Month: May 2022

Last night was in the 60’s and the light breeze kept the tent dry so I enjoyed a cup of Elbow Room coffee with a danish before packing. I was able to put away a dry tent and head off to ride more hills.

Mileage wise the day will be short, 43 miles, but the terrain would give me a long day’s ride and working hard for all of these miles. For the next few days I will be in the heart of the Ozarks where the hills are long and steep.

I will meet up with Nancy at the Circle B Campground just beyond Eminence, MO. This section offers nil for places to eat and so breakfast was my only food so when I got into town I detoured into town for a two pint treat of ice cream and a Dr.Pepper. The temperature reached 95° while climbing and there was no shade to escape the burning sun. I was only .5 miles from the campground and feeling tired so rather than press on I treated myself and arrived with a full belly, quenched, and with a much lower core temperature. I still had enough room for the dinner, burritos, that Nancy was preparing for tonight’s meal.

Yesterday it rained hard and steadily without end and at night the lightening shined a spotlight into my bedroom window. I stayed inside mostly with the exception of going across the street and through a parking lot for a bite to eat. This morning as I woke and looked outside it still was raining steadily. I made coffee and ate breakfast while planning the day. I would like to head west again and connect with Nancy tomorrow, I pack up and ride out of town. I make one stop to stuff some food in my bag for lunch and dinner tonight.

The roads busy with traffic soon turn back into nice quiet back rambling roads leading me through the Ozarks, bringing me up and down more than forward. The countryside now is filled with dairy farms and small towns. This area has armadillos, many of which do not make the trip to the other side of the road. Talking with an older local woman, who proudly announced that she was born and raised right here, that there were never armadillos in the area until about five years ago. Global warming has tamed the winters and so these critters have been migrating up from Texas.

This morning as I began riding I was hoping that the weather would clear while going west, the storm is moving east and that I would dry and be able to setup camp in the warm afternoon sun. Maybe not, it began misting again as I neared the town line. But, as I rolled into town, the sun lit up the courthouse lawn where I’ll spend the night. I set up and cooked dinner watching the sun set and began to relax. As I am write this the drizzle is back tapping on the tent.

Today I left my humble tiny house to cross the Mississippi River into Missouri and tackle the Ozarks. Rain is heading this way and arriving early this evening so I will stay at Al’s Place, a cycle hostel on the second floor of an old historic jail. Farmington is a town that contrasts the other town I’ve ridden through on this tour. Within a few blocks from this hostel there are cafes, boutiques, and small shops. I chose Redemption Pizza and hit the bullseye.

Crossing the Mississippi I began riding on highways filled with large fully loaded trucks hauling coal over the open land that spreads for miles to the distant hills.

Soon I turned off onto smaller less busy roads that curve upwards following the shape of the hillside. I began the journey into the Ozarks.

Today I was in no hurry to get on the road. The distance to Chester, IL. is only 38 miles so a short day of riding. The strong cool headwind I pushed into slowed my pace and made the ride seem a lot longer but I still ended at the Bike Shack hostel hosted by the F.O.E. in Chester with a few hours remaining before dinner so I showered and put up a line to air dry my cycling clothes.

Most of the day was winding along roads that seemed to reach the sky before falling, twisting and turning to the base of the next hill only to climb into the wind back up to the clouds.

The story of Popeye and Chester, IL https://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/2657

Now I’m relaxing with a full belly looking at the oatmeal raisin cookies I plan to have after I finish this blog entry. Tomorrow morning I cross the Mississippi River and start climbing into the Ozarks to the hostel in Farmington, Missouri.

I left Lake Glendale, Nancy, Scooby, and Moe without a rest day. Today was a good day to ride with enough time to go the 63 miles to Murphysboro before rain. My map didn’t show any places along the route for food but I knew that I could get there with the snacks I packed if I couldn’t find some real food.

On my way to Goreville I connected with a cyclist touring the same route. Rand was riding a trike and his wife Jan was crewing and following him with his gear. We stopped for photos and shared our stories before Jan pulled in behind us to join our conversation. I was headed to Murphysville and they were going to Carbondale. Luck was on my side, I found a Subway a block off route before leaving town.

The roads today were rolling but not the short ups and downs of yesterday. Today the rolls were long but not as steep and without the headwind I could pedal with less effort and more speed. I arrived in Murphysboro with the rain beginning as drops, just enough to not tempt me to continue riding to the Mississippi River. Without the urge to go on I left the route to head to a motel where I will sleep and stay dry until morning. Tomorrow is another day and it will be the day I cross the Mississippi River into Missouri.

The rain was gone and the sun lite the morning as I packed my gear. My stomach growled while I finished and then headed to the park restaurant just up the hill. Buttermilk pancakes with bacon, orange juice and coffee was my choice. No regrets as I finished the stack of three.

The Cave-in-Rock, a cave with a rich history of river pirates that robbed and killed for the cargo of ships traveling the river. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cave-In-Rock,_Illinois

Leaving town and back on county roads I headed west to Lake Glendale in the Shawnee National Forest to meet up with Nancy about forty mile away. I am now just across the Ohio River in Illinois with Kentucky on the east side but here the landscape is much different and so are the roads. Here the roads have a shoulder and the hills are much longer with steeper grades. It’s mostly farmland with large equipment working the fields and fewer places for food and water.

It was on one of these long climb that I met Julie who was now traveling east on TransAmerican bike route. She started her tour in California riding Route 66 to Missouri before connecting with this route to Yorktown, VA. We had a pleasant visit and swapped information and stories. When riding alone for days it is a joy to meet up with another person that relates with my adventure.

I arrived at the campground late afternoon tired and hungry, that breakfast was my only meal today. In camp I hung up my sleeping bag and rain gear to dry, I was still wet from rain when I crawled into bed last night. After a shower we enjoyed a real home cooked meal, pork stir fry with rice compliments of Nancy, and then walked one of the trails with the dogs.