NY man cycling across America is bitten by a dog in Illinois: ‘I just kept going’

Bob Barnes, the person who’s bicycling to all 50 U.S. state capitals in a single yr, had a face-off with an aggressive canine inside days of reaching the state of Illinois.

Barnes, 52, of Syracuse, N.Y., visited his capital no. 39, Springfield, on Could 3. Alongside his cross-country journey, which started in summer time of 2021, Barnes has had just a few shut calls and a few harmful experiences; his tent even caught hearth amid his Michigan journey. 

Barnes has additionally been chased by animals — together with a unfastened bull in Kentucky — however the journey in Illinois was the primary time he was bitten by an animal on his journey.

‘He was on a mission, and I knew it’

Barnes was biking by a rural space of Illinois when the canine — a blended breed, with a yellow coat and a beefy construct, he mentioned — got here after him.

“He was on a mission,” Barnes mentioned. “And I knew it.”

After he visited Springfield, Barnes was bitten by an aggressive canine. Seen on this picture from Barnes is a spot the place he arrange camp.
(Bob Barnes)

Barnes carries pepper spray with him in order that he is ready for any animals that come after him whereas he’s biking. 

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Barnes, nevertheless, missed his first strive at spraying the canine in Illinois. That’s when the canine bit Barnes on his left buttock.

“I simply saved going,” Barnes mentioned. “I saved pedaling.”

“It did not rattle me … I felt I used to be in management.” 

— Bob Barnes, on getting bitten by a canine

The canine saved following him, however Barnes used his pepper spray throughout the canine’s second and third strategy.

“I bought him good, and he went again residence,” Barnes mentioned matter-of-factly. 

“I used to be very calm as a result of I’ve finished it a bunch of instances,” he added about warding off aggressive canines. “I wished to ensure I didn’t crash whereas I used to be taking a look at him and on the point of pepper-spray him.”

Barnes mentioned the Illinois State Capitol Dome is certainly one of his favorites from the journey. “It takes your breath away,” he advised Fox Information Digital about this nicer facet of his time spent in Springfield.
(Bob Barnes)

After visiting the Illinois State Capitol, Barnes visited a blood donation middle run by ImpactLife — he is made a degree of attempting to provide again to others throughout his journey. His bicycle is pictured in entrance of the constructing. 
(Bob Barnes)

Barnes wasn’t injured, nevertheless — and the incident did not sluggish him down.

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“It did not rattle me,” Barnes mentioned. “I am really beginning to assume perhaps that exact can of pepper spray is not the energy it must be or one thing,” he added. 

‘You possibly can really feel the historical past’: Using on Route 66

The Illinois State Capitol dome in Springfield was certainly one of this bicycle owner’s favorites to this point on his journey to all 50 capital cities.

“Whenever you’re up on the second degree, and also you lookup into that dome, you lose your breath,” Barnes mentioned. “It’s like trying down from a skyscraper, however you’re trying into the abyss. It’s actually cool.”

Using alongside Route 66 was a favourite a part of his journey to this point, Barnes mentioned. 
(Bob Barnes)

“It has a lot character,” Barnes mentioned of the historic Route 66 freeway. “It’s a street — nevertheless it’s a vacation spot itself.”
(Bob Barnes)

Throughout his time spent in Illinois, Bob Barnes met a person named Tom who runs this small store on Route 66. 
(Bob Barnes)

What Barnes particularly beloved in regards to the Prairie State was driving alongside Route 66. 

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“It has a lot character,” Barnes mentioned of the historic freeway. 

“It’s a street, nevertheless it’s a vacation spot itself.”

Barnes stopped to look at this sculpture in Lexington, Illinois, on Previous Route 66. 
(Bob Barnes)

“You possibly can really feel the historical past on the street,” Barnes mentioned of Route 66. “It’s fairly cool.”
(Bob Barnes)

Barnes and his bicycle are pictured at Tom’s store on Route 66. 
(Bob Barnes)

Whereas he was pedaling on Route 66, Barnes met a person named Tom who runs a store on the freeway.

“He welcomed me and advised me about every thing on Route 66, gave me some nice literature on what to search for in every city, which was superior,” Barnes mentioned. 

He added that Tom exemplified the remainder of Illinois. 

“Illinois may be very welcoming,” Barnes mentioned. 

One landmark alongside Route 66 that notably stood out to Barnes was a filled-in subway, he mentioned. 

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“Route 66 turned so busy that they needed to dig a tunnel beneath the street,” Barnes mentioned. “They known as it the subway on this little city, for the children to cross the road.”

“After which, at one level, they stuffed it in as a result of Route 66 went away,” he added. 

This filled-in subway stood out to Barnes as an fascinating piece of historical past.
(Bob Barnes)

Throughout his journey, Barnes handed the world’s largest lined wagon, proven right here in Lincoln, Illinois. 
(Bob Barnes)

“It was so odd,” Barnes mentioned of this statue in Atlanta, Illinois. “It was simply there and it was enormous — and it was like, ‘Simply come take a look at me, as a result of I’m an enormous Paul Bunyan consuming a scorching canine.’” 
(Bob Barnes)

Barnes additionally stopped by a Paul Bunyan statue in Atlanta, Illinois. 

“It was so odd,” Barnes mentioned. “It was simply there and it was enormous — and it was like, ‘Simply come take a look at me, as a result of I’m an enormous Paul Bunyan consuming a scorching canine.’” 

‘Outrageous’ and ‘violent’

Barnes confronted a few different challenges whereas in Illinois: the wind and a damaged cellphone. 

“I at all times really feel like persons are going to assume I’m exaggerating when I attempt to clarify the wind, nevertheless it’s outrageous,” Barnes mentioned. “It’s violent.”

The wind was so intense in Illinois that it knocked over Barnes’ bicycle.
(Bob Barnes)

“It’s extremely onerous, bodily demanding simply to pedal into the wind,” Barnes added, explaining that the wind has been the toughest a part of his journey total.

He mentioned it was much more difficult than biking uphill. 

“It’s unbelievable how windy it may be.”

Bob Barnes, 52, of Syracuse, N.Y., has been biking to each state capital within the span of 1 yr. His subsequent cease after Illinois: the state of Iowa. 
(Bob Barnes)

One morning, proper as he was heading out for the day, Barnes dropped his cellphone and cycled over it. 

The damaged cellphone wouldn’t activate once more, so Barnes needed to discover a Verizon retailer by asking folks alongside the best way. 

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“It didn’t demotivate me, nevertheless it did take a toll on my stress ranges,” Barnes mentioned of the incident. “I don’t prefer to admit that I get wired, however that was slightly troublesome.”

Barnes discovered the folks in Illinois to be “very welcoming.” He took this image in Cayuga, Illinois. 
(Bob Barnes)

Barnes noticed this attractive rainbow within the sky in Cayuga, Illinois. 
(Bob Barnes)

He was in a position to make it to the following Verizon retailer and get arrange with a brand new cellphone. 

“The cellphone itself is essential,” mentioned Barnes, who has been documenting his journey and posting the adventures on Fb.

Subsequent cease: Iowa

After he left Illinois on Could 6, Barnes arrived in Iowa for his fortieth capital metropolis: Des Moines. 

As soon as he visits every capital of the Decrease 48, Barnes defined that he plans to bike to Juneau, Alaska, after taking a ferry from Canada. 

He’ll later bike to Honolulu, Hawaii, after flying along with his bike to the island. 

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Fox Information Digital has been following Bob Barnes’ journey throughout America and detailing it for readers on this distinctive Way of life sequence. To atone for — or take pleasure in as soon as extra! — his earlier three journeys earlier than the one described right here, learn extra beneath:

NY man biking to all 50 states burns his tent down in Michigan: ‘I attempted to not panic’

NY man biking throughout America enjoys the ‘kindness’ he present in Indiana’s capital

NY man biking to all 50 states faces bull on the unfastened in Kentucky: ‘Imminent hazard’