3 States In One Day

Quiz for the day................What three states did we visit today?  For extra points quiz, which state did we spend the least amount of time in? 

Charleston - Dyersburg  (no hints form me on the states)

I originally was going to title this update..............."no hills and the riding is easy".........but having learned from prior experience it is best to wait until the day is done.  We spent the majority of the day on flat ground, but we did encounter a few hills towards the end of the day and as such the title changed.  We also found a new crop................can you guess..................  The morning found us getting out of town with minimum traffic and we may have had our nicest early morning ride.  There was some nice clouds and David and Rex debated (weather) it was going to rain or not.  (it didn't)  We had flat riding and did not see as much corn as we have seen during the trip to date.  It turned out the reason was that the ground was not ready for planting this spring.  It turns out that a portion of the area we went through was subject to the flooding you all may recall happened the spring.  The area we were in was were they broke the levee to prevent more flooding from impacting the state of .............(not going to tell you).     We had a great crossing of the Mississippi River today.  We crossed at Dorena, which is in the state of (?) and arrived in the Hickman, which is in the state of (?).  The crossing was accomplished by a ferry, which was very cool.  We also had our 3rd flat tire of the trip.  Now everyone has had a flat.   David's flat happened in a nice quiet place and the fixing went well.  During the stop to fix the flat, we talked with some USF&G wardens who gave me the lowdown on ducks, etc.  We continued to make good time but ran into some route problems as we had decided to depart slightly from the MRT.  We lucked out again and made it into Dyersburg without any problems and found our favorite place to stay........Holiday Inn Express.  Just finished dinner at a very interesting dive bar, which Rex finally found a beer to his liking.  All in all a good day.  We are headed into Memphis tomorrow and will be working on our route tonight.



PS - Pictures........looks like we are back in business...........would like to tell you that I figured out the problem on why I could not send them, but somehow the problem has worked itself out.  Anyway, enjoy the pictures...........I hope.

As usual, the facts, and just the facts..........come from David...............

Today's miles:  78
Avg. MPH:  10.9
Total miles:  980.3
Daily avg:  65.3
Technical difficulties:  As Bill said, a flat tire.  A very slow leak.  I kept falling behind and had to work hard to keep up.  I thought I was tired.  Then realized I only had half full tire.  It was a small but hard thorn that just touched the tube.  Hot work on a dry hot road.  980miles, three flats.  Not bad as these things go. 

And.....More

 Home of the "Pickers" (the TV show I guess)

 Looking good guys!

 In front of the "The Pickers" 

 David & Rex in Lansing, IA

 Bill, Lansing IA (fear the beard)

Another road closure! (Lansing, IA)

and....More Pix

 The guys' new friend Alex from Sacramento (perhaps Kate's potential bf?)

 Uh Oh! Which way?

 Rex in front of the Temple in Nauvoo, Il

 Rex and Bill in front of the Joseph Hiriam Smith Statue- Il

Lunch stop in Oakville, IA (is it just me or does it seem like my Dad sports the same outfit in every picture?)

More Pix....Sam to the Rescue!

Hi Everyone, Bill's better third here. Got some new pictures in, since supposedly there has been "no internet." My guess is the boys are simply having too much fun and enjoying too many refreshments (seems to be a lot of talk about that).

 On the road again (I like the looks of that town Oak Ridge)

 David & Rex on the Chain of Rocks Bridge

 Mississippi River - Missouri

 Bill and David at the Arch (David was probably hoping it was his favorite "Golden Arches")

 Great view of St. Louis from the Arch

 David & Rex at Busch Stadium (Go Giants!)

 Concert in Hannibal, MO (Dad chose this concert over the Sugarland Concert my mom and I went to)

David in front of his "retirement home" aka Mark Twain's House (Speaking of Mark Twain, David you will be glad to know Kate has started school and studying hard!)

More Pix!!

Stuff Happens

2 Day update as we had Internet problems last night.

Ste. Genevieve - Cape Girardeau

So you wonder what each day starts like before we put in the miles on the road.........well glad you wanted to know......our normal riding day starts with David getting up a 1/2 hour earlier than Rex and I.  Rex calls it David's "fiddle farting time" but from my view it seems like he just needs little more time to make sure his hair is fixed up, and his lotion goes on just right, eye shadow in place.......reminds me of Loni getting ready in the morning.  Anyway, we finally get to breakfast, which may be the best meal of the day.  Each place we have stayed has a "breakfast" with a nice selection of fruit, toast, cereal, eggs, coffee, pastries, etc.  All in all we are in good shape for the first couple of hours of the trip.  Our ride was to take us to Cape Girardeau, which is a place that David had demanded we visit as it was where his idol Rush was born and raised.  Due to reasons beyond our control, and which are reviewed below, we did not get by the old homestead.  David indicated he and Karen will return in the future.  The day started out great and we made good time leaving Ste. Genevieve.  Riding was fine with the weather cooperating.  Not too warm and the humidity not too high.  In fact everything was going great for most of the day.  Hills not too long, and the downhills nice and long.  Shaping up to be the best ride of the trip................so as we have to head down one stretch of road ..........awful lot of trucks..........more trucks........more trucks........turns out there is a Proctor and Gambol Distribution Center out in the middle of no where.........go figure.......so we make it off the truck route and head towards the last 11 miles into Cape Girardeau. Some nice downhills with David taking the lead, and me close on his tail.  We pull up for a second and no Rex.........we wait........we wait........we say he can't have missed the turn.........we wait.......finally some guys in a truck yell ...."your friend has a flat.......well David and I decide that he should continue on towards town so he can get cleaned up early and get over to Rush's........or get to the bike shop and have his gear switching looked at as it has been acting up on the hill climbing........which is a problem when you are going up as many hills as we have been going up.  I head back to Rex and we start to fix the flat...in the 90 + degree heat......turns out the day has gotten hotter.........nothing more fun than changing a tire at 3:30 PM in the afternoon.  Funny how the flats happen in the hotter part of the day.  Anyway, takes us a little more time than we had hoped, but we did get if fixed and we were off to catch up with David.  We caught up with David at the bike shop where they had fixed his gear switching, and David had struck up a conversation with the shop and we had a route figured out for the next day.  Stuff happens, you deal with it, and good things come about.  That night we stayed at another Holiday Inn Express and found the best shower head of the trip to date.  No water shortage in this down.  A great place.  Figured out they sensor the Internet, hence we could not get on the net last night.  Something to do with being a politically correct town.  Ha.

Cape Girardeu - Charleston

In planning ahead we knew today would be a relatively short leg.  Our limits are about 60 - 70 miles and we have tried to date to not go much more than that.  We saw a problem coming up and needed to make sure we did not leave ourselves with too long a trip to get to beer.......oh, I mean a hotel.  The trip out of town included the usual early morning traffic of trucks and people going to work.  The bike shop people had been right on and we got out of town without incident.  Seemed like it would be a good ride. Basically flat at the beginning, with lots of corn and beans.  We also saw the first of the corn being harvested.  Wow those John Deere machines do a lot of work in a short period.  Up and down, up and down the hills for most of the morning.  As we headed into the early afternoon, we came upon the flat lands and made great time.  The farm land appears very fertile and we saw many large acreages planted in ..........of course corn and soy beans.  Saw some rice for the first time which was interesting.  We arrived in Charleston, Mo.  on the early side so Rex and I took a little walk to scout out a dinner place, and of course to find the beer.  Our little walk in the sun turned into a long walk in the sun as the first market we went to was dry.  Rex warned me this might start to happen as we proceeded into the south a bit more.  Life is tough when you have to walk a mile for a beer.  Anyway..........David was overjoyed with our dinning choice this evening.......Big M's Steakhouse.........we had a window seat and the menu was outstanding.  David had his normal.

Anyway we are in a deep session of planning our next leg and are headed towards the ferry to Kentucky.

And now for the facts covering the last two (2) days.............here is David..........

Monday day 13:
Miles this day:  70.5
Avg. mph 10.4
Total miles:  855.7
Daily avg:  65.8
     Many hills, one after the other.  Shifting was a problem for me.  Need bike work.
Tuesday day 14:
Miles this day:  46.6
Avg. mph:  10.
Total miles:  902.3
Daily avg:  64.45
     Some more steep hills.  I had to push up a couple.
We had some technical issues on Monday in Cape Girardeau.  Rex got a flat approaching town.  Bill went back to help.  I went on to town to Cycle Werks and got my shifting corrected.  Sure did help today. 
 

Another Fine Day

St. Louis, Mo - Ste. Genevieve, Mo

I wrote a little early yesterday before having a chance to explore/appreciate the sights and attributes of St. Louis.  We stayed in downtown St. Louis within two blocks of Bush Baseball Stadium and the Arch.  The Cardinals played on Saturday afternoon and St. Louis was filled with fans, including many families looking to have a great time.  Our hotel, The Drury, was the center of the action.  We tried to go to the game, but Rex kept holding us back and delaying us.  Turns out he is a Cardinal fan, but he is not happy with their current status so he was withholding his support.  We strolled down the the stadium in the early evening after the game was over and looked at a stadium that appears to rival the new Giants facility in SF.  Rex had his picture taken in front of several statues, including his boyhood hero Stan the Man Musial.  We also took a walk down toward the river and went to the Arch.  We went on the tour and went to the top.  Over 600' up.  The Arch was finished and opened in 1965 and is truly a marvel.  Had a little bit of the Disney ride feature, and the view from the top was awesome.  I have pictures and if I can figure out a way to get them transferred to the system, you will be able to see what I mean.  Hopefully we will solve this  problem soon.  This is a iconic structure that is standing the test of time.  St. Louis, for all its problems, seems like a city doing well inspite of the economy.  Something our Sacramento region could learn from. We turned in early and enjoyed a good nights sleep.

We had a nice breakfast and headed out of town with concern...... as we had an understanding certain parts of St. Louis can be  bit tough.  Anyway, we picked the perfect day and time to leave...........Sunday AM.  No traffic of any kind for the first 15 miles.  The first 5 miles got out us out of St. Louis, and the trip was great.  The designated bike route worked extremely well.  Not sure I would want to leave on a Monday  AM.  We made great time going out of town since a good portion of the first 15 miles seemed to be downhill.  The area outside of St. Louis seemed to feel a bit more prosperous than other areas we have seen to date.  The economy "looks" to be better based on the housing stock we can see from the edge of the road.  We of course are only sampling a "slice" of life but overall all this part of Missouri seemed to be doing ok. 

The afternoon was a bit more difficult.  We should have known that downhill in the AM will lead to uphill in the afternoon and that is basically what we had.  We had several long uphill climbs but all in all they were manageable.  The heat was about 90, and the humidity was not too bad.  We continue to drink loads of water and take frequent rest stops.  David in particular is on the lookout for our health and welfare.  He carries extra rations and water for those in need.  Rex and I have told him we can carry our own, but no, David insists in carrying the extra provisions.  Something that goes back to his Army days I guess. 

We arrived in Ste Genevieve late this afternoon and explored a little bit.  This small, but well preserved town has a very strong influence from France and was settled originally in the late 1700's by the French.  One of the better and more prosperous towns we have seen to date, but everything is relative in a town of 3,000.

We are in the planning stages for our next leg of the trip.  Rex had his method................David has his, and I of course have mine.  But, it all seems to work out.................we find out where the cold beer is...........Oh, tonight we had an outstanding dinner with a window table............at the Huddle House.............best look that one up to see where they are from on the east coast.

And now the facts from David.....................

Note:  Bill is fast becoming a navigator.  He is good with the guide book, which I am ready to throw away.  He is great with his GPS phone for directions and reservations for the evening.  He is probably responsible for the several easy days (read relatively flat) though there has been a hiccup or two.  So far so good with our direction. 
Distance today:  66.44
Avg mph:  10.  although not convinced of the accuracy due to the number of long, long, hills.
Total miles:  785.28
Daily avg. miles:  65.44
Nr. of days: 11 on the road.
Next way points:  Cape Girardeau, Memphis, Vicksberg, Natchez, Baton Rouge, New Orleans. 
The good lord willing and the Mississippi dont rise.

We are headed to Cape Girardeau, MO in the AM.

Meet Me In St. Louis

We were without Internet last night so this update will cover two (2) days.

Hannibal, MO - Pere Marquette, IL - Our Friday morning ride started out great with great weather and a great plan.  As we started out the weather was nice and cool with little humidity.  A pleasant surprise.  We intended to head down the Mississippi on the Illinois side and then cross back over to a town called Louisiana, MO.  But as we have learned during the course of our trip it is best to ask questions and always let the people you talk to know what and why you are asking.  During our morning coffee break, in a little town called Kinderhook, which we had wanted to see as Rex had heard the Post Office was interesting, we talked with the cook we said that the crossing of the bridge over the Mississippi into Louisiana, MO was a little tough as the bridge was a bit narrow, in fact he said that when two trucks went across at  the same time they were bound to having "kissing mirrors."  We you know David does not like any of that kissing stuff, so we took that young man's advice which was to continue on down the Illinois side.  He thought there might be a couple of places for us to stay "down yonder".  Anyway, we made great time the entire day as the roads were flat and the traffic very light.  We found a whole lot more corn again..........sorry about the corny jokes...........but you have to see in person how much it around.  We made it down to a little town called (will come up with the name on next blog)  and stopped in a little information center/museum and go that low down on a place down the road to stay.  We had lunch at a nice little spot across from the river.  Typical low key place.  One other person in there and seemed like not much else had been going on.  Hunting season starts in October so they are all waiting for the big event.  We continued on our journey, and ran into the start of the high school football team leaving for the big game.  Tied up traffic.  Anyway we made good time  and covered a lot of ground and arrived in a state park called Pere Marquette, and stayed at a lodge built in the 1930's under the WPA.  Great place.  Similar to the hotel in Yosemite.  All in all our best road biking day of the trip.

Pere Marquette, IL - St. Louis, MO

We got a little bit later start this morning as breakfast did not start until 7:00 AM so that meant we did not get off until 8:00 AM.  Weather was a little bit hotter, but basically the entire journey was on bike paths.  Stopped and looked at several sites having to do with the expedition of Lewis & Clark.  David regaled Rex and I with his knowledge of the journey and said he had the time of his life.  We made good time and entered into St. Louis with only a couple of minor little problems of going down the wrong path......where have you heard that story before.  We went across one of the longest pedestrian bridges in the world, i.e. Chain of Rocks Bridge, which is famous as being part of Route 66.  This lead us into St. Louis.  We went in via the waterfront bike way and came upon a Corvette show, and have checked into the Drury Hotel and are about to explore downtown St. Louis.  Rex needs to find some micro beer as we did without last night and he is not happy.  Working on a plan for Sunday tour.

And now the facts from David..........................

From day 10 yesterday:
82 miles! (they told me it was to be 60) gotta watch these over achievers.
9.5 hours.

Total miles 668.4
avg daily mileage: 66.84
From day 11 today:
50.42 miles not bad.
7 hours.
Total miles:718.82
Avg speed: 10.3 (over hill and dale)
St. Louis is interesting.  I was awed by the Gateway Arch and the Lewis and Clark Museum.
Daily avg miles: 65.34.  You can only whip a race horse so long.

A Glimpse of Hannibal, MO

Hey everyone... Sam here! Since my Dad is having trouble sending us pictures, I thought I would put a picture up of where the guys are. Hannibal looks like a pretty nice place. Thanks for following!

3 States In One Day

Keokuk, Iowa - Hannibal, Missouri

So you are asking how do you cover three states in one day on a bike.  Well to find the answer you must read on.  You will recall from yesterday that we had a terrible day of heat and wind and so when we went to bed we had a plan to leave early and ride in the cooler part of the day.  We got up early, and were able to leave at 7:00 AM......and low and behold the temperature was at least 10 + degrees cooler and with little humidity.  We needed to backtrack a little and go back across the bridge we had crossed yesterday to get us back on the road south.  We had a great crossing as there was a protected bicycle/ped path out of Keokuk across the Mississippi River as we headed out to Hamilton, Illinois (2nd state).  We proceeded down the road in a southerly direction (we always are heading south).  We went through a neat town (Warsaw) that out west would be called a "ghost town" but in this part of the mid-west does not yet know it is going to be completely abandoned in the next 10 - 15 years.  The town was an example of European architecture adapted to the US.  Lots of shops with living above it.  Anyway, with no job base the towns all along the river are dying slowly.  Must have been interesting in the early part of the 1900 hundreds, but today they are in decline with really no hope of coming back.  Some lessons to be learned.  We then turned away from the small towns and headed out into the farm land.  It was our best ride to date.  No heat and no wind.  We made great time peddling away at about 15 mph.  We made it to Quincy, Illinois in time for lunch.  Today was an especially great lunch for me.  We stopped at a little Bar and Grill by the river and as usual had a great experience.   Seems to always turn out that you meet someone who takes a special interest in our trip and is happy to provide some advice.  Today, we found a good way to get into downtown Hannibal, Missouri (our 3rd state) and also got the lay of the land for a motel and coffee shop.  Now with respect to the lunch.....the food was normal, but what was special was that it was free for me.  You see David and I had made a little bet about the route earlier in the day and he is still looking for the town of Marcelli.........sort of a paper map vs. IPhone map application.  David is slowly coming around to believe, but it is hard.  Kate and Sam, much more work needs to be done in this area.  Anyway, the lunch was great.  We made good time on the road towards Hannibal.  Traffic a little heavier in the afternoon as we went through some industrical type areas.  We should sent some of our CA type officals to look at these plants......  On the road we passed a road bike guy in full gear, and he shouted out "where are you from".  He caught that we said Sacramento, and he turned around and chased us down.  Turns out the Alex is from Sacramento, works at City Bicycle Works, knows the guy who built my bike and even knew when the bike was built earlier this summer.  He is going to school in Quincy at a college that specializes in the medical field, and works part time during the summe and his breaks at the bike shop.  Anyway we had nice chat and then continued on the road to Hannibal.  We arrived earlier than usual and had time for quick change and we were off to explore the town, which is famous for..................you guessed it......Tom Sawyer.....Huck Finn......and other assorted stories by Mark Twain.  We toured his boyhood home, and went through the museum, and all of us have a better appreciation of what drove him.  I am looking forward this fall/winter to reading some of his works.  David was in heaven and will be full of stories for years to come.  We of course went to a fine little bar after our tour so that Rex could opine on the beer selection.  All is still good on that front.

We are headed out south but we have a new road problem,......seems anothe bridge is out........and we need to figure out a way around it.  Not easy when a detour is 45 minutes by car.  Stay tuned.

(photo problem has not been resolved.)

Now for the facts................her's David......

Today's miles:  61.41
Total miles:  586.4
Days avg speed:  11.1
Daily avg: 73.3 miles
Water consumption:  All you can drink.
Note:  In 8 days on 6 tires, only one flat, the second day.  Was a sharp rock.  Quickly changed.
Personally I like our stay here at Hannibal, Mo. the best so far because of the Mark Twain history and museums. 

Land of Lincoln

Burlington, Iowa - to Keokuk, Iowa - Via Illinois

We had a great start today as we made it out of Burlington at 7:30 AM with little traffic and across a major bridge over the Mississippi into Illinois.  When turned south and headed along the Mississippi for basically the entire day.  Great riding as we only had a few hills and we were right next to the Mississippi most of the time.  Went through several small towns that are similar to others we have been through........time has passed them by and they are basically quiet little places with not much going on. Very very quiet.   Not as much corn, but still plenty of soy beans, in this section of Illinois.  We ran into our normal assortment of interesting and very friendly people.  Most looked at us with an expression of "you must be crazy to be riding in this heat."  Did I mention it was hot today?  Well it was close to 100 and most likely was above that as the heat from the pavement most likely made it hotter.  The humidity continues to be difficult, and we had a little headwind, but nothing like yesterday.  We understand we will have headwinds most of the trip. Sometimes the wind is our friend as it keeps us a little bit cooler.  We are well stocked up on water and even I have learned that you never can have too much water.  A wise man I know told me that over and over before and during the trip.  We stopped for lunch at Nauvoo, IL, which has major symbolism for the Mormon faith.  They recently built a new temple in the town and it over looks the Mississippi.  It was extremely impressive...........even though it is out in the middle of nowhere so to speak.  (pictures to come although, I am still having problems downloading them into this blog.  I will be consulting with my advisor, Sam, to see if we can't figure out how to get all the pictures on the system.)  Tonight we are back in Iowa in a medium sized City called Keokuk.  Town is losing population, but they are trying.  We have a nice room at a Holiday Inn Express and are planning to get off very early to try and beat the heat a bit.  We are going to head back into Illinois and go south and work to get to Hannibal, Missouri.  And does everyone know why Hannibal is famous?  If not, stayed tuned for the next report.

Anyway, the facts from David.............

Just the facts: 
Days riding, 8
Distance today 50 miles
Total distance, 525 miles
Daily avg. 65.62
Avg speed today, 10 mph.  Mostly flat road not much shade.  We baked in 98 degrees  plus high humidity.  Should have a water trailer to pull.  Rex and Bill not happy because I would not share my emergency tuna rations with a stray cat.  Too bad, so sad.  I plan to sell them a can of tuna for five bucks when we get stuck out without food.  They will be happy then.   

Nothing is ever easy

Had some Internet problems, some too tired to write problems, and simple logistics with pictures, and trying to get organized given the physical nature of the journey..................

Clinton to Muscatine - Iowa 

We have found to date that the two toughest parts of each day are the beginning and the finish.  Traffic in the morning leaving a town is always tough, and finishing coming into a town is also tough with respect to traffic, and given how tired we are.  We are being careful and have David be our point person so he can set the pace.  Toughest job!  We of course are always discussing the route and which way is "best."  3 opinions is always interesting, but so far so good as we have made it to each stop.  The ride from Clinton to Mascatine was going to be our best of the trip.  Rex had set the itinerary as he wanted to see the American Picker which is located in Le Claire (you all need to watch the show to appreciate this stop and the people in the show)  Rex of course was interested in the store, or so that was his story, but we know his real interest in stopping was to meet Daniel.  Anyway we made it to Le Claire without too much of a problem.  Made it about 9:50 AM and found that the shop would open at 10:00 AM.  We had a cup of coffee before the "grand opening".........................well let me tell you........TV can really fool you............the place was basically an old garage with a coat of paint, and a bunch of "junk" that has been on the show.  People started arriving right at 10 AM.  Help, even Rex was a tad disappointed especially when they wanted $12 for a T-shirt.  Anyway when we get back Rex, David, and I are buying some junk at a few yard sales, and setting up a shop as Gold River Pickers.................  That morning we also met a person who really made our day.  Name is Bruce Haugen, and he sells boats for a living.....Crownline. Said he would be glad to sell one to Loni.  Most importantly he has ridden the MRT, as well as many other major bike trails in the US.  Anyway, one thing lead to another and he met us down the road and showed us a great route for about 15 miles right along the Mississippi.  We would have never found this route on our own.  We stopped and had lunch at a little spot in the little berg of Buffallo, at Clarks Landing.  Great little spot.  (pictures to follow....I hope)   We continued on our ride that afternoon and finally pulled into Muscatine, Iowa.  Had a great little hotel next to the Walmart, and of course dinner at the Applebies.  Due to previous less than good dinner at Applebies we were a little hesitant to go their but our options were very limited and we found the service and food just great.  People do make a difference.  We set up our plan for departure and got ready to head for Burlington.

I also note we saw a little more corn on this let of the trip...........well we saw a whole lot of corn.......along with some soy beans.................a lot less hills..........but a hill is still a hill when it is 90 with humidity of 90.  Help.

Muscatine - Burlington

We planned to leave early today as it was supposed to be 90+.  Well that best laid plains.............we did leave early, but the thunder showers started about 1/2 hour after we started.  Luckily, our guide........DS found a spot with an overhang just as the rain showers started......an hour later (and many buckets of rain.......it sure does rain hard in the mid west) we continued to make our way out of town.  Probably this leg of the trip was close to what we all thought it would be like.........back roads with little traffic and basically flat with lots of great views of wildlife and open spaces................we ran into another rain show and sat under a tree in front of a farm house.........very cool.  As usual, saw a whole lot of corn..........soy beans...........and now we also know where hogs come from..........A few less churches than we have seen up north, but still nice farm houses,and farms.  We stopped in a very little town called Oakville and had a really wonderful lunch at a former bank building.  Again, this little town is a place that time has passed by,and it was made worse by floods in 2008 which basically flooded out the entire town of 500 residents. We met the lady who is helping rebuild the community one house at a time. (pictures to follow I hope)  So we headed out of town full of confidence and looking forward to a nice ride into Burlington as the sun was out.  As has been the case so far, nothing is ever easy..........what should have been an easy 20 mile peddle turned into a 20 mile peddle into a extremely strong headwind. It was really really tough.  We had to stop every 15 minutes +/-.  Very tough going............oh, and the temp.............well it was 90+ with some really nice humidity.  Nothing ever easy.  We made it into Burlington without incident.  Had dinner at a Casino this evening.  Turns out they are not owned by Indians as in CA, but by private investors.  Going to do some more research on this.  Anyway, we walked past all the gaming and just had dinner. 

Lessons learned:  No one in Iowa knows what a micro beer is, and only Walmart carries Sierra Nevada.  Both David and Rex swore they would not step into a Walmart, but both have changed their minds.  Rex for beer, and David for ice cream.  I went along with both.

We are off for Illinois in the AM.

Now for the facts, and I turn it over to David.................................

Fact one, it is Karen and my 31st Anniversary today.  Karen, Happy Anniversary.  I love you.  Here's to 31 more, if you will have me.  Love.
Other facts:  Days on the road, 7.  Total miles, 475.  Avg daily miles 67.8.  Avg speed today 8.9 mph, against the wind.  Temp. 90 today, 93 tomorrow.  Easing after that.

Cheers! 

Corn, and more Corn

Saturday evening we had a great dinner at the local sports bar and grill in Dubuque  We had a little problem with Rex as he somehow was able to get himself selected to be the line judge for the upcoming girls volleyball tournament.  We had a hearty breakfast at the Holiday Inn Express where David attempted to explain what SOS means.  Can't figure out what that stuff was for his breakfast, but Rex said it was ok and he even had some.  We left at 8:00 AM and traffic was a little tough getting out of Dubuque We finally hit the back roads and made really good time for the day.  I did forget to mention yesterday, one of the little problems you have when biking...........flat tires.............but with the help and expertise of David, I was able to fix my flat.  David swears that he is gong to be a bike mechanic when he gets back.  Anyway, we made really good time through Iowa today.  We of course had hills, but they were not at all like yesterday.  And corn, did I mention that Iowa has corn.  Basically you cans see for miles and miles, and you can see corn and soy beans, with beautiful farm houses.  Also, very cool number of churches.  We have seen many small old style Church's, many Lutheran, Presbyterian and Catholic,.  Also, for all you motorcycle mamas, it is clear Iowa has more women on motor cycles than any other state.  Not just in the back seat, but riding their own.  Very interesting.  Best to go long on Harley Davidson stock.  We made into Clinton this evening...........and guess what, we are staying at a Holiday Inn Express.  Our ride today was within incident which is a first.  No bridge outs, no closed roads, etc.  Weather was nice and not too hot or too humid.  All in all a good day for biking. 

David is going to take over and provide you with the facts............just the facts................. Bill is doing a great job of keeping our blog updated.  On the technical side here are a few facts:  Days on the road-5, Total miles-354, Avg. daily miles-70.8, Shortest day-60 miles, longest day-84 miles (a killer).  Beer consumed - more than several, kills the pain.  Ice cream consumed-our new performance food, every chance we get.  It helps to counteract the heat, dehydration and upset stomach and tastes great.   

Cheers.                                                                                                                                                                

Finally.....Some pictures!

 David and Bill

 Mall of America

 Rex, Bill, and David

 Rex and David

 David...taking up the rear

So you wonder where we have been.............

A couple of interesting days since you last heard from us.  When we last checked in with you all, we had made it to Winona, MN.  A nice college town in Minnesota, and we ran into freshman orientation which made it tough to find a room.  Our plan was to leave Winona and head to Lansing, Iowa, a small town on the banks of the Mississippi.  We did finally make it to Lansing, but we were without cell service or email.  We found that parts of Iowa are without cell / internet service for AT&T customers.  Anyway, it was a beautiful ride.  We again learned that when a sign says "road closed" you can count on the road being closed.  We again ran into a small bridge under repair, but this time we were able to find a way around by following the rail road tracks immediately next the Mississippi.  (pictures to follow)  We made it to Lansing, pop. 1,050.  A place where time has passed by, ....................oh, and of course the bridge at Lansing going over the Mississippi was also closed.  (pictures to follow).  We ran into some really nice people.  No real motels, but we did find a place that was owned/run by the local bank.  Talked to a lady, who new another lady............etc., and we ended up with a nice room looking out over the Mississippi.  Of course it was right next to the River View Bar and Restaurant, which pleased Rex as his responsibility it to make sure at each destination the beer is cold and they carry micro beers on tap.  We took a walk around town and marveled at the old time beauty of a city that time has passed by.  We had a great dinner............David, fried catfish, Bill, fried Chicken.  Rex just looked at us............as he ate his BLT.  After dinner we took another stroll around town looking for .........you guessed it..............ice cream.  Anyway, we also found Friday night football in a small town.  They were playing "8" man football, which is typical in smaller schools in the US.  It was great.  Really low key. All in all a great night. 

So, our next leg of the trip was going to take us from Lansing to Dupuque, Iowa.  We originally thought is was about 70 miles, and we planned to leave extra early to make sure we did not get caught running out of time.  Well 12 hours and 10 minutes later, and 85 miles, we finally made it to Dupuque.  We should have known it was going to be a tough day when we had to hang around for an extra hour in the AM as a thunder shower came through.  Not a little shower like we have in CA...........these type of showers drop buckets of rain in a relatively short period.  Anyway, we finally pushed off at 8:00 AM, after a hearty breakfast the the Kwik Star market,which is David's new favorite.  We have found several of these along our way and they provide just about everything a person could want.  Very clear the locals use them consistently.  We saw a lot of Iowa.  Now, let me ask everyone...............how many of you think of Iowa as being "flat"............well let us tell you that is not true.  We went up and down, and up and down for 12 hours. Every time we thought we hand finally turned the corner and were finished with all the up hill climbs, we would come to another long uphill grade.  Luckily the day was relatively cool.  We saw corn, and soy beans, and corn, and corn, and corn, and corn, and some more soy beans.  At every little town, and in many places in between we saw beautiful old Churches. All of the farms, and houses are extremely well kept in Iowa, and Minnesota.  Very nice environment.  We have not come across many "junk" houses.  Every one seems to take a pride of ownership.  Of course we are in farm county, and there are lots of pickup trucks.  Looks like this might be Ford country.  Everything is looking very prosperous, relatively speaking.  Clearly a lot of retired live in proximity to the Mississippi for fishing and quality of life.  You would need to slow way way way down to live in MN,or IA.

Anyway, lots of pictures to follow as well as some commentary by David with respect to "facts" on the trip.  Rex, David, and I are turning in early, and will need every minute of sleep as we are off to Clinton Sunday.

Have fun.  Cheers.

And the mileage just keeps on piling on..............

Today, we were scheduled to travel from Red Wing to Winona a distance of 64.5 +/- miles.  The good news is that we made it and it was a wonderful ride.  The bad news is that it took us 75 miles to get there.  We have learned a valuable lesson today.  When the Minnesota TOD says a road is closed ahead...............well you should believe them.  In our case, we (mostly me and to a lessor degree David - Rex had no comment) said what the heck let's see what the problem is. Figured it was a bridge out and we could ford the stream and get to the other side.  Well the bridge was out, and the Minnesota DOT was absolutely adamant that we could not cross even though we could see the other side, and could have walked across.  Don't mess with DOT in Minnesota.  Anyway we backtracked a few miles and went down a gravel road for a few miles.  We did see some wonderful country.  More corn and soy beans that you can imagine.  The corn fields were as far as one could see.  We made good time and are averaging 11 miles per hour.  David is very excited as he has found his new favorite place........called Kwik Stop............they have great donuts and burgers and shakes............he says we are going to live on them for lunch every day.  We are still working on logistics.  We had a little tougher time getting a hotel room this evening as Winona is home to two small colleges and they are having freshman orientation and the first hotel was booked up.  We did ok, and David got us a good deal.  Most of the travel today was along relatively level roads so we made good time.  Rex and I have told David we are going to do 80 miles tomorrow...............he smiled and said that sounder great.....Ha.

Pictures are going to follow as Sam and I are working on logistics.

Have fun.  Cheers.

The Mighty Mississippi

The First Real Riding Day

Well, it was an eventful day.................we started out with just a superb ride out of Minneapolis along the Mississippi River.  It rained about 3 - 4 inches last night but cleared up early in the AM, with a slight breeze.  Headed south and for the first 4 - 5 miles we rode along streets that contained amazing homes.  Sort of reminded me of the "Fab 40's" in Sacramento with a a few 60's/70 style homes in between. Seemed like the economy is pretty good in Minnesota as the unemployment rate is about 6%.  Not many homes for sale.  All in all a very interesting first part of the ride. 

Our goal was to get to Red Wing, which is a down along the banks of the Mississippi and about 57 miles of riding..............if one can follow directions or interpret directions.  We ended up going about 65 miles.  Having 3 "type A" personalities.........all trying to figure out which way to go was interesting.  Let's just say that no one came away today perfect with respect to directions.  Luckily we ran into a very nice lady who helped us get back on the right track...........we tried to stay up with her as she speed away after getting us going again.............but she left us in the dust.  We are going to give DS another chance, and Bill will be providing backup with his iPhone app. 

The weather was great.  A little hot in the direct sun, but most of the time we were in the shade or had a little wind blowing............especially on the downhill sections.  We saw a lot of corn and beans in the farm lands that are situated along the Mississippi.  Went through a short section of Wisconsin which was nice, especially if you are are Green Bay fan.  Lot's of signs on homes supporting the Packers.

As it was my turn to find the hotel tonight, I went all out and found a super deal at a Super 8.  We then went next door and participated in the Wednesday night special at a bowling alley, which included $2.75 beers.  All in all a very satisfactory financial outcome, with some pretty good food. 

We are going to go about 65 miles tomorrow, (Dave has promised the route will be easy for us to follow) and should end up in Winona, MN.  We are turning in early tonight as we want to be rested for the next leg.............or we are plain exhausted from the first real biking day.  I will let you all decide which it is.

Have fun.  Cheers. 

2nd Day

This biking stuff is really tough.  After we finished off a few beers last night at the local pub next to the U of M, we retired for a nice evening of restful sleep.  The good news is that no one snores.  I was up at 6:30 AM and went for a jog along the Mississippi River and ended up at a point where the original Gold Medal Flour was produced.  Some wonderful redevelopment is going on next the river and is pointing to a good economy in MN. All in all a great morning.

Now, for the hard part of the day..............we went to the Mall of America...........yes, this is a bike trip.........but we wanted to spend one last day in the heartland of America.  The MOA (Mall of America for those who are not up on the latest language) was very interesting.  2nd largest mall in the US (largest is in Pennsylvania) with over 500 shops and an amusement center that rivals Disney land.  They have over 4,000,000 visitors a year.  They did not make much on us, although I will let ever one know, David did go shopping................with Karen in mind, David did not want to overspend........we walked out of two (2) shops........Champs & Nike as they were much to expensive................all David wanted was a new pair of shorts and cap............why he did not bring them with him is of course another story............anyway, we ended up in Sears.........and David, to date, has the bargain of the trip...........a new bb cap for $2.95 and a pair of shortsfor $9.89................Karen, you are free to spend what ever you want as David has saved enough for a month of shopping.  I also learned from Rex that he to went to the frugal school of shopping as he was able to secure 3 postcards for $1.  I am in heaven as eveyone is on par with me, i.e. save money!  We have a contest underway to see who can get the best bargains, and to date, David is clearly the winner.

Oh, biking................we did get in a little   in today.  We picked up our bikes today and took them out for a test run.  all  went well and we traveled along the Mississippi and explored some great areas on both sides of the river.  I did learn that we are going to have some problems along the way as it is difficult for 3 people to determine which route is best.  Could be an interesting trip with David always thinking he has the route down and Rex and me having a better sense of direction not wanting to argue with David, but still wanting to get to NO by Thanksgiving..............anyway, we only went around in acircle twice before we got back home.

Pictures, you say you want pictures............well we have pictures, but I have not been able to figure out how to upload them.........................Help, Sam.

We are off tomorrow on the real journey, and will be heading to Red Wing...........yes, the home of the work shoes many of us wore in our work years.

More to follow.  Cheers.....

Getting Started

Well at 3:30 AM on Monday, as we headed out the door, I began to wonder if this was really such a good idea.  Anyway, met up with Rex and David and we made our way to Sacramento airport for our 6:00 AM flight to Minneapolis.  All went well with our Southwest flight to Denver and then on to Minneapolis taking off without a hitch.  Love Southwest...........go long on the stock this week as both flights were 100 % full.

Anyway, we are going to try to keep all our friends updated as we make our way along the Mississippi River from MN to New Orleans.  About 2,000 miles.  Going to be an interesting journey, and one which should be lots of fun, lots of hard work, and lots of new experiences. 

We are all checked in at the Holiday Inn next to U of M and we went over to where Rex had shipped our bikes.  Everything looked good and the bike shop itself was really amazing.  Better/Bigger than any shops in Sacramento.  Rex set us up to really rough it I see. To really get in shape for our trip and get used to the climate we are going to take a day and do a little site seeing.  Going to the Mall of America.....................Ha. 

Will try to keep all updated via this communication methodology.  Many thanks to Sam for helping set this up.  See even an old dog can learn new tricks.  Have to sign off for now as David has informed me that happy hour is now upon us.  Cheers.  Pass along our contact information to all.  Have fun.