Getting ready to leave pilot Grove was slow and relaxed. I have a twenty-four mile ride and Nancy won’t get there won’t get there before 3:00 this afternoon, that is the check in time for this campground.
10:35 AM
The Pilot Grove Depot
11:49 AM
A little saddle repair
11:58 AM
I’m now in Prairie Lick. I sit at a shaded bench beside the trail. I have some time to kill and I now have full 5G cell service. I check emails, the weather for the upcoming week, and try to load the last two days onto my blog. Apparently WordPress is down, I can’t get photos to load. Since Sedalia cell service has been poor at best. I can finally open Google to route me to the campground. I rode past the road that takes me there.
So, I back track the three miles and head to Arrow Rock on rolling narrow shouldered roads in the heat of the day with no shade from the relentless summer sun.
3:00 PM
Nancy and Moe, excitedly barking out the passenger window, passed me one mile from the road into the campground. I arrive hot and sweat drenched looking for shade. None to be found.
Leaving the campground to get back on route is easy, I’m .2 of a mile from the trail.
9:12 AM
Sedalia Depot.
9:57 AM
I am in Beaman, not much from what I see. Just a road to cross and fields. A woman riding a lightly loaded bike rode by saying, “Enjoy your ride”.
11:00 AM
This trail goes behind the church where Nancy and I stopped for Moe to walk around and relieve himself on our way to Harry S. Truman State Park. As I rode up to the Clifton City Depot the woman that just passed me was there. I stopped for a photo of the depot and a bite to eat. She was also getting ready to eat. We began talking about touring, Emily is riding the trail from Clinton up to Machens. She lives in Colorado and is here visiting family. She lives an interesting life which made this chance meeting interesting. These moments add meaning to a tour.
12:45 PM
I just arrived at Pilot Grove City Park. I am relaxing only a few hundred feet from the Trail. I have called to register my stay with the Police Department. I can set up under the pavilion in the shade. There is a nice breeze, tonight I hope to sleep in comfort.
3:30 PM
The park has a pool that is being well used today. I went over and asked if I could take a shower. I was told that cyclists staying here can use the shower but the pool would be closing at 4:00 today. I was also told that it only has cold water. After the initial shock of the cold against my hot skin, this felt so good. I didn’t hurry and left refreshed.
Coffee and PopTarts at the community center with a nice visit with some local people, I’m now ready to go. I plan to stop in a town to get something better for breakfast.
8:19 AM
At the start of the Katy trail.
10:31 AM
Now I’m in Windsor. I just ate yogurt with a bottle of gatorade. I’m back riding towards Sedalia.
1:07 PM
I’m at the State Fairground Campground in Sedalia Missouri. This is where I’ll spend the night.
3:10 PM
I ordered a pizza with salad delivery. I’m hungry and hoping it will be here soon. The food was very good. It’s a luxury to sit in a campground and have dinner delivered.
I’m in the shade and it’s hot, 92° at 4:43 PM. There is a nice breeze, I hope it cools when the sun goes down.
Nancy just dropped me off at the Clinton Community Center. I’ll spend the night here and then start the Katy Trail tomorrow morning.
6:30 PM
A cyclist came in for the night, Bill. He is touring to Kansas to pick up the TransAm. Astoria is his goal.
The pool hall across the street came up when I searched Google for food. The reviews were promising so I called and placed an order for chicken quesadillas. I walked over to pick up the order and had a nice visit with the owners. The food was very good.
Having breakfast at the Marshall Family Restaurant.
7:00 PM
We arrive at Harry S. Truman State Park Warsaw, Missouri hungry and tired.
July 1, 2025
9:34 AM
Getting ready for breakfast, our day begins. This campground has a laundry so I’ll wash the two loads of dirt clothes while Nancy goes food shopping.
4:51 PM
Planning the route upto Lake Michigan in Wisconsin from Elden Hazlet State Park. I will ride the Katy Trail from Clinton to Machens, the end of the Trail in St. Charles, Missouri. Nancy will pick me up there on her way to the State Park Campground. We plan to spend four days there exploring the area.
8:29 PM
Today was spent doing laundry, food shopping and getting myself ready to head out to Clinton to begin riding the Katy Trail.
Hiking the SandFord Trail with thunder in the distance.
1:41 PM
We got back to the car as the rain began. Back at the campsite sitting under the canopy listening to rain. It’s not cooling off much.
The rain stops and we move our chairs out from under the awning. After dinner, spaghetti with locally grown sausage, we cleaned up and built a fire. Tonight is the first time Moe didn’t run into the camper to hide from the flames. We all enjoyed the campfire together. As the fire began to lessen light rain dampened the leaves above. We ended the day as it began with rain.
Change of plans. I am now going with Nancy to Harry S. Truman State Park in Missouri.
From there I will ride over to Clinton and ride the Katy Trail east to Booneville, Missouri. Nancy has a Campground there, she will visit the Budweiser Clydesdale Breeding Farm. I will continue to ride the Katy Trail east to Machens, MO. Plans to go to Omaha, Nebraska and visit a friend of Nancy have been cancelled. The lemons have turned into lemonade, I now get to ride the full length of the Katy Trail.
3:21 PM
We just got back from hiking the Beech Tree Trail.
Coffee and a pastry for breakfast. I’m not cooking anything here but I’ll make coffee. There are some places to stop along the way so I’ll nibble calories as I ride. It’s only a twenty mile day so hopefully I’ll get to Lincoln Trails before the thunder showers come.
10:14 AM
I’m back on my route, riding the trail system out of the city.
11:52 AM
Crossing into Illinois. It’s another hot and humid day.
12:02 PM
In Marshall, Illinois. I stop at a Convenience Store located at the intersection where I leave my route for Lincoln Trails. I gulp a large Gatorade and eat a cherry pie before riding Route 1 to Lincoln Trails campground.
12:47 PM
I’m now at Nancy’s campground. I am hot and tired but find the energy to strip the gear off my bike and store it in the back of the car. I cover the bike and hang my sweat-soaked bedding on a line to dry. Now sitting in a chair enjoying the cool air blowing while listening to thunder following this breeze that feels so good. The chairs are under the camper awning that catch the first drops of rain before the downpour.
After breakfast I packed up all my gear. Today I will continue riding west. Nancy will also pack up and leave for Lincoln Trail H.S, a campground in Marshall, Illinois. I will join her there tomorrow.
10:04 AM
I am back on my route and heading for Terre Haute where I plan to camp tonight. The campground there will split the distance to Marshall, Illinois. It is already hot and humid. I’m riding in the sun, mostly. Route 42 rolls through farmlands without shade. Today I wish for a headwind to take away the heat.
11:50 AM
Nancy drove by with the window down and asked if I was ok. Moe was leaning out barking with excitement seeing me. He didn’t want me to leave this morning. Now see Nancy driving toward me, she signals that she is stopping so I turn back and follow her as she pulls off the road. She brought me a Dr Pepper and a couple of cookies. What an awesome treat! It’s hot out here at 94° with a heat index of 107. The Heat Advisory says to stay indoors with air conditioning. Umm?!?!
2:30 PM
I am now at Hawthorne Park Campground, right off my route, the National Road Heritage Trail in Terre Haute, Indiana. It is 94° and I am hiding from the sun under a canopy of leaves shading my site. My tent is under cover and I’m hoping this heat will continue to drop. At 4PM it has only done so by two degrees.
6:30 PM
Dinner is Mountain House meat lasagna and a lukewarm ice tea that I picked up along the way. I will also eat one of the cookies that Nancy handed me on the road. I am relaxing and visiting with people walking the camp trails. The sun is beginning to set at 7:45 and the temperature is 91°. I will try to sleep without the rain fly for maximum breeze but it is clipped onto the tent in case I need to roll it down if a thundershower comes through tonight.
I am taking a few days for rest and recovery. Since leaving Dillon State Park on June 13 I have steadily ridden up and down hills, endured the heat in the high 90’s, rain, and headwinds. To arrive in this campground in Lieber S.R.A. on June 20 meant riding ninety-four miles from Greenfield through Indianapolis and on small back roads to Nancy’s campsite.
Yesterday I ended my day at 6:00PM, tired and hungry. I surprised both Nancy and Moe when I rolled into camp. It was unclear whether I would make the trip in one or two days. The cell service here is nil so it was difficult to update my progress.
June 22.
Today we rested in the shade with the temperature reaching nearly 90° before noon. After lunch Nancy and Moe went kayaking in the lake. I stayed in the campsite to clean and check all the adjustments on the bike. I got carried away with the task and forgot to photograph my bike on the work stand. It is now ready to continue west.
Nancy and Moe returned for a late dinner. With the sun setting and the temperature in the night 80°, I walked to the shower then settled into a camp chair to welcome darkness as the sun set.
June 23.
With breakfast over we drove into town, Cloverdale, a fifteen minute drive. We stocked up on food, a few supplies at a hardware store, and the pharmacy. Not much else happened, the heat took our desire to explore the hiking trails.
June 24.
Another hot one. After breakfast we lazed around in the heat of the morning. We’ve been talking about seeing Cataract Falls so we got into the car and drove to the Park.
12:40 PM
We are at Cataract Falls parking lot ready to begin seeing the sights. Next to the entrance is the covered bridge that spans Mill Creek.
We begin walking to Upper Falls.
Heading to Lower Falls.
2:29 PM
Ice cream in the town of Cataract at the 1886 SchoolHouse, now the Community Building. As we drove up to the building with eager anticipation we noticed a closed sign hanging disappointingly on the front door. A man was walking from the building so I asked Nancy to stop. I lowered the window and as the hot humid air rushed into the air conditioned car I asked this man if the ice cream parlor was indeed closed. He told us that it was. The disappointment on our faces, Moe included, prompted him to say, “I’ll go ask Wendy to open and scoop you some ice cream”. This kind man’s name is David.
3:03 PM
Back at our campground and tired from the long hike in the heat, we settled into chairs placed in the shade.
After dinner a young man of eleven came over to visit. He has been over a few times and always asks about my travels riding my bicycle. Tonight he asked many more questions that allow in depth responses.
It was getting dark as I walked to the water spigot that is next to the site where his family is camping. I filled my bottle and noticed the young man, Gage, sitting with his family. I walked over and offered him my traveling card with my contact and blog URL. His look did not conceal his excitement.
Experiences like this I find to be common while bicycle touring.
June 25
Today is laundry day, our last day here. Tomorrow we both will head to the next campground. We will both head to Lincoln Trail State Park in Marshall, Illinois.
