Day 26-27 Fort Wayne to Wabash 55.4 miles Wabash to Monticello 59.5 miles Total 1,250.6 mi

 Leaving the LaSalle Inn, the riders made their way across Indiana's grid-like back roads, tracking the Wabash River, to Wabash.


Wabash was a cute little town, known for being the hometown of Crystal Gayle as well as a winter home for traveling circuses. It is also notable for a short but wacky five days in 1942, when Modoc, a 1900 pound circus elephant who performed with The Great American Circus, was startled by barking dogs and rampaged through the town and surrounding countryside.  She broke into a local market to eat their roasting peanuts and evaded capture until a circus employee lured her back with 26 loaves of bread and 5 gallons of whiskey.  Or so they say.....

We stayed at the elegant Charley Creek Hotel and participated in "First Friday" where shops and restaurants are open with special deals and people wander the main street with their snacks and drinks.  



The next day, June 5, was an extremely difficult day for the riders.  Early on they followed along Pipe Creek and stopped for a picture of Pipe Creek Falls.  That was pretty much all the water they encountered for the rest of the day!  
Odd fellow on the way out of Wabash at a Metal-Recycling Facility




We all stopped in the town of Peru, birthplace of Cole Porter.  We met a lovely man who told us all about how the town had developed the Peru Amateur Youth Circus for children from 7-21.  The youth practice and perform at an annual festival.  Apparently the level of skill is impressive and several performers have gone on to professional circuses and venues. There was also a Farmer's Market with live music in the square in front of the local museum.  The riders enjoyed a break and scored some free delicious apples from a biking enthusiast orchard farmer.

More farmland...corn, corn, soybeans and more corn and grid-like roads that go straight as an arrow for miles.  They rode more than 45 miles without coming across a gas station, store or public building where they could find water.  At a point about 15 miles from their destination of Monticello, IN, Allane drove to meet them with some very necessary Gatorade.  

Monticello and the nearby Indiana Beach is a summertime destination for river and lake activities as well as RV campgrounds.  Motels and hotels were full, but we found a cabin at one of the RV "resorts."
Thankfully, there was a beach bar and restaurant right there for re-hydration and sustenance.









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