By the time we finished breakfast, got dressed in our bike gear and packed up our stuff, the colors of the sunrise had dissipated and we were left with some beautiful cloud cover.

Ready to start Day Two…

And what better way to kick-off the morning than with a steep hill to warm-up those muscles?! This one is called Photo Hill. And so I did.

More rollling through beautiful farmland today.

And more apples…

And more animals to play with.
Always eager at the fence line to watch the thousands of bicyclists rolling by.

Today was a bit brighter, and the colors more vivid. We still had quite a few hills to tackle… pedaling up one side, and rolling down the other.

The fun continues mile after mile…

When we got to lunch, we were greeted with another great visual that brings back memories of many a group bike ride! Rows & rows of porto-potties.

With plenty of apple cider at the ready to quench the thirst of many a biker.

Back on the road cruising through endless color.

With more farmland along the way. And for the first time, these grain bins were actually “working” being filled with corn. I’ve never really heard that happening before. Not surprisingly, it’s pretty darn loud. Still a fun photo-op – especially with a group of kids & parents pedaling by on tandems & trailers.

So I’ve already stopped for llamas & cows… so why not stop again for a trio of friendly horses?!

By the time we got to the final rest stop of the day, the sky was clouding over. We only have another 10 miles to go, so no hurry here.

Okay, so there is this little obstacle in the way. My nemesis.
We go up this hill every year and I hate it every year!!! Anything over 20% incline is tough!
Not to mention that the hill is one lane up, and one lane down. There are a LOT of bikers tackling it at the same time. Several people walking it up the right. Fewer passing on the left. My shoes are clipped into my pedals. The road is rough. The should is non-existent. And I’m pedaling so hard that the front wheel of my bike is literally lifting off the road. Not a fun time.

No need to worry about THAT speed limit, huh?!

We made it to the end of the ride, and it was so cute to see the tandem group finish with their kids. We had been seeing them all weekend, on the road and “camping” at night. The kids were so cute, and troopers on the road.

Back in the parking lot, we were done with another Hilly Hundred… and gearing up for the ride home. A quick shower, change of clothes, pack up the car and on the road again. This time without pedaling!!!

Another wonderful ride through rural Indiana. Beautiful colors. And fun with friends.
Until next year…