Days 56-62
August 2, 2005
Well, I’m about five miles from completing my seventh state, Missouri. With a total of only three riding days, it’ll be the quickest state I’ve crossed.
Thursday morning I struggled to wake up in the Carver basement. It was so dark down there I could have slept all day. I went up stairs and had a great pancake breakfast with the family, compliments of Marc, and then got ready to get on the road and head down to the Kansas City Star. We pulled out of the Carver driveway 5 cyclists strong.
Tammy and the kids enjoyed a short ride send off with Marc and I before we broke from them and headed downtown. We arrived at the Star and went in to find a reporter and found, once again, we got there as everyone had broke for lunch. I decided to go get a little lunch myself while I waited for the crew to get back and Marc decided to head back home. I thanked Marc again for all the kindness he and his family showed me, said goodbye to him, and ate lunch at a cool little BBQ place.
When I got back to the Star I talked with Jesse Barker on the phone from the security booth downstairs. Jesse is one of the editors and told me he couldn’t find a reporter just then, but if I stuck around ‘til tomorrow he’d surely be able to get on the story then. I made sure he would be able to line that up and agreed to hang around. Five minutes earlier, I finalized plans to meet Libby in St. Louis on Sunday; a perfectly timed itinerary, given I get on the road that afternoon after talking with the Star. Killing a day in Kansas City would mean I’d have to break Missouri down into three rides and cover more ground a day, but that was okay, I’d be reaching a huge market through the Star. I hung up the phone and went outside to call my mom. As I was on the phone with her a guy walked over to me as if he knew me. He said he was the voice on the other end of the phone a minute ago and wanted to come down and let me know he wasn’t just blowing me off, I thought that was very nice of him. I had my cousin find a cheap motel and give me directions and made my way over to my lodging for the night.
It ended up being a somewhat productive unplanned off day, I was able to knock out some work I had been putting off, namely the new “Finish Line” page on the website. If you haven’t already, go to the 4pedals.com home page and click the link to the party page. It outlines all that’s going to be happening the day I get back and everyone’s invited! I really would love to see everyone that’s been so excited and supportive of the trip. And those that I’ve met only through exchange of emails as well, it would be great to meet you guys too. I think it really is going to be a great night and it would be really cool to see everyone there. So check it out and make plans to be there!
Friday I got up and called Mr. Barker in regard to meeting and having a story put in the paper. He definitely remembered me and said he meant to call me yesterday. After we spoke that afternoon, he spoke with another editor who told him it wasn’t uncommon to have cross-country cyclists come through. He said they’ve already done a few stories on the topic and he they wouldn’t be able to help out this time. I was pretty bummed, especially after taking the day off the day before to stick around. But I didn’t dwell on it, I just went over to IHOP to drown my sorrows in a nice international omelet and got on the road.
Now having to hustle to get to St Louis by Sunday, I went about 80 miles Friday to get to Sadalia. I got my first taste of Missouri madness on the way to Sadalia, it got worse the following day on the ride to Jefferson City.
Missouri has been the hardest state to ride in, mentally as well as logistically. The roads have little to no shoulders, they’re laden with never-ending hills, and the drivers in Missouri have been the worst of the trip. Those driving trucks were the worst. Not only would they buzz by me, testing their ability to get as close as possible, they’d honk as they pass, adding to their outpouring display of class and generosity. It was very frustrating and made for a few long rides.
I made it to Jefferson City in the early evening of Saturday night. I found a Chili’s right on the west edge of town and stopped for dinner and directions. The servers told me about Katy Trail, an old rail line that has been converted to a bike trail, which goes all the way to St Louis. It also followed along state road 94 should I find the trail a bit cumbersome, so I headed over to give it a shot. The manager said he didn’t think it was “paved” like I would think and he was right. It was a firmly packed dirt trail with a layer of finely ground limestone on top. It wasn’t the most ideal riding conditions, but it wasn’t too terrible either, so I decided to give it a test ride to Tebbetts, 12 miles down, and camp there that night.
With the road running right beside the trail, it seemed silly to stay on it and coat the bike in dust and debris; it didn’t take long to hop back on the road and take 94 into Tebbetts. When I got there I saw the little town had a bike hostel set up for those on the trail. I spoke with a neighbor who showed me to the key, let myself in, got settled, and enjoyed a night of free lodging courtesy of the local townsfolk. It was a nice stay in Tebbetts. I was very pleased to find the unexpected accommodations. The only downside of the stay in Tebbetts was waking up to find someone had stolen my helmet.
I am partly to blame for the crime but I still can’t believe someone would have taken it, especially from in front of a bike hostel. Right when I got there, as I was reading the info on the door and trying to figure how things worked, I took off my helmet and set in on the bench right outside. As I was pulling my bike inside and getting settled, I remember seeing it on the bench and thinking, “Oh yeah, I need to grab that.” That was the last time I saw it. I spent 15 minutes the next morning looking for it; it was definitely taken. It was a good helmet, it will be missed. I pray its new owners are treating it nicely and giving it all the love and attention it received in the many miles we shared together. Now a moment of silence, please.
Thank you.
I pulled out of Tebbetts Sunday morning and got on the road, less one helmet, destination: St. Louis. It was a tough ride. I bounced back and forth between the road and the trail, I got two flat tires in the process, I didn’t have anything to eat besides some beef jerky, animal crackers, and Lance crackers, and the frustration of just still being in Missouri continued to weigh on me. I called my friend Libby at the first pay phone I came across to discuss our plans for meeting in St Louis and was excited to hear we were relatively close.
I cannot tell a lie. I ended up meeting Libby a few miles outside of St Louis and riding into the city with her. It was great to see her and her cute pup Lucy. We met at a McDonald’s right off I-70. We worked a little magic and managed to squeeze the horse in the car, I went in a grabbed a value meal to-go, and we took off in her candy-apple coach bound for St Louis.
It felt great to jump in the Grand Am and fly down to the city. It was the second time I caught a ride and was much longer than the first, but I felt no guilt in taking it. The excitement of getting to see a friend from home and hang out with her, paired with the anxiousness to get out of Missouri more than compensated for any thoughts of “cheating” trying to sway my decision of taking the ride. We had a great night of hanging out and catching each other up on our summers and all that’s been going on.
Yesterday I took a planned off day to enjoy a bit of St Louis and go to a Cardinals’ game that night. Yesterday was also great in that I was able to get behind the wheel of a car for the first time since leaving VA. It was so much fun; I felt like I was on a ride, it was great. Libby’s car is fun to drive anyway, but not driving in 60-plus days makes it really fun. We went to a mall in one of the nearby suburbs where I got a much-needed haircut, went out for lunch, and swung by a Sports Authority to pick up a new helmet for my fragile dome.
That night I got to visit Busch Stadium for the first and last time in my life and watched the Marlins beat the Cardinals. Next year the Cardinals will play in a new park, so it was cool to get to visit old Busch before they tear it down. It was a fun night. We sat next to Marty from Utah and his two buddies, and in front of Liz, Steph, and the two Jens, we all had a fun time. After telling the girls behind us about my trip and flashing them some tan line insanity, they lovingly renamed and referred to Libby and I “Lance” and “Cheryl.”
Today I decided to take another day off in St Louis. I wasn’t ready to get back on the road this morning. It’s been good to spend the day hanging out and taking care of a few little details before getting back at it tomorrow, plus I’m still a head of schedule and have a little time to kill.
But I am looking forward to the last stretch. This is the last little pit stop party before I get to the Atlantic on the 27th. I’m feeling good and ready for the last push to the finish line. The Finish Line that will crowded with friends and family to help celebrate, right..? Awesome.
Day 56: 54
Day 57: 55
Day 58: 28.90
Day 59: 80.83
Day 60: 80.52
Day 61: 46.11 Total: 2,883.81
Well, I’m about five miles from completing my seventh state, Missouri. With a total of only three riding days, it’ll be the quickest state I’ve crossed.
Thursday morning I struggled to wake up in the Carver basement. It was so dark down there I could have slept all day. I went up stairs and had a great pancake breakfast with the family, compliments of Marc, and then got ready to get on the road and head down to the Kansas City Star. We pulled out of the Carver driveway 5 cyclists strong.
Tammy and the kids enjoyed a short ride send off with Marc and I before we broke from them and headed downtown. We arrived at the Star and went in to find a reporter and found, once again, we got there as everyone had broke for lunch. I decided to go get a little lunch myself while I waited for the crew to get back and Marc decided to head back home. I thanked Marc again for all the kindness he and his family showed me, said goodbye to him, and ate lunch at a cool little BBQ place.
When I got back to the Star I talked with Jesse Barker on the phone from the security booth downstairs. Jesse is one of the editors and told me he couldn’t find a reporter just then, but if I stuck around ‘til tomorrow he’d surely be able to get on the story then. I made sure he would be able to line that up and agreed to hang around. Five minutes earlier, I finalized plans to meet Libby in St. Louis on Sunday; a perfectly timed itinerary, given I get on the road that afternoon after talking with the Star. Killing a day in Kansas City would mean I’d have to break Missouri down into three rides and cover more ground a day, but that was okay, I’d be reaching a huge market through the Star. I hung up the phone and went outside to call my mom. As I was on the phone with her a guy walked over to me as if he knew me. He said he was the voice on the other end of the phone a minute ago and wanted to come down and let me know he wasn’t just blowing me off, I thought that was very nice of him. I had my cousin find a cheap motel and give me directions and made my way over to my lodging for the night.
It ended up being a somewhat productive unplanned off day, I was able to knock out some work I had been putting off, namely the new “Finish Line” page on the website. If you haven’t already, go to the 4pedals.com home page and click the link to the party page. It outlines all that’s going to be happening the day I get back and everyone’s invited! I really would love to see everyone that’s been so excited and supportive of the trip. And those that I’ve met only through exchange of emails as well, it would be great to meet you guys too. I think it really is going to be a great night and it would be really cool to see everyone there. So check it out and make plans to be there!
Friday I got up and called Mr. Barker in regard to meeting and having a story put in the paper. He definitely remembered me and said he meant to call me yesterday. After we spoke that afternoon, he spoke with another editor who told him it wasn’t uncommon to have cross-country cyclists come through. He said they’ve already done a few stories on the topic and he they wouldn’t be able to help out this time. I was pretty bummed, especially after taking the day off the day before to stick around. But I didn’t dwell on it, I just went over to IHOP to drown my sorrows in a nice international omelet and got on the road.
Now having to hustle to get to St Louis by Sunday, I went about 80 miles Friday to get to Sadalia. I got my first taste of Missouri madness on the way to Sadalia, it got worse the following day on the ride to Jefferson City.
Missouri has been the hardest state to ride in, mentally as well as logistically. The roads have little to no shoulders, they’re laden with never-ending hills, and the drivers in Missouri have been the worst of the trip. Those driving trucks were the worst. Not only would they buzz by me, testing their ability to get as close as possible, they’d honk as they pass, adding to their outpouring display of class and generosity. It was very frustrating and made for a few long rides.
I made it to Jefferson City in the early evening of Saturday night. I found a Chili’s right on the west edge of town and stopped for dinner and directions. The servers told me about Katy Trail, an old rail line that has been converted to a bike trail, which goes all the way to St Louis. It also followed along state road 94 should I find the trail a bit cumbersome, so I headed over to give it a shot. The manager said he didn’t think it was “paved” like I would think and he was right. It was a firmly packed dirt trail with a layer of finely ground limestone on top. It wasn’t the most ideal riding conditions, but it wasn’t too terrible either, so I decided to give it a test ride to Tebbetts, 12 miles down, and camp there that night.
With the road running right beside the trail, it seemed silly to stay on it and coat the bike in dust and debris; it didn’t take long to hop back on the road and take 94 into Tebbetts. When I got there I saw the little town had a bike hostel set up for those on the trail. I spoke with a neighbor who showed me to the key, let myself in, got settled, and enjoyed a night of free lodging courtesy of the local townsfolk. It was a nice stay in Tebbetts. I was very pleased to find the unexpected accommodations. The only downside of the stay in Tebbetts was waking up to find someone had stolen my helmet.
I am partly to blame for the crime but I still can’t believe someone would have taken it, especially from in front of a bike hostel. Right when I got there, as I was reading the info on the door and trying to figure how things worked, I took off my helmet and set in on the bench right outside. As I was pulling my bike inside and getting settled, I remember seeing it on the bench and thinking, “Oh yeah, I need to grab that.” That was the last time I saw it. I spent 15 minutes the next morning looking for it; it was definitely taken. It was a good helmet, it will be missed. I pray its new owners are treating it nicely and giving it all the love and attention it received in the many miles we shared together. Now a moment of silence, please.
Thank you.
I pulled out of Tebbetts Sunday morning and got on the road, less one helmet, destination: St. Louis. It was a tough ride. I bounced back and forth between the road and the trail, I got two flat tires in the process, I didn’t have anything to eat besides some beef jerky, animal crackers, and Lance crackers, and the frustration of just still being in Missouri continued to weigh on me. I called my friend Libby at the first pay phone I came across to discuss our plans for meeting in St Louis and was excited to hear we were relatively close.
I cannot tell a lie. I ended up meeting Libby a few miles outside of St Louis and riding into the city with her. It was great to see her and her cute pup Lucy. We met at a McDonald’s right off I-70. We worked a little magic and managed to squeeze the horse in the car, I went in a grabbed a value meal to-go, and we took off in her candy-apple coach bound for St Louis.
It felt great to jump in the Grand Am and fly down to the city. It was the second time I caught a ride and was much longer than the first, but I felt no guilt in taking it. The excitement of getting to see a friend from home and hang out with her, paired with the anxiousness to get out of Missouri more than compensated for any thoughts of “cheating” trying to sway my decision of taking the ride. We had a great night of hanging out and catching each other up on our summers and all that’s been going on.
Yesterday I took a planned off day to enjoy a bit of St Louis and go to a Cardinals’ game that night. Yesterday was also great in that I was able to get behind the wheel of a car for the first time since leaving VA. It was so much fun; I felt like I was on a ride, it was great. Libby’s car is fun to drive anyway, but not driving in 60-plus days makes it really fun. We went to a mall in one of the nearby suburbs where I got a much-needed haircut, went out for lunch, and swung by a Sports Authority to pick up a new helmet for my fragile dome.
That night I got to visit Busch Stadium for the first and last time in my life and watched the Marlins beat the Cardinals. Next year the Cardinals will play in a new park, so it was cool to get to visit old Busch before they tear it down. It was a fun night. We sat next to Marty from Utah and his two buddies, and in front of Liz, Steph, and the two Jens, we all had a fun time. After telling the girls behind us about my trip and flashing them some tan line insanity, they lovingly renamed and referred to Libby and I “Lance” and “Cheryl.”
Today I decided to take another day off in St Louis. I wasn’t ready to get back on the road this morning. It’s been good to spend the day hanging out and taking care of a few little details before getting back at it tomorrow, plus I’m still a head of schedule and have a little time to kill.
But I am looking forward to the last stretch. This is the last little pit stop party before I get to the Atlantic on the 27th. I’m feeling good and ready for the last push to the finish line. The Finish Line that will crowded with friends and family to help celebrate, right..? Awesome.
Day 56: 54
Day 57: 55
Day 58: 28.90
Day 59: 80.83
Day 60: 80.52
Day 61: 46.11 Total: 2,883.81
posted by SuperByron3000 at 8/02/2005
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