• The "Prairie State" and the "Land of Lincoln" since Abraham Lincoln spent most of his life here.
• The Ohio and Mississippi Rivers are the eastern and western extent of the route.
• Illinois is a leading agricultural state and is part of the "Corn Belt." Plains cover 90% of the state with farmland consuming 75% of all airable land.
• State web site

Weather

• High humidity and hot temperatures
• Frequent thunderstorms

This segment starts by crossing the Ohio River on a ferry at Cave-In-Rocks State Park. The Ohio starts in Pittsburgh, PA where I lived for two years and worked for 10 summers at a nearby summer camp. It is the second most heavily used commerical river in the U.S.

This state will not take long to traverse as it only encompasses 132 miles of the route.

The western edge of the state is bordered by "Old Man River," the mighty Mississippi. This will only be the third time I've been west of the Mississippi River.

Other attractions along the route

• Ferne Clyffe State Park - a botanical wonderland
• Carbondale, IL - home of the "Bike Surgeon," and Popeye