Day 7: Eureka to Chanute, KS

Today was a relatively easy 63 mile ride (as easy as 63 miles goes, that is), although it was a bit hot. 

Here’s a picture of Matthew and me at a historical marker, courtesy of a motorist who also stopped at the marker and asked us where we were headed:

Here’s a picture of a piece of very patriotic folk art that I took note of on the side of a building in one of the small towns we passed:

Upon entering the very massive public park complex in Chanute, KS, I was approached by a pastor named Bill who asked me to speak to his bicycling group (ages 12-92) later that evening about what motivated me to ride the TransAmerica Trail.  

After setting up camp and getting cleaned up, I biked over to where the group was meeting and briefly shared my TransAmerica story to date.  I had several individuals from the group stop by my camp later that evening to engage in further conversation.

I cooked camp food that night (Ramen soup and beef stew) since I was too tired to bike into town for a meal.

Days 8 and 9: Chanute to Pittsburg, KS

On Day 8, Matthew and I biked from Chanute to Pittsburg, KS, a distance of about 60 miles. We enjoyed a mostly overcast day.

Along the way, I passed a rare golf course with two golfers enjoying the game.  They appeared to be the only players on the course:

I must admit that I thought it would be nice to be doing something normal like enjoying a game of golf!  And then I biked on…

I also encountered the first train crossing my path:

The Bristol Biker (Matthew Moran) and I continue to follow the buddy system.  We start out together and stop a pre-planned rally points to get a cold drink and agree on the next leg of the journey.  Matthew is a more experienced and skilled cyclist so he is always ahead of me.  He often sends me a text saying where he has stopped.  He especially alerts me if he’s discovered a McDonald’s along the way.  He’s a terrific traveling companion and quite the humorist!

When we arrived in Pittsburg, we decided that the city park was as good as any hotel.  We also decided to add a day of rest.

On the first night, we went to Napoli’s restaurant and enjoyed a fabulous Italian dinner.

At the camp site, we were joined by another cyclist, Bill, who was heading home to Colorado.  We built a fire in the fire pit and Bill entertained us with his ukulele (which he carries on the back of his bike!)

On my rest day, I headed off to the library to record the last blog entry.  I must admit that this trip is going very fast and that some of the details become more foggy over time.  Fortunately, Matthew is available to sharpen the details that I can’t recall.

Day 10: Pittsburg to Ash Grove, KS

Today was a 73-mile day. Shortly after leaving Pittsburg, we crossed into Missouri, the Show Me State:

For the fashion consultants out there, please forgive that my pictures generally show me in the same bicycling outfit.  For this 1/2 of my journey, I downsized to only two biking shorts and two biking shirts. I try to wash out the outfit on a daily basis. If I don’t get to it, the rain is certain to help!

Today was the start of our journey through the Ozark Mountains, dreaded by cyclists across the world for its extreme slopes.  Today provided only a taste of what was to come.

While transiting the Ozarks, Matthew and I tended to take more frequent cold beverage breaks, including at a biker bar we ran across in the middle of nowhere.

When we arrived in Ash Grove at the city park, we were greeted by Mike,  who runs the cyclist hostel on the property.  Two West bound TransAmer’s, Phil and Alan, were there at the hostel as well.

Matthew and I had become so accustomed to camping that we decided to pitch out tents in the adjoining park area. We were not enamored with the thought of sleeping in an air conditioned space.  We thanked Mike, and his wife, Cindy, for their kindness. Mike gave us several helpful recommendations, including shortening our next day’s trip because of the severity of the Ozark Mountain climbs in the area.

For dinner, we ate convenience store chicken, which I rated as worst meal ever on my TransAm journey (ok, maybe I had something similar during the first 1/2 of the journey). 

While we were out shopping, I suspect that some frolicking kids tumbled into my tent, collapsing it.  I later found permanent bends in my tent poles. Try as we might, Matthew and I couldn’t straighten the poles. Fortunately, the tent continues to be serviceable.

Matthew later found two precious items of his missing from the clothes he left drying on a picnic table: a red bandana and a black long sleeve t-shirt (which he used to discourage those pesky mosquitos). 

These were the first mischievous things that happened to our unattended stuff during the journey.  We figured that kids will be kids. Matthew was quick to replace the bandana at the next Walmart opportunity.

Otherwise, we enjoyed a quiet and restful night.

Day 11: Ash Grove to Marshfield, MO

Today, we biked 50 miles through more intense hills.  It was a hard ride and the temperatures and humidity were elevated.  There was a constant threat of rain, which would have been a welcome relief!

I took more breaks along the way to avoid heat exhaustion (I could tell that the heat was getting to me when I would sweat profusely, actually hear my heart pounding during extreme climbs, and notice the feeling a loss in stamina in my legs).  After a few moments in the shade to catch my breath, and a drink of water, I was able to continue nearly as strong as ever.

We crossed paths with a couple of West-bound TransAm’rs. There was an increasing drumbeat to these encounters as more TransAm’rs hit the trail.

Here’s a picture of me as I was crossing U.S. Highway 66:

We camped at the county fairgrounds, near the rodeo area.  Except for the cold showers, this site had everything we needed, including electrical power.  It rained all night and the train whistles were a constant source of irritation for Matthew (I tended to sleep through them).

As we entered town, I noticed a sign for Mongolian BBQ. When we went to dinner, we found that the place was closed.  But there was a Chinese restaurant (more of a diner) open nearby where we feasted on American-style Chinese food.

Day 12: Marshfield to Bendavis, MO

It rained this morning so we had a slow start as we packed our wet camping gear.  We stopped at Casey’s General Store (a chain) for coffee before embarking on a 47-mile journey.

We “enjoyed” 3 impossibly steep climbs but I felt that my climbing abilities were improving with each day.

We stopped in Hartville at LJD’s Cafe where where our server introduced herself as “Amazing Amanda.” This was a great rest break because the place was cool and the Cokes were cold.

I passed sheep, a peacock, and many turtles attempting to cross the road.  There were so many turtles that Matthew and I discontinued our practice of helping them all across the road.  That would have been a dangerous maneuver with all the hills and blind crests.

Although I was a grueling day, I did capture this river scene:

We also entered logging country and began to pull over to allow the unyielding logging trucks to zoom by us, especially as we approached the crest of a hill. For most of our time in Missouri, there were no shoulders along the road.

While the following sign was always a welcome sight in the Rockies, it signaled anxiety for me in the Ozarks.

As compared to the Rockies, I actually achieved greater speeds over shorter distances cruising down the downhill inclines in the Ozarks.  But I quickly learned that every extreme downhill was immediately followed by another extreme uphill.

When we arrived in Bendavis, we went to the local grocery store (more like an agricultural supply store).  We were greeted by the owner, Alan,  who showed us the customary cyclist’s camp site behind the store. We later met co-owner Rebecca and their five kids.

We passed the heat of the afternoon at the store and met some inspiring individuals, like John the rancher, and another John the veteran.  We were treated to a home-cooked meal by a local family, making this the best meal ever during my TransAm journey. This small town with a population of about 7 embraced us as members of their family. 

Matthew and I witnessed Americana at it’s very best! Bendavis stands as my most memorable stop along the TransAm.

We enjoyed another restful night, only to be awoken to the sound of rain (again).

Day 13: Bendavis to Alley Spring, MO

Today, I powered through the multiple climbs over a 55-mile journey. Temperatures were favorable and the skies were mostly overcast.  

I passed four West-bound TransAm’rs. Since I was rapidly descending and they were struggling in their climbs, we didn’t stop to exchange greetings.  There’s an unwritten rule here I guess… don’t unnecessary slow momentum or stifle progress.

The National Park Service Alley Springs Campground is really, really nice, and is situated along the Jack’s Fork River.  The bathrooms and showers are world-class.  

After setting up camp, a motorcycle camper named Albert offered us hamburgers.  And a truck camper named Linda gave us a whole pizza that her sister Lisa had retrieved from an adjacent town.  We were struck by their friendliness and generosity.

We turned in early only to be awakened by a severely hard rain.  This was the most forceful rain I’ve experienced in a tent to date.  My tent didn’t leak a drop.  Matthew was similarly fortunate. 

When we woke up (it was still raining), we counted our blessings that we had each pitched our tents on high spots in our campsite since the lower spots were flooded.  We also noticed that several trees had come down in the storm.

Here are shots of our campground and the adjacent river:

Here we go again… biking with wet camping gear (it’s much heavier than desired)!

Day 14: Alley Spring to Ellington, MO

Today, we intended to bike about 40 miles to Centerville, MO. But after 33 of the most grueling miles on the TransAmerica Trail (to date), even Matthew decided that we’d had enough.  We had been physically and emotionally worn down with extreme climb after extreme climb. As for me, I wasn’t physically shattered but cracks in the glass were evident.

As we were catching our breath in Ellington, a lady named Christy pulled up in her truck and told us about the Chamber of Commerce bike hostel just a block  away. She convinced us to stay in Ellington because the weather was forecast to be wet (ruling out our intention to camp in Centerville) and because Ellington has a grocery store where we could get fresh fruit.

Here’s a picture of a hot, tired, and bit soggy Matthew at the bench where Christy met us. He was checking in with home:

The hostel had a hot shower and camping cots for our sleeping bags.  The adjacent pavilion gave us a place to dry out our drenched camping gear.

We enjoyed outstanding food at Checko’s Mexican Restaurant and helped soothe our aching muscles with a pitcher of margaritas.

We retired early to our cots only to be awaken near midnight by a spontaneous beer party likely involving every one of the young adults that live in the town.  I was amused to hear a variation of music that I can only describe as country rap.  Fortunately, a neighbor came by to encourage the kids to party more quietly. They promptly complied.

It went on to rain for much of the night so we were thankful to be in a dry place.

Day 15: Ellington to Farmington, MO

After a restful night, we decided to push on with the 61 miles to Farmington. We enjoyed coffee at a local cafe before heading out.

It rained for much of the day, providing some relief.  There were a lot more turtles on the road but also a lot more trucks that required us to pull off on the shoulder.  Most of the truckers were very respectful but one or two “buzzed” us to within a few inches, as if to remind us who’s King of the Road.

We took a water break at Missouri State Park HQ. I took a Coke break at a convenience store when I received a text from Matthew that simply said, “Big M.”  He found a McDonand’s just down the road and I sprinted to join him.  I enjoyed a Big Mac meal.

We arrived at Farmington in style.  It’s one of the most sophisticated towns along the route.

As we were arriving at the town’s bike hostel, named Al’s Place in tribute to a local biker who lost his battle to cancer, we met West bound TransAm’r Dan from New Jersey.  The city has dedicated the old city jail, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, in Al’s honor.  After surveying the hostel together, we all agreed that it is a gem of a place and more than worth the suggested donation of $20.   It even has a laundry and locked storage for bicycles.

Here’s a picture of Al’s Place, and a picture of me and Dan:

We ate at the local Bar and Grill, which had a full food menu and impressive bar menu. Dan, 30+ years our junior,  listened attentively to the lessons we shared about biking ergonomics, basic bike tools, on-the-road nutrition, and safety items such as a mirror.  Dan wasn’t enjoying his TransAm experience as much as we were so we were eager to share tips that would enhance the remainder of his journey.

Days 16 and 17: Farmington, MO to Murphysboro, IL

Today, on day 16, we decided to go for broke and ride 85 miles to Murphysboro. The climbing profile was much kinder than previous days. We stopped in St. Marys, MO, and, after crossing the Mississippi River, in Chester, IL, home of Popeye the Sailor.

We took a popular TransAmerica detour along the Mississippi Levee Alternative, which gave us a keen sense of just how fragile agriculture communities along the Big Muddy really are.

Here’s the long and narrow bridge we crossed to get over the Mississippi (it reminded me of the sad shape of U.S. infrastructure–I couldn’t help but inspect the crumbling concrete as I rode along!):

Here’s me at the Illinois line:

Here’s one of the many Popeye tributes in Chester, IL:

After riding the levee system for 20+ miles, we found a bar called the Bottom’s Up in Jacob (vicinity of Neunert), IL, and met BJ, Bob, and other patrons, and Christy the owner.  They advised us to stay put since there was a serious threat of severe weather.  We watched the radar, frequently looked outside, and waited it out for 3 hours, where I consumed cold Cokes and ate lunch (grilled chicken sandwich).  As forecast, the heavens open up in impressive ways. Once again, fortune was with us!

BJ offered us a warm place to stay at his home. He even offered to load up our bikes in his truck and drive us to Murphysboro.  After the main cell passed, we decided to press on by bicycling to Murphysboro.  We made it to town with daylight to spare and without nearly a drop of rain.

Matthew beat me to America’s Best Value Inn where he negotiated a fabulous rate for two rooms for two nights. We appreciate the hospitality of Christian, and his father, motel owner Ramesh, who happens to also be from England.  We enjoyed a great stay.

The first night, we ate at Sergio’s Mexican Restaurant, and the food was superb.  The second night, we ate at the world famous 17th Street BBQ, again enjoying a fabulous meal.

We used the extra day to rest our aching muscles, tune up our bicycles, and get ready for the next week’s journey.  It was a magnificent post-Ozark break!