St. Louis and on to the east
Mood:  celebratory
what a fine time sharing the "eastern MO" part of Wil's great bike adventure.  Wil and I left about 9 on Thursday morning, I from our home in South St. Louis City, headed west to meet Wil who was riding in from Augusta, which is almost equi-distance in the west and he rode East!  We met at the TRailhead brewery for a huge lunch - I rode thru some light drizzle but by the time we finished eating (great onion rings!) the roads were mostly dry.  We enjoyed a nice ride (some light rain!) through Creve Couer Park, then for 7 miles on Midland boulevard into Forest Park and then finished up the 30 miles to our home across the street from Tower Grove Park!  Early Friday morning Jim and I escorted Wil into the downtown traffic and halfway across the Mississippi river where we parted ways, very grateful to have shared the "good journey" for a bit!  We are inspired to dream of our own trip in the near future!  Thanks, Wil - safe miles and good people...

Day 65-Wednesday, July 30th, 2008
Mood:  energetic
Now Playing: Another pleasant day in Kentucky.

In order to get to the motel near Mammoth Caves before W.T. arrived, I would need to leave early.  Not only was I uncertain as to the terrain, but it was supposed to rain later.  Additionally, I was crossing over into Eastern Standard Time, so I would lose an hour.

I ate breakfast at 6 AM, then hit the road, wondering what the hills would be like today.  In the first hour, I had three hard climbs that left me gasping for breath.  This was going to be a long day.  I passed another restaurant and stopped for breakfast #2.  Yes, I am gaining back some of the weight that had been lost earlier.  Right after this meal, I dipped into a hollow that was so steep that I wasn't sure the brakes would slow me enough to negotiate the curves.  The climb out was torturous and very slow.  But I made it.  This did not bode well for the day, but, fortunately, the worst was over.  There were no more hills this bad for the rest of the day.  Those are apparently being saved for eastern Kentucky.

Not too long after the second breakfast, I passed a grocery, and picked up a cheeseburger for lunch.  Just as Jack and I had done on Sunday, I found a nice shady cemetery to enjoy the sandwich.

It didn't seem like too much later that I entered the town of Sonora.  I was only 12-14 miles to the hotel. I stopped for a bowl of soup and a number of large glasses of iced tea.  It is just amazing how much fluids one consumes.  On the bike I drink but generally don't feel thirsty.  Once I stop for food, I seldom drink less than three large glasses of tea or water.

The road was nice.  I still hadn't been chased by any dogs with serious intent.  Life was good!  A rain drop touched my face.  I started pedalling faster.  It was just a few miles to go!  But there was no way I would make it dry.  I pulled under some cover and tried to quickly put the rain covers on the panniers.  Additionally I donned my rain sponge jacket (that's my new name for it).  It had been raining hard, but by the time I was all situated, the rain started to ease off.  Soon the sun was out, it was still in the high 80's, and I was starting to swelter in the jacket. 

Feeling reatively certain that I had preceeded W.T. in getting here, I ducked into an ice cream store in order to cool off both inside and out.

Our room at the Cruise Inn wasn't bad for as little as they charged.  It had two beds and room for all of our gear (mostly mine) and the bicycle.

W.T., who reminds me of an absent minded professor, called on his cell phone. He had taken a wrong turn somewhere and was on a parkway leading the wrong direction with no exits in sight.  I assured him that I was in no hurry.  He showed up a little bit later.

Before eating, we drove down to Abraham Lincoln's birthplace, about ywo miles down the road.  After seeing a short film on Lincoln's life here (he moved when he was seven) we toured the grounds, which were the actual grounds of the original farm.  The spring still produced water.  A cabin, similar to the one Lincoln lived in was on display.  It was an incredibly poor (economically) start for someone who secured such greatness.

We dined at a steak house in a town nearby, then retired to the room and resurrect memories of brothers, many of whom haven't been seen for decades.

Tomorrow, we are going to the Mammoth Caves.  They have numerous tours.  After we have gone to the tour of our choice, W.T. will drop me back off at the motel, then he will be off to New Albany, Indiana, to the home of a childhood friend.

I am so pleased that he chose to drive all this way just to visit.  He is just as smart and funny and wise as always. 

Will McMahan

Day 65-Tuesday, July 29th
Mood:  a-ok
Now Playing: A good day. Ooh, that pool feels great!

Jack left the evening before last, and I had all of yesterday to relax and prepare for today.  The most important issue was to have my brakes checked at the local bike store.  My brakes are starting to fail, and the brake pads need replacing.  Unfortunately, the local bike shop had neither the proper parts or time for installation, so they gave some quick adjustments, advised that I have them replaced prior to traversing eastern Kentucky (which, I gather, is supposed to be very steep) and sent me on my way.

My room at the Ramada was a joke at any price, least of all the $100 that I was paying.  The phone didn't work.  The internet computer didn't work.  The entire facility was under renovation.  My room was nice, but when I stepped outside the door, the concrete hallway was dirty, and had rebar showing through the holes in the concrete.  I started calling around.  Comfort Inn: All full. Days Inn:  All full. They were all full.  Wait a minute, what is this?  Budget Inn:  yes they have a room for $39.  I took it.  And, yes, the phone worked. 

Today, I was to leave Owensboro and try to get to an area called the Rough River Dam.  There is a state park there, and several motels.  I missed the turn onto Highway 54 and had to backtrack to find it.

As the hills started to add up, I pulled into a little post office in Deaneville.  From there, I took items off my bike that I doubted I would need, and mailed them back home.  One item was my tent.  I kept the ground cloth, pillow and two sleeping bag liners, so I could sleep outside (if it was not raining).

The miles started adding up.  The hills were tiring but I could do them.  Ironically, an email that I received from someone in Granite Falls helped.  This gentleman had been reading my journal and felt inspired by my trip.  He had lost weight through his bicycling workouts.  It is seldom that we have the opportunity to inspire anyone, and this gave me energy on even the longest hills.

As is common, I had eaten three times before I arrived at the motel around 2 PM.  They had a small but nice swimming pool, and for the first time since leaving home, I put on my swim trunks and took a dip.  It was fantastic!  It was just the right temperature to feel cooling, yet the water was warm enough that one didn't need to tiptoe into it.  I lay in the shade, listening to Ivanhoe on the MP3 player, taking occasional dips.  This was definitely heaven.  The outdoor temperature was in the mid-90's.

Tomorrow was going to be exciting.  The ride was not going to be exceedingly long, 58 miles, and I was to meet one of my fraternity brothers, W.T. Wrege, and we were going to visit the area, especially Mammoth Caves.  I wanted to be at the motel first if at all possible.

Speaking of possibilities, I had no accidents of any kind today.  This shouldn't be newsworthy, but, after riding over 3,000 miles without any mishaps, the last several days have made me a little more conscious of how easy it is to fall.  Maybe it was the day of rest in Owensboro, or maybe it was just the increased focus while riding.  Whatever, it made for a good day.

Will McMahan

you are looking good
Mood:  happy
Now Playing: did G-D really say that about Kentucky!!!!
just a hug and a hello to you from us....we continue to be impressed with your determination and spunk.  continue having fun....hugs, j & c

Good For You
Mood:  happy
So I guess your knee is better.  Last I remember you were going to bike to Oregon with your grandson but had to cancel due to an injury.  This trip is lots further than Oregon.  Continued good luck and happy traveling, Connie

Day 63-Sunday, July 27
Mood:  accident prone
Now Playing: Wow! This is great! Crash (#3)

What a great night's sleep!  As I got up, the left leg felt fine.  A little tender with lateral movement, but there is no lateral movement on a bicycle.  Jack was already up, so we ventured down to Rudy's Cafe for a large breakfast.

Since all church services were late in the morning, we decided to leave early.  I would attend a service in the evening after Jack left.  The lodging facilities in this neck of the woods is scant.  No motels, but one can camp in the Sebree city park (no bathrooms), or stay in the Baptist Church (kind of a hostel-type of situation), which would work well for me if they were still allowing bicyclers to stay.

After packing stuff up, and re-depositing it in Jack's car, I took off down the road.  Jack had a little shopping to do. 

Up ahead loomed the high but narrow bridge over the Ohio River.  As I approached it, it still looked narrow, but, for some reason, not as steep as it appeared yesterday from the car.  I started over it.  I don't know why, but it seemed easy.  I was in my low range chain ring fully expecting to have difficulty climbing, and never went below 7th gear (on the mountain passes I would be in 2nd or 3rd gear).  It must have been the lack of weight.  There was no traffic on the bridge except Jack and one other car. 

I'm in Kentucky!  Only two more states to go! 

Most people don't know this, because most bibles have deleted this scripture, but in the book of Genesis (I think in the second chapter) God made a pact with Adam.  He said "Adam, I am going to make a beautiful area which I will call Kentucky.  It will be an exceedingly beautiful area.  However, I will also make it hilly with lousy cell phone coverage.  Don't worry about what this means, Adam, future generations will understand."

Suddenly, just like yesterday, I was flying.  In Morgantown, before 9 AM, we had breakfast #2.  Still rolling well, we had a nice break under a shady tree in a cemetery.  The double cheeseburger was still warm.  I was feeling strong.  The leg was responding as if nothing had happened yesterday.  It looked like we were going to get into Sebree way before noon.

So we took out the maps, and reset our goal for a town called Owensboro, KY.  It had a population of 54,000.  There should be motels all over the place.  It had a bike shop so I could have it checked out.  It would likely also have other amenities so that I could have a rest day.  It had been Manhattan since I had rested, a long 9 days earlier.  I had been averaging close to 70 miles/day in all sorts of hot/rainy/humid weather.  A day of rest sounded good, I would have a chance to catch up on this journal.

Jack went ahead into town to scout out motels.  I was pleased with the rapidity of the day because Jack had a long drive back to Bloomington, Minnesota, and if he could get partway back today, then he should have no trouble getting home Monday evening as he wished. 

He returned to report that he only saw a Holiday Inn Express.  They were a little pricier than I liked but it might be worth it.  It cost $76 last time.  I rode in, and entered the lobby.  Yes they had a room available.  Only $130.  Why so much, I asked?  "There is a national tournament of 144 teams for Girls 16 and under Fastpitch Softball this week."  Oh Lord!

I did some digging and found a cheaper room but timing is everything, and my timing was stinking in Owensboro.  Jack went ahead to meet me at the Ramada.  A quarter of a mile from the Ramada, I crashed again!  This one wasn't near as bad as yesterday, but the cause was similar.  Instead of a gap between the shoulder and the highway, this one's highway was raised about 1 1/2 inches higher than the shoulder.  Again, I didn't take enough of an angle in the transition, and I flipped over.  Three falls in four days!  I hope this is the last one!  It wasn't bad:  a few cuts and scrapes.  I rebumped the bruise on my left shin.

I didn't say a word about it to Jack, but I am sure he was wondering where the fresh blood on my arms and legs came from.  Jack doesn't miss much.

I hated to see him go.  He had been so instrumental in making the last two days so pleasant.  Not just the riding:  he is smart, fun and funny.  A good traveling companion--but now he needed to get home.

Tomorrow will be a day of rest, sightseeing, and hopefully, bicycle rehabilitation.  In a couple of days I hope to hook up with another fraternity brother of mine, W.T. Wrege.  W.T. is the only person I know that is smart enough to be a professor of accounting in college, yet has trouble punching in a code to get a security gate to open.  He really is delightful and funny.  I look forward to seeing him again.  We will be touring Mammoth Caves together.

Will McMahan

Day 62-Saturday, July 26th
Mood:  a-ok
Now Playing: I'M FREE! I

Today began a little differently than normal because Karen's cousin, Jack Ingersol, was here. He would be accompanying me in a support vehicle for two days before starting his return to Minnesota.  I had a mixture of feelings:  I really like Jack and looked forward to seeing him, but it was slightly disconcerting, after having been totally independant, to have someone else there, another dynamic.  I felt funny waking him a little after 6 AM, not sure if he would feel it too early or too late.   In light of his yeoman's drive yesterday, I hoped that he would not be disappointed in his time here.

We started off with a large breakfast at The Cracker Barrel across the street.  It took awhile to get packed.  I also thought it an opportune time oil the bicycle chain.  Recumbents have a very long chain, over 10', and with all the water that I endured over the last several days, it seemed a wise thing to oil it.  Jack had suggested that he carry all of my gear, and that seemed like a good idea although I didn't think it would make that big of a difference.  We left around 8:30 A.M. 

Our destination was Shawneetown, a small town close to the Ohio River, and a short hop from Kentucky.  The distance was going to be around 66-68 miles, something I should be able to accomplish without too much trouble, even with the late start.

Jack adapted quickly to the routine.  He would go out about 5 miles and wait for me to approach.   If everything was okay, I would give him a "thumbs up", and continue on.  He would then pass me and go further up the road.  It helped that he had a neat GPS which he used to calculate distances to future stops, etc., but especially for finding a town in which to eat.

It quickly became apparent that, even though I was carrying a small pannier, the bike was going several miles per hour faster since Jack had the rest of the gear.  In fact I hadn't averaged these speeds the whole trip.   It made me wonder why, when Karen supported me for two days, we left most of the gear on the bike.  It took someone intelligent, like Jack, to point it out, I guess.

Later in the morning, we ate at the Dairy Queen.  Earlier it looked like it might rain, but now the sun was breaking out, so I had to replenish my sun screen (50 block).

This ride became very liberating!  Going easily up the inclines, and faster on the level, I felt a new freedom that I hadn't had before.  A person could cover territory a lot quicker without carrying an additional 50 pounds of weight.

Jack had a cooler filled with ice, in which he stored bottled water.  Ahhh.  What a relief as the temperatures creeped upward.  He also picked up a roast beef sandwich for me, and gave it to me in a nice shady spot up the road.

It became clear that we were going to arrive in Shawneetown early, so Jack went ahead to secure some motel rooms for us.  He met me 8 miles out of town, informing me that he had them ready, and then he returned to Shawneetown to wait for me.  It wouldn't take long.  Or so I thought.

I was riding on a two lane highway, on the shoulder.  It was a crappy shoulder, pitted and gravelly, so I moved over to ride on the smooth pavement.  Unfortunately, there was a gap between the shoulder and highway.  My front tire dropped into the gap, and before I know what was happening I was body slammed into the concrete.  (So much for not having any more crashes.)  This was a hard crash, full of potential for injury, and I was immediately sore.  Moving slowly, as traffic eased by, I lifted my head, then shoulders and arms.  I was successful in extricating my left leg from under the bike, and it was able to bear some weight, a good sign.  Lifting the bike upright, I looked behind me, and a pickup truck with an older couple inside was stopped 30 feet behind me, blocking all traffic from getting too close.  I limped back to them.  They were obviously concerned if I was okay, and offered to carry me and the bicycle into town. 

A trip of this type creates a certain amount of self sufficiency, but hopefully not stupidity.  I wasn't about to take a lift if the bike was okay, and if I was capable of riding.  On the other hand, if either of those two items were not okay, then, in a heartbeat, I would take them up on their offer.  I asked for them to please wait to see if I could ride.  If I could, then I would wave, indicating that I was okay, and they could dive on into town.  I was able to ride fine.

I arrived at the motel with Jack not the wiser until I told him about the mishap.  My left leg was gimpy, and a knot was starting to form at the top of the shin.  Jack pulled out his ice chest, we wrapped ice in a towel, then let it rest on the knot.  When Jack went to his room, I took the time to call Karen and give her a "heads up" (I don't ever want for her to learn about this sort of thing from my journal) then I showered and reapplied the ice pack.  I was feeling better already.

Jack suggested that we drive into Old Shawneetown, the original settlement.  He also wanted to show me the bridge that I would have to traverse in the morning.  It looked very daunting and very narrow.  Hopefully traffic on Sunday morning would be light.

My intended destination tomorrow was to be Dixon, KY, and I had calculated 60+ miles, but, for the first time, I had overestimated the mileage.  It was going to be less than fifty.  Having the time, we drove there.  Once there, we realized that it was shorter still, so we went to the next town, Sebree.  It was still only 37 miles.  Very hilly miles, but only 37.  I have to admit:  seeing all of the hills, after riding on the level, was a bit disappointing.

After dinner at Rudy's Cafe, we returned to our rooms, having discussed plans for tomorrow.  Jack had been transformed, in my mind, from a helper, to an extremely valuable aide.  His help was incalcuable.

The knot had disappeared under the ice pack.  In my only other bad crash, a few years back, I was hurt pretty good and could hardly walk, but ironically, once on the bike, I could pedal fine.  Maybe tomorrow would be like that.  I wasn't hurting near as bad this time.

I fell into a deep sleep at 8:30 PM, wondering what the morning would bring.  Would the leg hold up?  Just how dangerous was the bridge?  Would I be able to sustain the hills?  Would I even be able to ride at all? 

Will McMahan

 

 

Day 61-Friday, July 25th
Mood:  a-ok
Now Playing: I can't believe that I am in Illinois

As predicted, we all arose early. We had breakfast, loaded the bikes and were on the street by 7:30 AM.

I don't know what I expected at this point, but it sure wasn't what I saw.  Downtown St. Louis was wonderful!  The architecture was neat!  As I stopped at a stop light in front of Busch Stadium I listened to a tape of Hank Aaron getting a hit.  Seeing St. Louis made me want to come back again for a longer visit. 

There is a bike/pedestrian walkway on one side of the bridge.  It was a little narrow, and when I yelled "Wide Load coming" at two walkers, they had to sqeeze themselves to the wall to give me room.  Jim and Diana led me to almost the halfway point over the Mississippi River, then we took commemorative photos, said our farewells and parted.  They were a wonderful host and hostess.

It was going to be a long day today if I rode all the way to Mt. Vernon, Illinois.  It was about 85 miles, not a distance that I was excited about, but I was excited about meeting up with Karen's cousin, Jack Ingersol. 

Jack, a retired commercial airplane pilot, had been following my trip through my journal, and he decided that he would like to be a small part of it.  So, leaving his home in Bloomington, MN, he drove all the way to Mt. Vernon, IL.  He will drive along my route as a support vehicle, carrying my gear, scouting out good eats, providing cold water and treats for breaks, and just being good company.  He will start his return to Minnesota late Sunday afternoon.  You just can't imagine how grateful I am for his driving all of the way down here.

There is one highway that starts just after the Eads Bridge, and goes all the way to Mt. Vernon.  As long as I watched the highway signs, it would be hard to get lost (though past experience has determined that a certain amount of awareness is helpful).  Around 9 AM I found a Denny's, and had breakfast #2.  Lunch, around 2:15 PM, was in Nashville.  Yes, weight is slowly starting to come back on.

I was expecting very hilly country in southern Illinois, and was pleased to find it relatively level.  Southern Indiana has much hillier terrain than this, but I am grateful for the difference.  The hills will come soon, certainly in Kentucky.  This terrain reminds me of northern Indiana, where I was born and raised.  Lush fertile soil.  Corn well over 8' high.  It is a gorgeous sight.

Finally, I entered the Mt. Vernon city limits.  I got here before Jack.  My odometer confirmed that I had traveled 85 miles.  Since several interstate highways bisect this town, there were lots of housing options.  We got adjoining rooms at the Quality Inn.  My motel choices seemed to have gotten a little classier (This is a relative term.  Those that have been following my journal know that I know motels in low places) but I'm sure that will change once I am in rural Kentucky. 

Tomorrow, we will set off early for Shawneetown.  It is a small town close to the Kentucky state line (I guess it's also the Illinois state line).  Isn't it interesting that I can traverse Illinois in two days.  Kentucky will take well over a week.

Will McMahan

Day 60-Thursday, July 24th
Mood:  a-ok
Now Playing: What a nice safe bike trail....Crash!

I had made arrangements with the owners of this Bed and Breakfast to have breakfast at 8 AM, quite late for me, but typical for B&Bs.  This gave me a chance to sleep in, which I took advantage of, arising at 5:45 AM.

By the time other bodies were stirring, I had two cups of coffee, and was packed and ready to go.  I tried to figure if I was just imagining the disdainful attitude of the owners.  The breakfast was good and sufficient for my needs.  I loaded the panniers on the bike.  Since the sky was overcast, the weatherman notwithstanding, I put rain covers over the panniers. 

I called Diana Oleskevich.  She was going to ride her bike out to St. Charles from St. Louis.  Since the distance for her was about the same as mine, we would try to synchronize our departure times.  So far everything seemed to be working as if we knew what we were doing.

The ride started smoothly.  The temperature was mild because of the overcast. Then it started to rain.  Lightly at first, then harder--sort of a decent Puget Sound rain.  My rain jacket still hasn't figured out that it is supposed to repel the water, and soon I was soaked to the skin.  The miles started going by as the legs kept churning.

Trouble started about 12 miles out from St. Charles.  Somehow, I got some sunscreen into my left eye.  Since I hadn't put any on today, it must have been some on my forehead that I had not washed off.  It stung like the dickens, and I resigned myself to having my left eye closed until St. Charles.  Then my right eye started having the same problem, but not as bad.  Finally, when I could not keep my right eye open either, I stopped, found a cloth and wiped my eyes.  It worked for about 5 seconds on my left eye but the right seemed okay, so off I went.  Every mile or so, I had to repeat this.  When it happened a fourth time, I discovered that the cloth had fallen out of my pocket, so I used my wet shirt under the rain jacket.  I swear that this 12 mile stretch was one of the most miserable times during my whole trip so far.  When I got to the restaurant, I could hardly see the sign for the restrooms.  Once there, I washed and rinsed my face and head thoroughly.   Air conditioning isn't nearly so pleasant when your soaked, I discovered.

Diana arrived.  We had a nice lunch then took off for St. Louis.  The route was a conglomeration of bike trails, and roads through subdivisions and industrial parks, and city streets.  At one point I was thinking "What a nice, pleasant bike trail!  Paved.  Scenic...".  About that time I cut a corner too closely and my front tire slid off the trail, tipping my bike over and I with it.  Note to self:  "If you are going to fall, try to do it gracefully next time".  No damage, except for a couple of road rashes and, of course, my pride.  It was the first fall I have had this entire trip.  Hopefully my last.

When we got to the Oleskevich's house, I had clocked in 55 miles.  Still wet.  Both Jim and Diana had commitments, so I took the opportunity to eat, shower and do laundry.  When they came home we had a delightful evening talking about our ride.  I wonder if Diana pushed me off the trail, out of jealousy of my bike?  Hmm.  Not.

Tomorrow both Jim and Diana will escort me to the downtown bridge that will take me across the Mississippi River into Illinois.  We will be getting up early, have an early breakfast, then head out.

Will McMahan

Day 59-Wednesday, July 23rd
Mood:  not sure
Now Playing: You want how much?

I needed an early start today if I was going to make up for the lesser miles ridden yesterday.  So after arising at 5 AM, and doing devotions, I packed up and had the hotel courtesy van take me back to the North Jefferson trailhead.  I sent a couple of emails, ate a PB&J tortilla, and started riding at 6:20 AM.  The skies were covered with clouds, but the TV weatherman, a trustworthy looking individual, said there was zero probablity of rain this day.  As a vote of confidence, I splashed on my last sunscreen.

The Trail seemed to have rebounded from the heavy rains of yesterday and I seemed to be able to sustain a 10-11 mph pace.  At this rate I should arrive at my intended destination, Augusta, in the late afternoon.

Something was missing.  What is it?  I know.  The birds are not singing like they did the last two mornings, even in the rain.  Maybe they are waterlogged (I would understand).  Maybe they were on strike.  But it was unusual. 

A doe was grazing beside the trail as I approached.  It stared (it was probably thinking "What a cool looking bike!) before realizing that I was getting too close for comfort.  It said something because then two fawns lifted their heads, and all three disappeared into the brush.

Since leaving Boonville yesterday, the Trail followed the Missouri River, and would continue to do so until reaching the eastern terminus at St. Charles.  However, the big difference since Boonville yesterday, was that the trail was almost completely flat.  For the last 165 miles, there was maybe 10-15 miles with a slight grade.  The rest was level.  What this meant when the railroad was running is that the tracks were often flooded to one degree or another.  There was a large rock next to the trail where the high flood levels were marked on the rock.  At one point, during a major flood, almost all of the last 165 miles were under 6" to 6' of water.

After a couple of hours, I needed to find some more food, and Teppets fit the bill.  This little town had a small grocery in a single wide mobile home.  It actually was much nicer than it sounds.  I ate three sweet rolls, drank a bottle of milk, gulped down some coffee, then headed out again.

Lunch time came in the town of Rhineland.  It was a bar/grill.  Their special was fried chicken which I ordered.  The TV above the bar was on the Food Channel and a table of ladies were listening intently to the host.  Maybe the actual cook at this place should have spent some time watching the program because, hungry as I was, dried fried chicken is hard to eat.  The ladies left and a crew of men took their table.  They either liked Rachel Raye, or whatever she was cooking, or else she was more interesting than each other, because they paid closer attention to her than the women had.

Slowly but surely the miles passed by.  The River provided some stunning views.  During one break, I started calling to find lodging in Augusta.  In the Katy Trail Handbook that I had absconded from Brent Hunter, all the lodging seemed to be Bed and Breakfasts.

My first call was somewhat disturbing when the pricing was in the $120 and up range.  I said that I was not looking for an experience, I was looking for a place to sleep and shower.  She dropped the price to $100.  Still way too much.  I kept calling, and called every B&B.  One lady offered her $135 room for $85.  I accepted.  Having stayed at many places, I had never paid that much, but a deal is a deal.

The irony is that even though I was the only guest, and even though the owner would have received nothing had we not agreed on $85, she did not act as a gracious hostess.  Instead she acted begrudging about my presence.  For example, upon finding out that they were rising much later than I in the morning, I asked if they could get the coffee pot ready so that I could just hit the power button in the morning for some coffee.  She thought about it for a bit then said "Well, I guess I could" as if it were quite a concession.  I asked if I could do a little laundry.  Same response.  I gladly paid $5 for the service.  In the morning I was chatting with her husband until she came in the kitchen, then she asked me to go to the dining room table and wait for my food.  Oh well.

Tomorrow I will be riding into St. Louis.  First I had to ride to the Katy Trail trailhead in St. Charles, then meet up with Diana Oleskevich for lunch.   Then she would lead me back to she and her husband's house.  The weather today was great-not too hot-temperatures in the mid-80's.  Tomorrow was suposed to be cloudy.  It might rain on Friday when I was leaving St. Louis.

Will McMahan