Day 18: St. Louis-St. Charles-St. Louis, MO 24 miles; total miles, 919 total Sunday, May 8, 2016

Recovery Ride and Flight Home

All Erica wanted for Mother's Day was some alone time. Nick and I went out to the Daily Bread  Bakery & Cafe to buy coffee, breakfast sandwiches, and baked goods. Then we drove to a St Charles playground with a splash pad, and I rode from there to St. Charles and back to Nick's home.

I visited St. Charles the first time in the early 1980s, and then again about 2000. I was curious to see how it had evolved. On  the 1st visit, St. Charles was struggling to stay viable. On the 2nd visit, the first casino was built and the Katy Trail began on the west edge. Now St. Charles is a thriving tourist destination and upscale St. Louis suburb.

St. Charles History

St. Charles Main Street.

St. Charles Opera House

St. Charles numerous restaurants were busy serving Mother's Day brunch. The numerous bars were quite, a good time to slowly cycle the brick Main Street. The Katy continues northeast for nearly 40 more miles. Below is a summary of the history of St. Charles and the Katy Trail.

St. Charles Depot

Critter of the Day. When this critter blows his coat, you could stuff a pillow.

The Battaglias: (Clockwise from left) Adriana, Nick, Erica, Jackson, and Amelia.  I was honored to feel like a surrogate grandfather. Erica dubbed me Mr. Larry. I'll be in touch when visiting the Salt Lake City area. 

Epilog: After 18 days of temperatures in the 60s to 80s, I returned to a wet, May, Montana spring snowstorm. I moved the lawn at 9 am, the snow started about 9:30 am and continued for 2 days. As I finish this blog, the sun is shining and bike riding should be good tomorrow. 

Thanks for reading and I appreciate your comments.

Day 18: St. Louis, MO to Marine, IL 52 miles; total miles, 895 total Saturday, May 7, 2016

Erica has a practice of seeking out new parks, having visited approximately 70 parks and playgrounds in the St. Louis area. Nick has a favorite ride through St. Louis, across the Mississippi, and onto an extensive paved trail system in Illinois to the farming community of Marine and home of the Parkview Cafe. So Erica and the children drove to the Marine City Park while Nick and I biked.

We attempted to navigate to the Arch area on the riverfront, but could not find a bike able path amid extensive construction. Giving up after 20 minutes, we rode on towards Marine. My legs had not yet recovered, but a nice tail wind helped on the eastbound trail sections. I heartily recommend sampling these Illinois trails when in the area. 

Parkview Cafe, Marine, IL

Welcome Sign on the Parkview Door

Down-home Cooking, Join the Regulars

Proud Waitress

Day 17: St. Louis, MO 0 miles; total miles, 843 Friday, May 6, 2016

Rest Day

I arrived at the Battaglia Family home about 3 pm Thursday and was immediately made welcome. Most Warm Showers stays are for a single night, but mine was 3 nights. To explain, John and I were uncertain about our route, days required, and whether weather might limit riding on one or more days. I finally had to book a return flight and the flights from St. Louis (thanks to Southwest in the market) were about 1/3 that as from other, area airports. So I selected Sunday, May, Mother's Day.

Turns out that Nick and I had a lot in common: engineering degree, familiarity with US government contracting, craft beer, and cycling. In addition, Nick and family are poised to relocate to a new position in the Clearfield, UT, area, a city about 45 miles north of Salt Lake City where I previously lived for 27 years. 

After 16 days of riding, I needed a rest day. We had a relaxed time and shared the secrets of No Knead bread. Nick and Erica are fans as the children repeatedly pleaded for another slice.

Nick graciously drove me to the Apple Store to check out my AirBook charging issue. All it required was a hard restart; nothing wrong with the charger or air book. Now, if I can just remember the fix if it happens again. We were obligated to stop by the Craft Beer Store to celebrate on the way home. Bike touring can be trying at times.

Jackson (7), Adriana (2), Nick, and Amelia (5) at St. Charles playground.

Critter of the Day

We have two standard poodles at home, but I do not recall seeing ANY standard poodles on this

 entire trip. No idea why this was named Fee Fee Road.

From my friend Nancy Kessler: Fee Fee Road was named after a French trader Nicholas "Fifi" Beaugenou (probably Hugenot in that area.)

Day 16: St. Claire to St. Louis, MO 62 miles; total miles, 843 Thursday, May 5, 2016

Today's route is north to the Katy Trail, east to St. Louis, then across the Missouri River on the 364 Bridge to my Warm Showers host family in Bridgetown, a St. Louis suburb near the airport. 

I have four means of navigation: Missouri road map, an ACA route map (Great Rivers South #1), Garmin Edge Touring GPS, and iPhone. The road map offers overview perspective but minimal detail. ACA maps recommend little-used roads that are often longer, more difficult, and have poor surfaces. The Garmin Edge Touring is most useful if a course or route has been pre-entered or you are near the end point, and less useful when entering a destination point or address that is more than 10 miles distant. (It repeatedly recommends obscure, minor roads and redirect prompts.) The iPhone, using either Google Maps or iMaps works well, especially Google Maps with the bicycle option selected. My confidence increases immensely when multiple methods agree, especially the Garmin and iPhone. A plus for the iPhone, you can have it in a jersey pocket, and traffic noise permitting, hear voice prompts without looking at the phone. 

My initial route was directly north from St. Claire through Union and Washington, 10,000 and 14,000 respectively. Washington in particular seemed to cater to cyclists, with a visitors' center for those interested in the Katy Trail. Today's north wind was slight, perhaps 5-10 mph, the hills were moderate, and the smooth wide shoulder on Rte 47 was good despite busy morning traffic. 

Route 47 Northbound

'Otta Be a Law. I know, some claim that regulations are stifling American business, but Missouri is notorious for puppy mills that warrant regulation, and some people will swap anything. This advertised Animal Swap was not a place to acquire stock to fill your freezer. 

As Route 47 goes north, it veers west just across the Missouri River with no sign of the Katy Trail. Proceeding across 5 miles of bottom land, the Trail suddenly appears just west of Dutzow. 

Regarding the Trail, I quote:

The Katy Trail State Park is a state park in the U.S. state of Missouri that contains the Katy Trail, a recreational rail trail that runs 240 miles (390 km) in the right-of-way of the former Missouri–Kansas–Texas Railroad.^[1] Running largely along the northern bank of the Missouri River, it is the country's longest Rails-to-Trails trail.^[2] The trail is open for use by hikers, joggers, and cyclists year-round, from sunrise to sunset. Its hard, flat surface is of "limestone pug" (crushed limestone).

The nickname "Katy" comes from the phonetic pronunciation of 'KT' in the railroad's abbreviated name, MKT. Sections of the Katy are also part of the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail and the American Discovery Trail.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katy_Trail_State_Park

 The Katy Trail surface is entirely crushed limestone or pea gravel, mixed with clay. I'm not sure what it would be like wet, but when dry in the Spring, the surface is about 30- to 40-percent slower than  pavement. Numerous twigs, leaves, and small ruts abound. Such conditions are more noticeable when riding on 20" Bike Friday road tires instead of 26" or 700c cross tires. Two, 10" trailer wheels add to the drag.

That noted, the Trail is quiet, frequently shaded, mostly by a limestone ledge on the north side and trees on both sides. It's mostly river bottom farm land to the south. The Missouri River is seldom visible until near the St. Louis metro area.

 Katy Trail #1

 Katy Trail #2

Katy Trail #3

Katy Trail Augusta Station. Frequent stations offer benches, tables, interpretive signs, and bike tools. Small towns that cater to trail users offer food and lodging. Augusta featured a craft brewery. 

A local rider familiar with the Trail said that evidence of the rail road is visible every 4-5 miles along with frequent, shaded benches. Wineries and breweries border the Katy Trail, a 237 mile (386 km) trail stretching across most of the state of Missouri. Per one source: You can hop on the Katy and stop at one of the 19 wineries along the trail. (All 19 wineries are within 5 miles of the trail.)

Critter of the Day on the Katy Trail

 Lewis and Clark Slept Here. Well, not really, but they did travel up the Missouri, with difficulty, against the current, and then back on their homeward leg. While limestone cliffs border the Trail on the north, trail sign boards note that Capt. Lewis nearly lost his life when he slipped on a 300-foot cliff on the south side.

Brown, muddy, whirlpools, and a strong current.

Katy Trail-side Home with Antique Tractor. Nearing the St. Louis metro area, many large homes bordered the trail in places. (Suburban and rural Americans sure like to just grass.)

Missouri River from the 364 Bridge. This bridge offers the only protected bike lane over the Missouri in the St. Louis area.

Missouri's Take on Seine River Bridge. Traditions A tradition started in Paris, affixing a padlock with lovers names or initials inscribed is supposed to bring eternal bliss to the relationship. Here is a link on how it's working by State:

http://s.wsj.net/public/resources/documents/st_DIVORCE_20100813.html

At 3.9 per 1000, Missouri is slightly ahead of Montana at 4.0. Arkansas, Idaho, Nevada, West Virginia, and Wyoming are all at 5.0 or above, so maybe they need more padlocks.

Creve Coeur Lake and Memorial Park. Connected to the Katy Trail via the 364 Bridge, the Creve Coeur Connector Trail is the safest and most beautiful way to enter the St. Louis metro area. Paved trails extend for miles. At this point, about 6 miles from my destination, I turned on my iPhone and Garmin Edge and they mostly agreed on the route. When in doubt, I trusted the iPhone and Mr. Google, arriving at my destination about 3 pm.

Chemical Plant? Seeing Grace,when riding by the first time, I thought this was a W. R. Grace chemical office and plant of some sort. Wrong, fellow congregants of the Church of the Derailleur, this is a super church with a congregation in the thousands featuring a full event and entertainment schedule.

Day 15: Bonne Terre to St. Claire, MO 50 miles; total miles 781 Wednesday, May 4, 2016

Today's route was the most difficult of the trip. Unending steep hills and a direct headwind of 10 mph, increasing to 25 mph by late morning. I switched to a wind vest instead of a light jacket, which proved ideal given the workload. I made 5 or 6 stops, perhaps 5-10 minutes each, to rest sore muscles. Riding every day for 15 days is beginning to take a toll. On a longer ride, I would normally aim for a rest day every 7-to-10 days.

Upon arriving in St. Claire about 12:30, I stopped for lunch at a Chinese restaurant—no dine-in customers were present but came in for take-out orders. My portion was huge, so it doubled as dinner, the upside of riding with a trailer. Always room to stuff another item in the trailer.

The downside of a trailer is that most states, including Missouri, place rumble strips designed to wake drunks, otherwise impaired drivers, and cell phone users, too near the edge of the road. With no room for the trailer, I have to ride in the traffic lane. However, most drivers give a trailer more passing room than a bike with panniers.

Given arrival at my St. Claire lodging by 1:30 pm, I briefly considered proceeding to Union, about 9 miles further north. Given the increasing head wind, stopping was the right choice.

When riding alone, I have a lot of time to ponder various aspects of bike touring:

• Dogs: I previously discussed dog strategies. The worst instance we encountered was watching a family drive off leaving their 5-month old puppy loose in the yard. Their puppy followed the van down the driveway and out on the highway, barking and chasing for several 100 yards as the van slowly pulled away. They probably thought their devoted, barking puppy was cute. Then the puppy followed us, first as a chase game and then it become increasingly desperate. It finally gave up the chase nearly a mile from home, standing exhausted in the middle of the road. Simply irresponsible. John's method of moving to the other side of the road is often effective, but not for all dogs. For the meaner ones, I occasionally hope a car would come along. Tough love.
• Hillbilly homesteads: The upwardly mobile are the first in their neighborhood to get a double-wide, install skirting, and remove the wheels. 
• 3 our of 4 vehicles parked by the mobile home are non-functional except as lawn ornaments.
• In the southern architectural style, the open front porch extends the full length of the mobile home.
• The best way to flaunt your success is to stack the porch with acquired items, leaving a small passage to access the front door.
• The newest item on display is an oversized smoker. 
• Multiple Confederate flags make a clear political statement, that and a Trump sign.
• Drivers: Most drivers have been incredibly courteous, especially in Alabama. The closer to a larger town or city, the less courteous the drivers. Objectionable drivers are: * Drivers that hang back several hundred yards and make no effort to pass under any conditions, nearly as unnerving as those that  * Pass too fast and too close. * Drivers with the right-of-way but they stop and wave cyclists across multiple lanes of oncoming traffic — well meaning but inept. I appreciate drivers that promptly proceed when urged by a cyclist. Most of the time we are just trying to avoid restarting a heavy bicycle from a dead stop.

Creative Mail Boxes. I love seeing creative mail boxes, and this was one of the best. Many feature a barn or replica of the nearby home. I regret not stopping to photograph the saddle mail box (saddle with stirrups). Tractor mail boxes are pretty common in farm country; trucks less so.

 Critters of the Day:  We spied numerous fire ant mounds along the road. Given their reputation, I did not stir the mound for action shots.

Typical Road. Narrow shoulder, ruble strip on the side. The photo does not reflect the steepness of the slope.

Roadside Churches. I previously noted that religion seemed to be the healthiest economic sector in much of the South. Alabama featured more roadside churches than business of all types combined. As we traveled north, more of the churches seemed to be further from the road, but all were well signed. As I understand it, anyone can start their own church and anyone can affiliate with the Southern Baptist Convention, so Baptist churches seemed to be most common. As Dale, our Warm Showers host in Gainesville noted, much of a preacher's time is devoted to fund raising. With just a roof, pews, and pulpit, perhaps this particular preacher failed fund raising 101. (If was a snake-handling preacher, I endorse the absence of walls.)

Day 14: Fredricktown to Bonne Terre, MO 38 miles; total miles 731 Tuesday, May 3, 2016

After a 7 am breakfast with Tim, Mark, and John, they carefully loaded John's bike and departed for their 11-hour drive back to Wisconsin. I packed my trailer for a solo ride entirely along the Adventure Cycling Great Rivers Route to Bonne Terre via Farmington. Temperatures were in the low 50s, headwinds of 10 mph grew to 25 mph by mid-afternoon, and the Ozark hills were steep and constant. However, traffic was minimal, so 5 mph on hills was OK. 

John left at the right time.

Ozark Mountain. Western residents often dismiss eastern mountains as hills, but the difference for cyclists is that eastern roads usually follow the terrain. Eastern grades tend to be shorter but significantly steeper, especially when not on major routes. I generally try to build downhill speed to shorten the length of the next hill.

Asking locals to recommend roads and routes is an interesting exercise in interpretation. From a driver's perspective, they often worry more about curves than hills. Today I was warned about hills and steep drop-offs, hardly an issue for a cyclist. Rough road surfaces, steep hills, and vehicle traffic are our major concerns. As for hills, few drivers notice hills unless they cannot see to pass.

Welcome ACA Bicentennial Route 76. Adventure Cycling Association (ACA) increasingly is placing signs on their routes. Route 76 is the route of the original 1976 bicentennial cross USA route, Bike Centennial subsequently rebranded as Adventure Cycling, based in Missoula, MT. 

Today's route was through the historic Missouri lead belt, an area where Spanish explorers found some of the world's richest lead ore deposits. St. Joseph Lead was the largest company, but mining has ended except for limited, specialty purposes. For the curious, here is a link to the local attraction, the closed lead mine that its open for scuba diving, boat tours, and walking tours:  http://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/29468

Farmington featured a number of historic large homes. The business district was a maze of one-way streets. The ACA route followed minor side streets out of Farmington, then paralleled I-67 on west-side frontage roads, avoiding most of the commercial business traffic on the east side roads.

I checked into my hotel early and plotted the route into St. Louis, approximately 60 miles each day.

Day 13: Cape Girardeau to Fredricktown, MO 54 miles; total miles 693 Monday, May 2, 2016

Tim and Mark, John's friends from Wisconsin, will arrive tonight to ferry John home Tuesday morning. Ya gotta say enough when you can schedule a ride. Having crossed the US horizontally, John's goal is a vertical crossing. Having completed the norther portion, John will essentially have Illinois left for a later trip.

Tim asked John's wife, Cathy, if they needed to take a bike rack, as they were carrying a lot of fishing gear. Cathy said: John would rather she rode outside the car than his bike.

We had a delicious breakfast with Judith, and then she escorted us out of town. She said she wanted to show us the least hilly route and not just get us out of town. 

After the earlier overnight rains, morning temperatures are pretty cool, perhaps upper 50s F on departure. The day remained overcast and the route grew hillier as we exited the Missouri Bluffs along the Mississippi River and neared the Ozark Mountains. In fact, we had the first light headwinds.

Perhaps we all should live on Meek and Humble Lane — this lane was west of Cape Girardeau.

Critters of the Day: Mother and Child

Lunch. Places like this usually offer home-cooked meals, and this was no exception. I had a delicious breakfast burrito.

Obelisk Attracts. The name turned out to be Swiss, the the real attraction was the extensive obelisk, shown below. In particular, the reference to the reference to George Christopher, who lived 110 years. Imagine the family lore that prompted the investment in this Historical Marker. 

As Paul Harvey used to say, There's more to the story.

Thanks to Nancy Kessler, whose family is from this area:

The 20 family migration from Lincoln County, NC may have included my forebears, who settled in German Township, now Marquand, and Buckhorn near Fredericktown. They were the founding families of one of the first Lutheran churches west of the Mississippi at Cascade. They also crossed the ice at Ste Genevieve (a place you would have liked to see) in the apocryphal stories. 

That marker had some familiar surnames like Limbaugh (yes, as in Rush) and Seabaugh. I'm thinking that "correction" has something to do with the Seabaugh's colorful history.

Lots of Niswonger headstones in the church cemetery, but this was the most unusual.

Clear Cut. Much as in the prior states, clear cutting seemed to be the usual harvest practice. We encountered few logging trucks.

Tim and Mark drove up within 45 minutes of our arrival, having stopped to fish and chill some adult beverages from Wisconsin. Mark went for a walk and researched potential restaurants. He spotted a Cajun-flavored fish restaurant that claimed seven craft beers on tap. With a Boulevard sign in the window, things looked promising until the waitress noted: We need to take down that sign. They had a cloying vanilla stout on tap. A menu specialty was alligator bites, ordered as an appetizer, a bit like white-meat chicken, but firmer, breaded, and deep fried.