For me a successful day consists of three things. 1. ) I make my destination before dark 2.) No mechanical problems with the bike and no flats 3.) No constant rain. Today was a success. The partial Stonehenge is half sized and is located at Missouri University of Science and Techology. On these hot days I use the hydration pack from Camelbak. It holds 100 oz of water. I usually fill it to 64 oz and that will last me a couple of hours. Getting a drink while you are riding is easy. I have never biked through the Ozarks; I have only heard of them. The area is mostly forested (oak, hickory and pine) and many rivers. I enjoy the shady spots on these hot days. The trees give a nice fragrance to the air. My route has some low rolling hills and some parts where I use my easier gears. Can you see Rolla? That is where I was and the route goes SW. It looks like the mountains will be taller. I did not know the name Leonard Wood until I did some research and discovered that he was a commanding office of the Rough Riders. I knew of them because of Teddy Roosevelt and their fame during the Spanish American War. Following the war, Wood served as the military governor of Cuba and later of Philippines. Wood narrowly lost the Republican nomination for President in 1920. Devil's Elbow got the name due to a bend in the Big Piney River. This bridge was built in 1923. There are many reminders of the glory years, such as this abandoned motel.
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The heatwave is coming in. The temperature got up to 87 degrees. Stay hydrated! Last summer I purchased these sun shield arm coverings. They have an SPF rating of 50. I really liked them to protection. I would rather use these than the sun lotion. I found several places that were interesting to check out. It helps to break up the day. I love to see the classic cars. What a custom job on this one. In 1830 the Indian Removal Act caused the relocation of five eastern Native American tribes to the area that is now Oklahoma. During their walk many died of illness and starvation. Their route became known as the Trail of Tears.
A very comfortable day again to ride. What a nice stretch of weather. Later in the trip I will be going through some hot days! Enjoy the good days when you get them. There has not been rain for awhile. Outside of Pacific, MO is the Black Madonna Shrine and Grottos. This originated in 1927 from Polish Franciscan Brothers as a reminder of a similar shrine in their homeland. When I am on the road I pray for safe travels. This was a good spot for reflection before moving through the day. The route that I am using shadows Interstate 44. This visitor center is an attraction for "pet lovers", as they say. This reminded me of the I-80 World's Largest Truck Stop. Things sorta change, Some reminders are still standing. I would be surprised if there is someone who had not seen one of these signs along the road. Many still exist, but they are in disrepair from years of neglect. Lester Dill opened the caverns in 1935. While driving back from a Florida vacation he saw a similar marketing plan. He then began to offer to paint the barn if he could advertise on the roof. A 1968 law prohibits this sort of advertising anymore. This is the inside of the cavern. Limestone eroded from the underground water and left this open space. These are stalactites because the are holding tight to the ceiling. The stalagmites rise from the floor. I wish I had a small child with me. I was too embarrassed to only one on the splash pad with a beard. To say "I was disappointed" with the local water, would be an understatement. I can still dream. I ended my day in St. James. Many great sights along the way. Maybe my fatigue was not just from
the miles and road. Some time after lunch I like to find a local ice cream spot. If your little town does not have an ice cream store, I suggest that you start one. Each day brings its own challenges. I felt fatigued at the end of my ride. The road became bumpier as I moved to my destination. This uneven surface is grueling on the arms while I constantly am truing the front wheel. The steady shock of road vibration which moves up the arms to the shoulders is also a factor. Anxiety causes my grip to tighten and I need to remind myself to loosen up a bit. More frequent stops help the body. After supper I just felt like lying down and taking care of any tasks tomorrow morning. This is my 19th day of this virtual tour which has covered 331.4 miles meaning that I am averaging 17.4 miles per day. I have not taken a complete day off from cycling, but on two days I cycled only a half dozen miles which brings down the average. This relief map shows the elevations that I am avoiding by following the Pacific Railroad Route heading west. St. Louis became a natural settlement due to the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers which were the interstate highways of the country before roads. The Missouri River is 2,341 miles long and its tributaries provided a network into the west for traders, explorers and settlers. The Mississippi River is 2,348 miles long and it runs from Minnesota south to the Gulf of Mexico. When railroads began to head west, St. Louis was a very sensible place to start.
This train station is in Kirkwood. This is not the original station, but from 1890 and is being renovated. Like so many structures of the 1800s in the U.S., the original was destroyed by fire. This was the first planned city west of the Mississippi and was named after a surveyor and engineer for the Pacific Railroad. Tonight I stayed near Six Flag amusement park in Eureka. I have never been to a Six Flags park, but I have enjoyed others. Roller coaster rides are my favorite. The Missouri Botanical Gardens is the second largest in the U.S. What a great way to spend an afternoon walking the grounds. I have enjoyed my time in the St. Louis area and wholeheartedly recommend a visit. I hope that this post gave some interesting information and may spark the search for more information.
St. Louis is a wonderful place to visit and I wanted to take in some places of interest that are free. Hollywood is not only place with a "Walk of Fame" and I did not realize. This 5 miles walk is filled with many names of people known for their contributions to our world. I found names of some local sons and daughters: Chuck Berry, Maya Angelou, T. S. Elliot, Yogi Berra, Vincent Price, Martha Gellhorn, and Dick Gregory, City Garden Sculpture Park is right down town and just walk in to enjoy. What a beautiful view with the lights on. I liked to look of the Terrace View Building. Plenty of people on a nice day and easy to keep my social distance. It is OK to walk my bike. On a beautiful day, it is good to have place like this right downtown. I carry this multi-tool especially for what the bike might need : screwdrivers, hex wrenches, box wrenches, knife, spoke wrenches, chain breaking tool, star wrench, tire levers. One problem is to fit this cumbersome item in all the positions to use. Some places are too tight to work and that is why you try to use this thing before you hit the road. Today I was happy that I brought one that I could use today.
The glasses are in the picture because with progressive lens, I cannot find the right focal length. Today I had to take them off to see, but I got the repair done! A chilly morning had me leaving with long sleeves. I ended up keeping them on for the rest of the day as the temps barely got over 70 degrees, North wind and overcast. No threat of rain. All of that made for a great ride day. Amazing how big some of these farm implements seen on the farms. Chain of Rocks Bridge was started in 1927 and was a notable part of following Route 66. Crossing the Mississippi River is exciting for anyone Since 1999 it has been a bike way. You may notice the far end of the bridge. There is a bend in the bridge to accommodate the river channel for marine navigation. This bridge is over one mile long. The Arch in St. Louis, like so many places due to the Covid-19 virus, is closed. I remember seeing this as a teenager. A great view from the top. I am going through the gateway to the west.
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