Sunday, July 6, 2008
day 36
5 July 2008
We made it to Kentucky today! We woke up to lots of fog at the campground, but it cleared up soon after we started riding, and it was sunny and hot the rest of the day. Our ride took us on lots of fun back roads through the rest of Illinois. We crossed the Ohio River in a ferry over to Kentucky. The Ohio river didn't seem to be higher than normal. I thought that was interesting, since the Mississippi was so high.
We rode to Marion, Kentucky, but drove off route to Princeton, so we could stay in a hotel and be close to a church. We rode 71 miles.
We made it to Kentucky today! We woke up to lots of fog at the campground, but it cleared up soon after we started riding, and it was sunny and hot the rest of the day. Our ride took us on lots of fun back roads through the rest of Illinois. We crossed the Ohio River in a ferry over to Kentucky. The Ohio river didn't seem to be higher than normal. I thought that was interesting, since the Mississippi was so high.
We rode to Marion, Kentucky, but drove off route to Princeton, so we could stay in a hotel and be close to a church. We rode 71 miles.
day 35
4 July 2008
It was raining quite a bit this morning, so we took it easy and had a big breakfast and waited for the rain let up a bit. Illinois is very pretty, and more so because of the rain. We rode past farmland, forests, and lakes. It was an especially pretty ride today. We rode 78 miles.
We are staying in Goreville tonight, in a State Park. We went out for pizza, and saw the fireworks show in town, to celebrate the 4th.
It was raining quite a bit this morning, so we took it easy and had a big breakfast and waited for the rain let up a bit. Illinois is very pretty, and more so because of the rain. We rode past farmland, forests, and lakes. It was an especially pretty ride today. We rode 78 miles.
We are staying in Goreville tonight, in a State Park. We went out for pizza, and saw the fireworks show in town, to celebrate the 4th.
day 34
3 July 2008
It rained most of the night last night. It rained on us for the first part of our ride, too. We drove back to were we left off and started from there. A little before we got back to where we stayed last night, we hit a really busy section of highway. Tons of semis were flying past both ways, it was raining, and the shoulder was very torn up and basically unrideable. My dad tried to go up onto the road, off the shoulder, to miss a torn up spot, and there was a lip between the road and the shoulder, and he went down. He skinned his elbow up pretty bad, and got some road rash on his leg. Since we hadn't reached where we camped yet, we were able to stop off and get him patched up. Fortunately he didn't get hurt too bad, and was fine to keep riding.
We crossed the Mississipi River today! It is very high. There were some flooded roads down next to the river. I can't tell how much higher the river s than normal, but my guess is at least 6 feet. Now we're in Illinois. We're staying in Chester, which is the birthplace of the guy who created Popeye! We rode 84 miles. We are camping in the city park here. We talked to the Sheriff and the police about staying here, but two cops still showed up and wanted us to leave. We had to explain things, and then they let us stay.
It rained most of the night last night. It rained on us for the first part of our ride, too. We drove back to were we left off and started from there. A little before we got back to where we stayed last night, we hit a really busy section of highway. Tons of semis were flying past both ways, it was raining, and the shoulder was very torn up and basically unrideable. My dad tried to go up onto the road, off the shoulder, to miss a torn up spot, and there was a lip between the road and the shoulder, and he went down. He skinned his elbow up pretty bad, and got some road rash on his leg. Since we hadn't reached where we camped yet, we were able to stop off and get him patched up. Fortunately he didn't get hurt too bad, and was fine to keep riding.
We crossed the Mississipi River today! It is very high. There were some flooded roads down next to the river. I can't tell how much higher the river s than normal, but my guess is at least 6 feet. Now we're in Illinois. We're staying in Chester, which is the birthplace of the guy who created Popeye! We rode 84 miles. We are camping in the city park here. We talked to the Sheriff and the police about staying here, but two cops still showed up and wanted us to leave. We had to explain things, and then they let us stay.
day 33
2 July 2008
Today we rode through the Ozark Mountains, which was interesting. We started in what they call the Missouri Highlands, which were at around 1500 feet. Then we went DOWN a ways to the "mountains", which were essentially a ton of killer hills to ride, but mostly lower than where we were riding before we reached them. All that Kansas riding seems to have made my legs forget how to ride hills. I got really worn out today. The Ozarks are very pretty, though. I am amazed at how dense and green everything is here.
We stopped at a campground along the road, just after Johnson's Shut-Ins State Park (which was closed for renovation, or we would have stayed there). But the campground we had planned to stay at turned out not to be a great spot. So we ended up driving further, to St. Joe State Park. I'm glad we did, it is much nicer. Mary will just drive us back in the morning to start off where we stopped. We rode 77 miles.
Today we rode through the Ozark Mountains, which was interesting. We started in what they call the Missouri Highlands, which were at around 1500 feet. Then we went DOWN a ways to the "mountains", which were essentially a ton of killer hills to ride, but mostly lower than where we were riding before we reached them. All that Kansas riding seems to have made my legs forget how to ride hills. I got really worn out today. The Ozarks are very pretty, though. I am amazed at how dense and green everything is here.
We stopped at a campground along the road, just after Johnson's Shut-Ins State Park (which was closed for renovation, or we would have stayed there). But the campground we had planned to stay at turned out not to be a great spot. So we ended up driving further, to St. Joe State Park. I'm glad we did, it is much nicer. Mary will just drive us back in the morning to start off where we stopped. We rode 77 miles.
day 32
1 July 2008
We rode through an area with lot of Amish people today. They had signs up warning of carriages. We passed one going the other way but I wasn't able to get a picture until it was way down the road. It was a very hot day.
Dallin and Haley have been really excited to ride with us, so we tried to make it happen today. The roads for the last couple days have been narrow, with no shoulder, and lots of cars. So we tried to pick a spot that was ok for them to ride. In the end we met up with them in one of the towns on the route and they rode on the sidewalk next to the road for a bit.
We've seen armadillos killed on the road the last few days. I had no idea they were in this area. We talked to someone who said that they have only come into this area in the last few years. She also said there's not much hope of seeing one during the day, because they only come out at night.
We are staying at a Family Youth Center, in Summersville, MO. It has a roller rink, and horses, and a playground and grass area. It is very neat. The owner runs it mainly off donations, I guess, and charges next to nothing for kids to come use it. We took the kids over to rollerskate for a bit. They had a lot of fun.
We rode 89 miles.
We rode through an area with lot of Amish people today. They had signs up warning of carriages. We passed one going the other way but I wasn't able to get a picture until it was way down the road. It was a very hot day.
Dallin and Haley have been really excited to ride with us, so we tried to make it happen today. The roads for the last couple days have been narrow, with no shoulder, and lots of cars. So we tried to pick a spot that was ok for them to ride. In the end we met up with them in one of the towns on the route and they rode on the sidewalk next to the road for a bit.
We've seen armadillos killed on the road the last few days. I had no idea they were in this area. We talked to someone who said that they have only come into this area in the last few years. She also said there's not much hope of seeing one during the day, because they only come out at night.
We are staying at a Family Youth Center, in Summersville, MO. It has a roller rink, and horses, and a playground and grass area. It is very neat. The owner runs it mainly off donations, I guess, and charges next to nothing for kids to come use it. We took the kids over to rollerskate for a bit. They had a lot of fun.
We rode 89 miles.
day 31
30 June 2008
We rode 85 miles to Marshfield, MO. Missouri has lots of hills! Lots of areas have signs that say 'impassable during high water', so I'm sure glad they aren't experiencing high water, or we wouldn't be getting very far :)
In Marshfield we are staying at the city park. They have a rodeo arena, or whatever you call it, here that they are getting ready for the 4th. We talked to a nice lady that got the showers opened up for us, and showed us where to set up. She said that they have the longest running 4th of July celebration West of the Mississipi, and that George Bush (not W) attended the 4th of July celebrations there once while he was president.
We rode 85 miles to Marshfield, MO. Missouri has lots of hills! Lots of areas have signs that say 'impassable during high water', so I'm sure glad they aren't experiencing high water, or we wouldn't be getting very far :)
In Marshfield we are staying at the city park. They have a rodeo arena, or whatever you call it, here that they are getting ready for the 4th. We talked to a nice lady that got the showers opened up for us, and showed us where to set up. She said that they have the longest running 4th of July celebration West of the Mississipi, and that George Bush (not W) attended the 4th of July celebrations there once while he was president.
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