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.