3 days across 3 States and 2 major rivers! Whoopee

Posted on 29 Sep 2011 by John

Monday 26th September My 31st wedding anniversary and I have remembered to send a card and to phone my good wife!

We wake to clear skies but irt was so cold. My sleeping bag was really damp from the condensation in the tent from the previous nights storm and sleep had been minimal. Packing up everything in the dark was painful and my fingers really hurt. Today was the first time I had got out the legwarmers and the arm warmers. I even put on the cheap little waterproof jacket I had bought in Eureka. As the sun came out a heavy mist covered our road out of town, We set off after a warm , though not necessary healthy breakfast with concerns as to what lay ahead. We are also both a bit tense and edgy about our ability to maintain our scheduled finish date.

However as the day wore on things actually got better. The fog burned off really quickly, the day warmed up to very comfortable riding conditions; the scenery and countryside was very enjoyable. The only issue causing us both angst was which route to take – stick to the Official Trans Am or deviate to more direct but busier routes which may not be so safe. The agreed lunch stop was at Farmington but on the way I stop at a gas station and see the following sign on a coffee machine (I hate to say it but US coffee is by and large just aweful!) but I had to try the pumpkin spice. It tasted good but it was not coffee.

At Farmington tensions are running high but we receive collective advise from a number of independent sources that all say, :leave the Trans Am for a while and follow Route 32 to St Genieve where there are a number of hotels and we will then be able to make educated choices the next morning. It is agreed. Again I race ahead and secure a good cheap motel ($45 a double room or $22.50 each) We even get a spare room to hang out to dry all our wet camping gear, Only let down is no quality internet access again but we are used to that by now! Total distance for the day 116klms.

Eating choices galore but we want steak and veggies and we are directed to the Old Brick House. It does us proud again at a good price washed down with a few Bud Lites and Amberbacks

St. Genieve is evidently the oldest town west of the Mississippi, founded by the French and surrendered to the English and the Old Brick House is the oldest building. The whole old part of the town looked very interesting and it is a shame we did not hav more time to explore it.

Tensions are over as we have made the decisions about our routes and agendas. Tomorrow we are going to cross the mighty Mississippi into Illinois

Tuesday 27th September Up bright and early and thank goodness it is nowhere as near as cold as yesterday. More importantly and for the 1st time in the whole journey a strong and favourable tail wind that lasts all day. And what made it even better was that although we made several mistakes on direction during the day, every one turned out in our favour by either avoiding hard hills or by shortening the official route by several miles. Stu was very pleased.

So two highlights of the day. Obviously the Mississipi, although we did not see it at its grandest (but then we would have to be along way soth for that)

and a super surprise. As we arrive in the town of Chester we find that it is the home of Popeye the Sailorman. ha ha Well we can’t go past the museum etc without popping in can we? Talk about childhood memories and now presents for the grandkids

After that as we move on, I see a hair salon next to a bike shop and take the opportunity to get a haircut (first one in 2 months and long overdue!) whilst my Garmin, which had been playing up, is fixed at no cost The lady cutting my hair (Spanish speaking) kept saying she wanted to make me look beautiful and ‘andsome. I tried to explain “you cannot make a silk purse out of a pig’s ear” or too late for miracles. She refused to understand! But I am sure my friends from WRCC will understand mission impossible.

So we make it to Marion Illonois( (125 Klms). This time Stuart goes ahead (whist i am having the hair cut) and books the hotel (same price again v good).It is important for him to have I/T connectivity but again he is disappointed. However McDonalds is just down the road and thy have free wifi so we spend he next hour there pretending to drink their coffee etc whilst he updates his blog ha ha

Been a good day for both of us and it is inished with the best value buffet at Ryans Teak house. As much as you can eat and all very healthy even down to the no sugar added apple pie!

Stu reveals that his has a leg problem(maybe a trapped nerve that kicks in after about 4 hrs ride. We decide it maybe because he is trying too hard to catch me all day. So we decide that tomorrow he will set off about an hour ahead of me and then we have a chance of arriving at the agreed lunch point at the same time. It will take the pressure off him. This time we are crossing the Ohio River into Kentucky. For some reason we both believe it will be another ferry crossing and so that is the agrreed meeting point! Good night sleep needed as the journey is to be another 120+ klms.

Wednesday 28th September Bit dull and overcast and a few drops of drizzle at 7 as Stu leaves. I wait at Macca’s for an hour checking emails on their wifi and by then the drizzle ahd gone but remained a threat most of the day. But good roads and again tailwinds though not as strong as yesterday. The plan would have been perfect had Stuart not had to pop into a shop to buy cheap specs- he had misplaced his reading ones – and he did not leave his bike in an obvious place and so I whizz past him unknowingly. Hicup 1: Hiccup 2 is there is no ferry just this bloddy great steep incline bridge with no bike lane and awefully large expansion joints that could swallow a bike let alone a bike wheel. Hiccup 3 – no phone connectivity (again) so we cannot contact each other to double check. After waiting about 1/2 an hour for Stu I attack the bridge and at the last moment manage to avoid the expansion joints. Luck is on my side for I had no passing trucks as I cross and now enter Kentucky

Hiccup 4, the agreed lunch rest point does not exist and still no phone connectivity. Anyway I reach the agreed destination of Sebree by 2p.m. and still no contact from St until about 3.30 when we finally both have connectionadn he is only about 1/2 and hour away and more importantly he is feeling good. the paln of taking the pressure off him has worked even if evreything ealse was a stuff up!

As I ride into Sebree notice that already the hallowe’en decorations are out even though it is not due until the end of Oct. I had not realized that it was such a big event . The two photos show the extent to which people will go in preparation. It is almost bigger than Christmas.

Tonight we are staying in the local First Baptist Church and hey ahve made us so welcome and evne provided us supper at no cost.

I usually like to finish the day with a couple of beers. This town has 7 churches or chapels but if I want a beer I have to ride 20 miles (32 kls) in either direction – we are again in a dry county!

Tomorrow morning we will be leaving behind most of Stu pannier bags behind to be collected by a relative and that should allow him to travel with me much more comfortably and allow us to put in more big days to get ahead of schedule.

My schedule is still 113th Oct but Stu wants to finish by 10th. We will see how it goes.