This day is set aside for replacing components and having some fun. A different kind of fun, kayaking with a tandem boat on a lake! This was Nancy’s great idea to bob on the water in the cool breeze. No pics, just relaxing together.
We also would need to change the campsite later today as this one had been reserved so we hooked to the camper and went to the other side of the lake for the night.
This is a great site on the edge of a bank overlooking the water.
I’m beginning to understand that even though this heat is not the norm for this area it is the norm for my trip. Today is another day with a temperature reaching 95°. I will go off route at mile 48 to ride north to Ruark Bluff Campground where Nancy has set up camp. This detour brings my mileage for today to 64 miles in shade less heat over long and steep hills.
I finally arrive to the joyful barks of dancy little doggies and a welcoming smile with an “I’m sorry this was so far off your route.” We went down to the lake and waded into the water for a core cool down. Once cooled we ate and settled down for the night. Yes, it was almost 8 PM when I finished riding.
The night was comfortable for sleeping and I was tired so the bright courtyard lights did not keep me from quickly falling asleep. The morning dew, heavy on the tent, dried as I cooked and ate breakfast. I also enjoyed a slow cup of coffee before packing up to ride out of town.
By 10 AM the sun quickly brought the temperature up to 95°. I just drank fluids and consumed ice cream. Ice cream not only provides fuel to keep my legs turning it also cools my core.
A constant forward grind brought me to my planned destination, the Fair Grove Historical cycling hostel. I cooled in the only shade of this day under the trees surrounding the historic Mill, a steam powered mill. I called the contact number and began looking over the site waiting for someone to come and open up the area for my stay. Gail shortly arrived on a scooter and offered to have me stay with her and Tom, her husband. So back on the bike I climbed to follow her to their home located less than a mile away. This very generous offer closed the day.
Today I cooked oatmeal with blueberries, thank you Garrett and Amy, for breakfast and brewed some Elbow Room coffee. It would be another short mile day so no reason to hurry. Still I would start riding at 9 AM to tackle the hills before the sun could begin baking the countryside and broiling me in the process. A good plan but a short lived one.
When morning tipped into noon the heat dialed up the amp to 11. I stopped into a small store in the middle of nowhere except being the middle of my day’s ride.
I ended my ride at the courthouse lawn in the center of Hartville, MO. This is the county seat with a population of 600. Most of the storefronts are boarded up or being torn down. Still, this town is bustling with traffic. The cars, pickups, and tractor trailers seem in a hurry to pass through without stopping. I sat watching the hustle until the day dimmed and the evening cool set in before setting up camp and cooking dinner.
Today is the day I leave Nancy and the doggies at Circle B Campground with all the comforts I enjoyed over the past few days. The river flowing through the campground cools the area that is quiet and peaceful. But, Oregon is waiting and I am excited to arrive in Astoria on the northwestern coast.
To get back on route which is less than a mile beyond the steep climb on a loose gravel road that connects this site to Route 106, the road brings me through Summersville to Route 17 to Houston where I will sleep in the town park.
I chose Houston, which is a 43 mile ride because the other option is 65 miles away and the hills between Circle B and either place are long and steep. I arrived mid afternoon, fried from the heat, 96° with no shade. I Immediately sat under the picnic pavilion out of the sun enjoying the strong cool breeze. Once I became cooled and refreshed I cooked dinner and set up my tent for the night. The cool evening air promises a good night’s rest.
It is 8:45 PM, I am sitting here in the dark finishing up today’s blog post. A neighbor of this park walked over and offered me this plate of food and wished me a good night. This kind man is generous beyond words, …
After a breakfast of pancakes with real maple syrup from Brattleboro, VT. and a pot of Elbow Room coffee I will see a bit of the Ozark National Seasons Scenic Waterways. I see most of the tour from a cyclist’s eye but today I will see another view point, that of a hiker.
Nancy, the dogs, and I drive up the Alley Spring and Mill, about ten miles west. It is on the route I’ll ride tomorrow. This spring puts out an average of 81 million gallons of water per day!
We also hiked one of the trails climbing the ridge overlooking the valley where the mill is located. Nancy stopped to examine the flowers and watch the birds.
We also met two horseback riders out on the trail. Some touring cyclists refer to these non-riding days as rest days. I prefer to think of them as days with opportunities to see the world differently while exercising a different muscle group.
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.