Hanging out with Dave’s friend, Rick, in Saint Louis. I rolled up to his house around six thirty and we’ve headed out to Shelly’s for dinner and drinks.
I think I’ll hang out here a few days.
Author: Ryan
Day 20: Ferrying the River
Crossing the Illinois River
Day 4: Photo of the Day
Western Wisconsin
Day 20: Frosty
Left Subway last night and Beth, the owner, handed me a bag of cookies; had one for breakfast this morning.
Woke at 6am, Erik (view his website) started the coffee and breakfast… I rolled over and moaned a few times. Everything was damp and frosted.
I’d tried stuffing newspaper in my shoes last night to dry them out, but it didn’t help much.
After breakfast of cous cous, onion, carrots,and scrambled eggs, I packed up and headed back to the laundromat to dry my shoes and warm my hands and feet.
I’m sure I’ve damaged the adhesive on my shoes, but I can reseal them and it was worth removing some of the dampness and all of the cold.
We’ve been passing quilt prints painted or stuck to barns around here. Barb told us that it’s a thing that people travel from around the country to see. They’re pretty neat looking.
Heading to the Brussels free ferry across the Illinois River and then into St Louis to stay with a friend of a friend.
Sunrise on the Illinois River
Day 19: Camping in the Illinois River Valley
Tonight we stopped into the Hardin Drive-In restaurant and asked if we could camp behind the restaurant if we ordered dinner. The employee called the boss and asked and they said yes; so we ordered a pizza for $12.75 and setup on the riverbank just downstream from the historic Hardin bridge. The southern most bridge on the Illinois River.
We had a side wind or a tailwind all day, along with some big hills during our 55 mile ride. Erik topped out at 49mph (beating his earlier speed today of 44mph) coming down the ridge into Hardin at dusk.
Laundry is doing circles at the 24 hour laundromat. This post is being transmitted to the internet at the Hardin Subway.
On to St Louis tomorrow …. 63 miles to go.
Day 19: Hack of the Day
Fenders keep warping and rubbing on the tires. After riding through a ton of mud last night my fenders bent again. So today,I just ziptied the side that wouldn’t stay in place. I suspect I’ll be ziptieing the other side soon.
Day 3: Photo of the Day
Lake Peppin
Day 19: Cold ground was my bed last night
Little cold waking up this morning. Pushed through toward Ashburn and ended up calling next to a creek under a vine canopy and out of the wind.
Day 18: Grocery Shopping
Those sure look like fluffy moisture heavy clouds to me… But they also insulate and can keep the air warmer. Everything is a tradeoff.
Today’s menu is: ham and cheese sandwiches, peanut butter and rye crackers , and a bottle of cheap wine. … And probably a Clif Bar or two.
Day 18: Winter is coming
Heading to at least Ashburn, MO with Erik today into the headwind. Maybe push to Louisiana, Missouri if the stars align. The days of sixty degree weather are over up here … Must push South into St Louis before Saturday when the high temperature is just a few degrees above freezing.
