Day 27 Quincy, IL to Keokuk, IA

Norma had told me that highway 96 was hilly, and we chose to ignore this and took 96 instead of following the river. It was 40 miles of hills, true enough. However what really made the day was the constant 15 mph headwind, and then the gusts...we actually had to peddle down hill. However we did enjoy a substantial drop in the humidity level, and truth be told the headwind was actually rather pleasant!
Andy rode on ahead to check things out, and April and I followed about an hour behind.
We crossed the Mississippi at Hamilton, IL and rode into Keokuk, Iowa. The change from one state to the next was tangible and riding into Keokuk felt a lot like riding into your hometown. We had bite to eat, checked our bearings and set off.

I stopped at the first motel we found to check on the rates... I was stunned to learn that it was nearly $100/night! I have never stayed at a Hampton Inn, so needless to say I didn't quite know what to expect. I asked the desk clerk if they had any discounts available, and she said "no", but summoned the manager.

McKenzie Slater, the manager, didn't strike me as the type of person to put up with a lot of non-sense, so I was quick to explain that we were on a fundraising ride, and that their rates were simply beyond our means. She asked what exactly our scholarship would fund. I said that we were raising money to help struggling part-time students such as working single moms... and right there and then Hampton Inn of Keokuk, Iowa put us up for the night for FREE!
If I was stunned by the original room rate, the generosity that was extended to us really threw me for a loop!! A HUGE thank you to Hampton Inn of Keokuk and especially to Ms. Slater!!