Princeton, IL August 2

Alex and I are back to having random adventures and meeting all sorts of people on the road again! We forgot what it was like to be "unique" on the road during RAGBRAI, but the last couple days have been good reminders of how friendly everyone can be when you are touring.
Yesterday we rode from Dubuque to Clinton, about 65 miles. We had planned to go farther but right after we crossed the bridge into Fulton, IL my chain got caught in my derailleur, breaking my chain and bending my front derailleur. Alex was only able to temporarily fix it, leaving me stuck in my grannies. We met a nice older couple at a gas station who were very helpful and with their help we found a nearby camping spot. This morning we called around at 8 am and found a bike shop that was willing to repair my bike immediately. 2 hours and a new chain later, we were able to hit the road again. Today we biked from Clinton to Princeton, IL, about 70 miles. In Fenton we met a guy who just did his 32nd RAGBRAI (!) and offered his house and services to us. Unfortunately, it was too early for us to stop for the day. Next we stopped in Prophetstown for lunch, which turned out to be one of the most friendly stops we have made thus far. We met a nice man (that I regret we did not get his name) who told us about a great bike path going east across IL and then went home to get maps to give us about the trail and about bike routes in the state. We decided to try to hook up with this trail- the Hennepin Canal Trail. We also met another man who interviewed us and took our picture for the local paper! Mom, be expecting a copy of the paper in the mail! We are now officially celebrities! We made it to Princeton and swung by the police station to get the word on camping. We've discovered that the police know some good spots and they can also bend the rules and let us stay at places we wouldn't normally be able to camp. Tonight we're at the county fairgrounds with the whole place to ourselves- all showered and for free! Tomorrow will be another adventure on the canal trail!