St Louis, Missouri

We expected an easy ride today for our triumphant entrance into St. Louis.  However, the day was anything but easy. Because of predicted early morning thundershowers we delayed our start until 6 a.m. (that is a late morning for us).  We had fresh doughnuts and coffee at Kim’s Bakery before leaving Grafton, IL.  We got about 8 miles into the ride when the sky got black, lighting danced just to our west, and Joe let out an ungodly shriek that stopped traffic.  Joe chose the last day of our ride and our worst weather to have a flat tire.  No sooner did he get off his bike than the sky opened up and we got drowned.  Once we got back on our bikes we cycled another mile and found shelter at an abandoned gas station.  When the rain stopped we headed out again on a bike trail.  The bike trail was so flooded that when our pedals were in the down position our feet went underwater up to our ankles. 

We eventually made it into the town of Afton where we knew they had several restaurants.  Unfortunately, they were all closed but eventually we found a Mac Donald’s where we had another short respite. Leaving Afton we cycled on the levee with an asphalt trail.  Eventually, the asphalt turned into gravel.  Just when we thought that things could not get worse the gravel ended and we sank into mud.  Because we were not paying close attention we both ended up in the mud.  It was so soft and sticky that we could not move.  Mud was caked so thick between the wheels and fenders the wheels would not turn.  The mud was so deep and thick that bikes stood by themselves.  In addition when we lifted our feet we had a ton of mud on them.  With great effort we drug our bikes off the trail and onto the grass embankment.  The muddy section was about 100 yards long so we drug our bikes along the embankment for that distance.  On the other side we again came to a gravel section where we found water puddles and tried to clean our bikes.  It took a good half hour and required some dis-assembly.  As we headed off again, we noticed that we missed our turn to cross the river to Missouri.  Going back to the turnoff would have put us back into the mud.  Going forward meant that we had to carry our bikes for about 20 feet then lift them over a closed gate.  Yes, we were having fun and reminded each other that adversity becomes adventure after 2 beers and a shower—rain showers don’t count!

On the Missouri side we stopped at numerous puddles to clean our bikes and bodies.  About 7 miles outside of St. Louis we hit a head wind.  Joe, the optimist, said that a head wind was good because it would dry our clothes.  This is the same Joe who said each time it lightening that it was great that Jeff was taller than him.

Arriving in St. Louis we headed directly to Amtrak to check our bikes then we took a taxi to our hotel.  The hotel is an upscale Marriott.  When we walked in we were greeted by the manager who wondered how we got so muddy.  We told her that we did clean up and that we would be back in 1 hour and show her that we can be presentable.

Sorry no pictures today. 

Summary statistics for our trip from Bemidji, Minnesota:

Ø      21 days of consecutive cycling.

Ø      1,200 miles.

Ø      57 miles per day average.

Ø      Longest day was 75 miles from Aitkin, MN to Little Falls, MN.

Ø      Shortest day was 26 miles from South St. Paul, MN to Hastings, MN.

Ø      Indeterminable number of bugs swallowed.

Maps:   Toady   Trip to Date

Gafton, Illinois

Our day started out really early as we cycled for about an hour before we saw daylight.  We were ok with this since we were backtracking and knew the road had a nice shoulder and there would be minimal traffic.  We arrived in the town of Pleasant Hill, IL after 15 miles of cycling.  This was the town where we had hoped to spend the previous night but the lodgings were no longer in business.  We did find an open restaurant.  Unlike our previous breakfast stops, the patrons were not overly friendly to us.  However, the owner (the cook) was very grandmotherly to us and fed us well.

From there we cycled to the town of Hamburg, IL were the Mississippi River flooded our route.  We managed to cycle around the closed streets and headed into about 20 miles of rolling hills.  These hills were short but very steep and some required use of our granny gears and lots of sucking wind.  At this point we were motivated by the thunder and lighting that was chasing us. 

Along the way we noticed lots of barns with quilt patches painted on them.  We speculated as to there purpose and came up with one theory.  We know that quilts were used by the slaves to mark trails to freedom for runaways.  If so, we could have been on an underground railway route.  Regardless, they were interesting and provided a new twist to Joe’s old barn photo series.

In Brussels we stopped at a bakery.  This time it was a real bakery but we were still disappointed in the limited selection.  About 8 miles north we caught the Brussels Ferry to Grafton, IL.  The bike trail into Grafton was also flooded.  Since there was little traffic on the roads it was not a problem.  Two years ago when we cycled the Lewis and Clark route we took this ferry after leaving Grafton.  Another coincidence is our lodging in Grafton.  This is our next to last night on this trip and 2 years ago our second night was at the same hotel and same room.

Arriving in Grafton, we noticed that many of the restaurants were closed despite posting business hours indicating that they would be open today.  The hotel manager told us that the economy is so bad that these places (as well as his restaurant) just decided to close on Monday’s. 

One of us was obsessed about cycling 70 miles and reaching our hotel by 11 a.m.  Despite the many hills, food stops, flooded routes, photo opportunities we made it into town by his 11 o’clock goal.  However, he was disappointed that actual mileage was 2 miles short of 70.

Maps:  Today    Trip to date

Pictures

Louisiana, Missouri

Our morning started out with sunshine and calm air.  Needless to say, we were excited and looking forward to a great cycling day.  You can probably guess what happened to our day.  After 2 hours of bliss we decided to cycle across the Mississippi to the home of Mark Twain.  Hannibal, Missouri was still asleep when we got there and we did not get to see Huck Finn or Tom Sawyer.  As we were eating breakfast we noticed that the sky was getting dark and the wind was blowing.

Back on the Illinois side of the river we got on state route 106.  The author of our guide book describes this road as flat and a place to “find a comfortable cadence and enjoy your ride.”  We had head winds and struggled to “enjoy” our flat ride.

Finding lodging for tonight proved difficult. We had hopped to stay in Pleasant Hill, IL and last night called the 3 places we identified.  The Motel did not answer its telephone and its voice mail box was full, the B&B’s phone number was disconnected, and the third place was expensive, off route, and had no food options.  Expanding our search put us across the river in Louisianan, Missouri at the River’s Edge Motel.  The motel is literally on river’s edge and just feet from the bridge.  We were given a nice room that overlooks the river and were told that each spring Cycle America stops here on their Mississippi River Tour.

We have 2 cycling days left until we reach our ending point in St. Louis, Missouri. When we planned this trip we left open the possibility of going all the way to Memphis, Tennessee.   However, we decided that we are both ready to head to the comforts of our homes.

Maps:  Today    Trip to Date

Pictures

Quincy, Illinois

Last night’s weather forecast led us to expect sunny skies, low 70 degree temperatures, and 15 mph winds from the NW.  The reality of today only brought 1 of the three expectations.  The day was overcast with light intermittent showers and temperatures in the low 60s.  However, the most important expectation was fully met and we flew.

Leaving Fort Madison, Iowa we had to cycle for a few miles on a 4 lane highway with a small 2 foot shoulder with rumble strips every 30 feet.  Not very nice but the traffic was light so it was no problem.  Ironically, about an hour later we cycled 10 miles on a closed road with 5 foot shoulders and no traffic. 

Entering the town of Keokuk, Iowa we cycled along the Mississippi before climbing into town.  There our route took us along “millionaire” row with wonderful restored mansions that overlook the river.  The attached photos are just a small sample of the wonderful homes we saw.  In Keokuk we crossed the river into Illinois and cycled to the town of Warsaw.

For days we have been fantasizing about finding a bakery and getting a slice of pie or fresh pastries.  As we entered Warsaw we saw the Gingerbread Bakery and knew we had to stop.  Upon entering the bakery, the 8 customers there stopped talking and stared at us.  We responded by saying “good morning, we must be in the right place.”  That broke the ice and the conversation flowed.  While the people were friendly we were not in a bakery.  The glass case had 2 cake doughnuts and 4 oblong iced doughnuts; none of which looked like they were baked in the Gingerbread Bakery. A sign that listed the daily specials looked like it had not be changed in years but at one time offered frog legs and peach pie.  Leaving Warsaw we cycled within 10 feet of the Mississippi mud flats and soon came across a youth fishing contest where many children were competing for prizes for catching the largest cat fish and turtle.

The next 20 miles to Ursa was a cyclist’s dream.  The road was relatively flat and went just the right direction for us to take advantage of the tail winds.  We covered these 20 miles in just a little over 1 hour.  That included the time we took to talk to Greg who was cycling in the opposite direction on a day trip.

We pulled into Quincy and were surprised that it is a large city.  We had to cycle 3 miles from the river (of course, all up hill).  Unlike most hotels on this trip, this one is located in a commercial area offering a wide choice of eating places.

Maps:  Today    Trip to Date

Pictures

Fort Madison, Iowa

Like yesterday, we woke to a heavy thunder storm forcing us to delay our start for over and hour.  We hoped to find breakfast before leaving town but nothing was open.  So we hit the road with 2 bananas each and a bag of Twizzlers (Joe’s favorite food).  Once we were underway we faced strong headwinds for our 3 hour ride into Burlington.   Besides our breakfast stop for the bananas and Twizzlers we only made one stop at the Toolesboro Indian Mounds.  We were there before the interpretive center was open so we did not get much out of the stop other than seeing mounds of dirt. 

Arriving in Burlington (a large city) we expected to have our choice of at least a dozen breakfast places.  In the “downtown” area we asked about 10 people where to eat and the best that was offered was either the gas station or a 2 mile ride out to the highway where there were many places to eat.  With a heavy heart we parked our bikes at the gas station. There we were approached by the first person we asked about food.  He told us that he felt bad that he could not give us a better answer the first time he talked to us so he kept asking until he found us a spot.  That spot was only 2 blocks (meaning 8 blocks) further on our route.  So we headed off to Jerry’s Diner, a very small place with about 10 stools at the counter and no tables.  We squeezed in on the 2 available stools and were welcomed by Michele, the chief, and several of the customers. Michele has the warmest smile and a twinkle in her eyes that made her customers feel extra special. Even though we were hungry and our objectivity may be questioned, the food was fantastic.  Thanks Michele!  And the price was also amazing: 2 eggs over, coffee, and 1 very large pancake was only $3.50.

Next we headed toward Fort Madison, our destination for the day.  About 8 miles out of town our route indicated that we should get off the fast highway that we were on for only a short time and take country roads the rest of the way.  The highway had a 2 foot shoulder and the speed limit was 65 mph; not a good option but only 8 miles to town.  Our country road route was 13 miles and had hills; also not a good option.  We flipped a coin and took the country road which had less traffic and allowed us to stop at a rodeo, a bison ranch, and gave Joe time to take some pictures. 

We are safely tucked in at a nice hotel and glad that we did not get caught in any storms today.

Maps:   Today    Trip to Date

Pictures

Wapello, Iowa

We woke to auspicious skies and decided to turn on the TV for a weather report.  The local station’s broadcast was dominated by severe weather warnings and related weather news. We were directly in the path of the storm that recorded a front with 50 plus lighting strikes, 50 to 60 mile winds, and golf ball size hail.  Related news was about the damage the storm was causing—trees and power lines down and flash flooding.  We waited an hour and let the front pass be for heading out.  It was raining but we were determined to move on.  Within 3 miles we found a breakfast spot and walked in looking like drenched rats.  Other patrons were either questioning our sanity or praising us for our spirit of adventure.  After breakfast we went another 15 miles and sometimes enjoyed a tail wind.  However, when we reached a town that was home of the “Rockets” (the school’s mascot but we don’t remember the town’s name) the headwinds stopped us in our tacks.  It was time for a second cup of coffee and hot cinnamon rolls. After a half hour layover we got back on our bikes and got drenched in a downpour that lasted until we reached Muscatine, Iowa. 

After reaching Muscatine one of us wanted to stop but the other wanted to go on.  We flipped a coin and headed to Wapello.  For the most part the rain held off and we had a slight tailwind to carry us along.  Depending on the weather for the rest of the day, we may either venture downtown for dinner or just hibernate in the motel for the rest of the day.

Maps:  Today    Trip to Date

Videos of today's storm from our hotel room door, about an hour before we left on our bikes. 

Rock Island, Illinois

Last evening in Savannah the hotel staff invited us to a reception that was planned to show off their newly renovated rooms to the local community.  We had hot and cold snacks, fruit, wine, and beer.  It was very good and allowed us to skip dinner.

Today we had bike trails for most of our 65 mile journey.  Leaving the hotel we had to backtrack into town to catch our first bike path.  It took us 15 miles to Fulton where we caught another bike path.  It was like that all day.  It was not even difficult to navigate.  All we had to do was keep the Mississippi River on our right and route 84 on our left and head south. The morning heat and humidity were uncomfortable but by mid-morning a storm front moved in and it cooled us off for a while.  Even though the storm brought the headwinds it also produced some cooling rain. 

Near Moline we passed a hotdog vendor in a park.  His dogs smelled so good that we stopped and ate.  This hot dog vendor was very popular.  In addition to a steady stream of customers, a small bus from a retirement community stopped so the residence could feast on his dogs.  While we were eating, 2 women cyclists stopped to ask about our journey.

Our hotel for the night is an older hotel that is undergoing renovations.  While the room is nice the desk clerk sat behind bullet proof Plexiglas.    The neighborhood isn’t much better.  The streets are lined with “car title loan” businesses and pawnshops.  We don’t plan to go out after dark.  This is far different from all the other places we have stayed.

Maps:  Today    Trip to Date

Pictures