Miles 2310 to 2408, 98 miles, 2950 feet of climb (gps said 4012), max speed 43 mph, avg speed 15 mph
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| The Bridges at Quincy over the Mississippi |
Another state today! Illinois! Today was perfect riding weather on the least perfect roads. Jim, our original mechanic, said Missouri was the state he feared the most: bent frames, crushed wheels, broken spokes. Yup; he knew what he was talking about, and the bike shop in Quincy saw many of the riders today once we checked in. The alphabet soup of Missouri’s country roads (E, K, C, A, and others) meant one thing: intense rollers on roads that were potholed and tarred. County Road E was particularly brutal, but that is all behind us now. If the topography of Kansas can be compared to a pancake, Missouri is a waffle. Once we dropped into the Mississippi River Valley at Canton and got on the Great River Road we all thought we had died and gone to heaven. Bad road slowed me down, which had the side effect of making today one of my best picture taking days. It is very hard to decide which photos to include in the blog.
The Amish were out in full force today. Early today we were greeted by three sisters, probably ages 5, 7, and 9, as we approached one town past their home. They said good morning and God’s speed, and we wished the same back to them. We had been told never take pictures of the Amish folks, and if you want a picture of a buggy or mill, always ask first. I will have to treasure that moment as a memory. They all had their bonnets on and identical dresses. So cute, and an aura of goodness surrounding them.
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| Old Gas Station and Edsel |
I will complain no more about my knee. We have a Dutch rider that really has a whopper of problem with his right knee. I have never seen such a knot grow on one. The doctor didn’t know what to do with it other than ice it down and see what the morning brings. Bob’s bruises, from the accident with the pickup truck, are in full bloom. Ouch.
The one regret I had today is that I didn’t get to meet many new folks today. I did have breakfast with a California couple that has been empty-nesters for a couple years now. They are traveling to Chicago for a wedding and then will head back through Canada as a vacation for the two of them. They went the southern tier of Arizona on the way out and found out how hot hot can be. NM and TX were erased from their itinerary and they headed to Chicago via CO, KS, and MO instead.
Bottom Line: It was emotional to cross the Mississippi River. The West is behind, the eastern America is ahead.
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