I absolutely could not believe the ride today. Notice there are no “rollers” in the photo. For all but about 10 miles, the road was level, either a little rise or a little fall. I was actually able to average about 16 mph the first 20 miles – a record for me. And the weather? Gorgeous – refreshingly cool most of the day. And then actually a slight breeze from the north-west towards the end of the day.
Perhaps in some ways it was a boring ride today. But I continually enjoyed seeing all the activity in the fields. Take a look at the number of rows this farmer is preparing. When I was a kid in New Jersey, about 6 rows at a time would be prepped. Might as well check out the piece of equipment too. Not the same either.
I’ve debated whether or not to pass this on, but after a week of fairly nice riding (even in the rain) there is a very unpleasant part of this journey. One that I have no way of knowing how to avoid. Roadkill. Of course, I ride around it, but the stench is quite repulsive, and it is pretty hard to hold my breath as I pedal. About the only roadkill I feel sorry for are the turtles. They just don’t have the speed needed to get out of harm’s way.
It is fun to see all the historical aspects of Mr. Twain and his hometown of Hannibal. I can see where his inspirations came from. But there sure are a lot of fences that need Huck and Tom’s skills.
The end of the day’s ride. A veteran at Veterans Road. How very fortunate I am to be able to do this ride. Thank you to all who have supported veterans and other organizations as I have the freedom to ride across this nation of ours.
Tomorrow it is across the Mississippi and on to Jacksonville, Illinois