentioned in the Rally Package; our instructions were to read everything carefully and ask any questions if you have them, it wasn't meant to be tricky, it's just the town's name was accidentally omitted.  I believe we were the only ones who got this location, despite it's relative ease.  That's 25.

We have the two out to our west, the shopping trip and Washington Park left.  We head west on 88 in search of these two gems: the sculpture at the Fermi Lab and the Pit at the Thorium clean up site.  The Fermi Lab was easy to find, the sculpture, however, was not cooperating.  It was way too dark for the Polaroids, despite the rising sun.  As we have the time, we patiently wait and take a test shot every 10 minutes or so.  Right about 6:10, the pictures are "good enough" and we get our shots and go.  The next stop is tricky.  The directions lead us off of IL38 to Joliet Ave, however, we can't find IL 38 although it's plainly visible on the paper maps.  Turns out, it's called Roosevelt Ave out here and not IL 38.   Bottom line, we missed the turn and it cost us another 20 minutes.  After wandering around West Chicago, we find Joliet, the Pit and get our picture; 27 so far, but time's running out.

Now it's time to go shopping: mylar balloon in each saddlebag, and the tomatoes, and other stuff.   We scream back to the finish line for a stop at the next door fuel station- 12 cold cans of soda later ($10, but 500 points for each of us), I go to snap my pic of the pothole.  Damn, out of film.  Don lends me his camera, the towel keeps flopping over in the breeze, he's telling me "It's OK.  You can push it home from here."  Snap, #28 the last one. Mark-up the photo, jam it between my teeth and we proceed the 300 feet to the motel.  10 minutes to spare- whew!

We each get handed an envelope for our materials, and I chime in like a smart ass "where we supposed to put the balloons?"- see they're in my saddlebags, and invisible to the rally staff. heehee.  We turn in the goods, check over our paperwork and turn that in a few minutes later.  A quick  check shows there are still a few riders out there, and we relay the news of the Valk- the staff had only half the story, they were missing the "He's OK part."  We hit the sack leaving an 11:15 wake up call.   925 miles.

Sunday September 17, Post Rally:

At 11:40 I rise when nature calls, and realize our 11:15 wake up call didn't come.  Shit.  Luckily, I had packed up before hitting the sack, so all I need is a quick shower.  I tell Don that I'll let Cindi know what happened and that'll he'll be along shortly.  The award lunch was scheduled in nearby Del Rhea's Chicken Basket, part of Historic Route 66.  Cool place, decent grub.

Some basic announcements, etc.  Then the highest placing rookie is announced: surprise, it's my name.  Then second overall, Don, my riding partner.   Uh-oh.  Eric Grundin took first on Theme Parks (another Connie) and then my name again for First GitD. 

Wow!  My first rally, to boot!  Gush.  Maybe I should retire undefeated?

Lunch broke up around 2, as Don and I bid our farewells to the other ralliers and staff.  Don and I top off the tanks and start heading east.   Somewhere near Elkhart, Indiana, Don pulls up waves and takes his exit.  I plan to spend the night at my in-laws near Pittsburgh, so I go into "slab mode" just plugging out the miles.  I pull in there around 11, just 5 minutes off a BBG pace; cold brewskis and a ham sandwich are waiting.  500 miles.

Monday September 18:

I get my first decent night's sleep in a few days waking around 7:30.   I hang out with the in-laws, finally hitting the road for home around 10.   Take some back roads to even out the wear on the tires.  Home by 3.  250 miles.

The tophy finds a home on top of our computer armoire.

I ordered new tires on Monday the 25th.

I have to settle on the "close but no cigar" IBET pin.