Day 33 -- Kirksville, MO to Quincy, IL -- 97.15 miles!

Hey Everyone!

Well, I crossed another state line today! I am now in Illinois!! The day started out foggy and drizzly, which was a nice refreshing cool change from what we've had. Eventually tho, the sun did come out, and the humidity was pretty high, but nothing unbearable. We traveled from Kirksville, MO to Quincy, IL today. It was a more challenging ride than other days have been, as there were more hills that were steeper than yesterday. It was also more challenging because I wasn't expecting as many hills as we encountered. The roads as we were leaving Missouri were also quite bumpy, so it wasn't the smoothest of rides either. But, that being my only complaint, it was a great day! The scenery was still very green. We still passed by a lot of corn and wheat fields (I am coping), and passed by many farms, homes, and barns that have been abandoned. I stopped and explored a few of them. I found nothing of great interest inside (most places were trashed inside), but it was still fun to look around!

Our first stop was in a small town, or what used to be a town, of Barring, MO. It had an abandoned hotel, bank (built in 1896), and cafe. It is right next to the railroad, so back in the day, this was a lively town! The cafe was the only place still open. Interestingly tho, there were a good handful of homes that surrounded this little abandoned town!

We made our way into the town of Canton, which is right alongside the Mississippi River (on the Missouri side). We ate at John E B's bar and grill. The waitress who served us just graduated high school, and was happily engaged. She said she grew up in Canton, and the population is about 2,000. Her graduating class was 55, the largest yet according to her. She stated it was a rather boring place to grow up, and that most of the people there go across the river to Quincy, IL to have fun. As we left, we spoke with another lady who stated, "yes, unfortunetly I am from here." That would be Canton, Mo -- if you ever wanted to come visit! I myself, found it more alive than Green River, UT tho... although, I did visit Green River on a Sunday...

After lunch, we took a ferry over the Mississippi River, and wha-la...ended up in Illinois. We rode alongside the Mississippi River for awhile, and ended up in Quincy, IL. Dinner was at an Italian restaurant next to the Comfort Inn which we are staying at.

Tomorrow is a long day, riding to Springfield, IL-- 107 miles!

Adios! M

Day 31- St. Joseph, MO to Cillicothe, MO 80.75 miles. Day 32- Chillicothe, MO to Kirksville, MO -- 83.83 miles!

Hey All!

I've had a busy couple of days. For me its been hard, as I felt a bit under the weather (a mild case of food poisoning)! All I can say is thank GOD for bismuth subsalicylate! I pushed on though, and did not sag it! Though, afterwards, I thought maybe it would've been a good idea! I am glad I didn't though, I saw a lot of really cool things. Yesterday, we went from St. Joseph, MO to Chillicothe, MO. I started out early in the ride having a bit of a spill (yes, yes, I fell off my bike!)...but no harm done, not to me or my bike! After brushing myself off, we rode through lots of small farm towns, and green rolling hills. We pass by a lot of abandoned houses and barns on farms. It really makes you wonder the stories that go with these old houses we go by. We passed by this one place called dysfunction junction, which I found amusing. It looked like it was a plant shop of some sort. Some of the towns we've been through over the past few days were of Amish/Mennonite communities. You can see posted a pic of the horse and buggy that we went by yesterday. Norb and I stopped and spoke with one man who was plowing with his horses, rather than with the tractors they use today. At least I think it is tractors they use today. People here are amused over my lack of knowledge of farm life and farm animals here. I just recently learned that a mule is a cross of a donkey and a horse, and cannot reproduce! I also learned that a bull is a male cow! LOL! Yeah...I am a total city girl..and I know that I really can't use that as an excuse, as I am sure many people in the city still know these little silly facts!

Anyway, the other pic I posted was of the sign to "share the road" with a pic of a horse and buggy. Can you imagine seeing a sign like that on the brooklyn bridge? We also saw a fairly newborn colt yesterday, which I also posted. These are just really cool things you don't see so much when biking in NY! I have also seen a few bunnies, saw what I think was a possum on the side of the road today (yes, it was alive and not roadkill), and today, also captured a pic of the dear that ran across the road (also posted). Yeah, its kind-of like a free trip to the zoo!

Today, other than the pic of the deer, there wasn't a whole lot of pics I took. We did see a few Mennonites/Amish in their horse and buggies, one which was of a family, the father, mother, 2 or 3 girls, and a baby, all crammed in! It seriously looked like a scene out of Little House on the Prairie with the buggy, horse, and outfits worn! For me, it is interesting that people can still live this way. Especilly in the winter, without electric blankets!!!

It was really a great ride today from Chillicothe, MO to Kirksville, MO. It was full of rolling hills, that were continuous and somewhat steep, it was like riding a roller coaster...(well, you had to use your imagination!)... It again reminded me a lot of Ireland with all the green and trees. Another fun thing I saw today was of a christmas tree farm! I will post this pic on flicker. I just found it funny that in the middle of July these are the trees that would in a short 6 months, be lit with lights in peoples homes. (I also thought it sad, that they would also be cut down to die)! People out here in Missouri raise deer, that also makes me sad! These deer are raised on a deer farm then released during hunting season!!!! :( Who would want to hunt a deer? Don't you think that should be illegal? I hope I am wrong, but we saw rules for deer hunting about 10 minutes after having seen the deer farm. And don't EVEN get me started on the poor innocent cows! :(

Okay, moving on! The weather has been hot, and somewhat humid. The wind has hardly been a factor since leaving Kansas. I hope the same can be said of Illinois! Yes, tomorrow, I cross yet another state line, and go to Quincy, IL!!! It will be a long day, 93 miles I think. So, I am going to sign off now!!!

Talk to you all later!! Meiri.

Day 29- Topeka, KS to St. Joseph, MO -- 88 miles! Day 30 -- Rest Day!!!

Hello All!

I am happy to say: "I SURVIVED KANSAS!!!!!!!" We all left Topeka, KS early on Sunday, day 29. It started out with a nice cool rainfall that lasted about a half-hour. In the beginning, we waited to see it would pass...it didn't. Once that rain did stop, we were then blessed with a fabulous headwind all day long! -- Hey, I know it could've been worse...it could have been a tornado!!! This day actually was one of the stronger headwinds that I encountered, but as soon as we crossed the state line, and rode into Missouri, it seemed the wind almost stopped immediately!

Prior to crossing the state line, we stopped for lunch in a small town in Kansas named Atchison (again, I may have misspelled this!). This town is the hometown of Amelia Earhart. I actually took a quick detour after lunch to ride to her home where she was born (and I believe lived) prior to riding over the bridge and crossing over the Missouri river. Thanks for waiting for me Norb and Carole!!!

Most of the scenery up to this point was similiar to our trip ot Topeka. There were a few flat corn and wheat fields, but the majority of the scenery was green with hills. After we crossed the state line, it was clear that we were in a new state! Missouri is completely green, with lots of trees, and lots of steep rolling hills. It was a pretty challenging day, with the strong winds, and the steep hills -- especially after riding flat for so many days!

Once entering into St. Joseph Missouri, the hills started to flatten out. The population here is about 73,000. It reminds me a lot like Ft. Collins actually. There is only one hospital out here, and I found out today (rest day) that people out here are super friendly!

Day 30 - Rest Day...

Today, Leigh, (another rider here on the trip from Seattle, WA) and I decided to go for another massage/spa day today. Uhhhh, it wasn't quite what we had hoped it to be! We both kind of went blindly into this place as all the other spas here are closed on Monday, and this is the only one that called us back. I think I was my therapist first paying client! (He kept thanking me for the opportunity to do this massage) and he seemed bothered over the fact that he had forgotten to put on the music. He did get some kinks out of my back, but overall, I was glad that Leigh was right next door! Well, I guess we all gotta start somewhere! God- Bless the man who I started my first IV on!!!

Afterwards, Leigh's therapist offered to drive us to lunch (which was a mile from the office we were at). She was very sincere in that she didn't want us to walk in the hot sun for a whole mile! What a difference, and change from NYC! Can you imagine if a massage therapist ever offered you a ride anywhere in NY? It was just too funny!

Prior to our massages, we also went and saw the Psychiatric Museum, and the Joseph Museum that had interesting artifacts and Indian displays, along with some Civil war displays. After the massage, we took a cab to The Patee House Museum and Jesse James home.

The cab driver shared with us that he was originally from Oregon, and as he put it, "got stuck here in Missouri." An ex- girlfriend from high school had contacted him after her divorce, and he came out here. He then said he met his now wife while taking classes at the community college out here. He shared how it didn't work out with his ex- girlfriend because she was crazy. She had gone to her ex-husband's wedding, and wore all black, with a black veil. Interesting how friendly and open everyone out here is!

The cab driver also shared how there is a cool motorcycle ride that is taken every september down the pony express trail. For any of you motor-riders, it sounds like a really fun trip to look into!

So, the Patee House Museum was very interesting to walk through. It had lots of interesting displays, like the first mailcar by train, and an old flag that has only 13 stars on it, and another with 36 stars! The Jesse James house was interesting too! I found it ironic that there had been a 10 grand reward for the capture of Jesse James. The man who shot him dead was then charged with murder instead....this was quickly overturned by some judge though. I also found it interesting that there was a display of the offspring/relatives of Jesse James. I don't know if I would be so proud to have my pic displayed all over, announcing that I am the great-great grandchild of some bank robber! That's just me tho!

The old town of St. Joseph, where all the museums are, close relatively early -- around 5pm. So, there were lots of thing like the Pony Express Museum and the old firehouse museum that we were unable to see. We did walk down to riverfront park. Apparently there is a walking/bike trail that leads to casinos that are allowed on the water boats only. It was so hot at that point, we just went back to the hotel, then ate dinner next door at some BBQ restaurant.

Tomorrow is a long day again. It will be 89 miles, and we are biking from St. Joseph, MO to Chillicothe, MO. So, I am signing off for the night!

Talk to you all later! Meiri.

Day 28 -- Abilene, KS to Topeka, KS --109.77 miles!

Hello All,

Happy Fourth of July to everybody! All is good here. I had another great ride today. We rode 109 miles today to Topeka, KS. The weather was fairly cool and overcast in the morning, and for the majority of today's ride we had a nice tailwind. At times when the sun was out, we were baking though!

We again traveled through a few ghost towns, and some flat fields but, most towns were small and quaint. A good part of our ride were rolling hills, which was a nice change from the flat rides we've been riding for most of the past week. I am seeing more trees and green, so it really doesn't feel like we are in Kansas anymore. (All the green and rolling hills at times reminded me of parts of Ireland that I've been to). In fact, tomorrow is our last day, and we cross the state line into Missouri tomorrow!

I stopped at a small restaurant for lunch near Eskridge, KS. It was across the street from a lake, and patriotic hill that had USA on it. I am not sure if that is something that is always on this hill, or if it was because it was the fourth of July.

On our way to Topeka, we saw a turtle or tortoise (I honestly don't know the difference between the two....maybe one moves faster? Does anyone know?). That is one of the pics I have posted tonight. Norb did his good deed for the day by picking it up, and placing it on the side of the road. I believe this is my first turtle I've seen, other than at a zoo. I don't recall if I have mentioned in the past either, that I have seen a few frogs along the route through Kansas the past few days as well. Today we also saw another deer at the side of the road. I tried to stop to get a pic, but the deer quickly ran away once I had stopped my bike.

We all just had dinner at the hotel here (staying at the Holiday Inn - one with a huge indoor waterslide). I also found my first starbucks here in Kansas once riding into Topeka! That of course, is just icing on the cake after such a long and fun ride!

No tornado sirens or warnings tonight-- Just fireworks! Hope you all had a happy fourth! Adios!!! Meiri.

Day 27 - McPherson, KS to Abilene, KS -- 68.14 miles!

Hi Everyone!

Today was a great day! We started out about 7:30 am with fairly stong headwinds for the first 11 miles. After that, we made a left, and had sweet tailwinds that blew us along for a good 20 plus miles. Along the way, we rode through very small towns, and back to rolling green hills, and sites of horses. Hardly any more wheat or corn fields!!!! At nearly 27 miles into to trip, we hit the 1/2 way point of our route. Having done 1923.5 miles since June 7th!!! Posted is a pic of all of us at our half-way point (and cupcakes to celebrate!)

The weather here today was hot. When we were not in a headwind to cool us off, we could really feel the heat, and it was only a touch uncomfortable. We went through the small town of Solomon, and finally made it to Abilene, KS at around 1:30. Our first priority of course, was finding a DQ (dairy queen) for lunch! Afterwards, we went and took a tour of the Eisenhower Center and Museum. It was cool being in the house where he grew up, and seeing all the memorabilia of his. Along the way, we also passed a lot of "mansions," and these mansions were HUGE!!!!

We went and ate at the Brookville Hotel, where they have family style chicken dinners. What a change from eating at Montana Mike's for the past 3 days! It was all homemade fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, sweet corn, and ice-cream! We all have to fuel up for tomorrow's 108 miles!

After dinner, I took a walk, in the heat, but very overcast area. It looked like it was going to rain. As I started to sit here to blog, a tornado warning and watch was announced on the tv, stating a storm was coming toward Abilene. I went outside with my camera, and that is when the tornado sirens came on. I took a video, and will try to post it here. If it doesn't go through, check my flickr account at flickr.com/photos/meiri-bikeacrosscountry/

I think I saw funnel clouds, but no real tornados. People who were driving on the highway pulled off, and came into the Holiday Inn Express for safety. I guess that is what you are suppose to do if you hear tornado sirens! Not go outside like I did and take a video!!! LOL!

Tomorrow is a long day. It is suppose to be hot! I hope this rainstorm will keep things cool for some of tomorrow though!

Still having a blast doing this! Everyone have a Happy Fourth of July tomorrow!

Adios! Meiri.

Day 26 - Great Bend, KS to McPherson, KS - 64.26 miles!

Hey Guys!

Yep! I am still in Kansas! Today for me was one of the easiest rides we've yet had. We had some headwinds, but otherwise, it was not super challenging with steep hills or anything. It was a nice change. Unlike the scenery! I do appreciate that there are farmlands like Kansas, cuz I would otherwise have pretty boring salads at lunch from Hale and Hearty!

We passed an oil refinery here today. This surprised a lot of us, as many, like myself, thought most of the oil that we do have here came from Texas, not Kansas. I took a few pics, and will post those on flickr in a few days. I did post the pic of the fish mailbox. Can you believe this was one of the most exciting sites I saw today?

The other photo of the old worn out house, is the original house that Laura Ingalls Wilder lived in when she and her family lived in Kansas. Actually, that is not really true, but it sounds good doesn't it?

In all honesty, the funniest site I saw today was in the town of Lyons. The dairy queen opens at 6 am, and coffee cost 0.23 cents! All other chain restaurants, including Wendy's - which advertises "The Best Hamburgers in Kansas!" (does this mean tho, if you want a Wendy's hamburger, to get the best hamburger, you have to go to Kansas?) coffee that cost 0.25 cents! Oh, if only we could get a starbucks for that price!

I got into the town of McPherson realatively early today, and ate at the Main Street Cafe. it was a cute cafe, and the main street in this town is about 4 blocks long, so it is quite a large town compared to the others we've passed through! The weather was cool (around 75) while riding, and once I got to the hotel the hot heat was back, and the temp was back in the high 80's to low 90's. I feel asleep by the pool before eating dinner (again) at Montana Mike's. It is okay tho, their Salmon there is so good, after 3 days of having it, I'm still not sick of it!!!

Well, not much else to report. I am still having a great time, doing nothing but, eating, sleeping, and biking!!!

Tomorrow will be another 64 mile day, we are on our way to Abilene.

Adios! M

Day 25 - Dodge City, KS to Great Bend, KS -- 87.0 miles!

Howdy All!

I am still in Kansas! Today was another great day of riding in the hot sun! The wind and the heat combined makes it feel at times that a hair dryer is constantly running right in your face. Also, the scenery looks nearly exactly the same as yesterday. I almost felt like I was biking to nowhere at times today! But, then, I made it to Midway USA! The little town of Kinsley, KS -- population 1,400! Here at this spot, we are midway to both San Francisco and NY! 1,561 miles to go to get back to NY (or to backtrack to San Francisco)!!! I can't believe tomorrow marks the halfway point in days left -- 26, and the day after we hit the half-way mark to the total miles we will be doing! It is just going way too fast.

Today, I saw more corn and wheat fields. I saw a small windmill farm, and then took pics of one that was being built. In Kinsley, we went to a museum that had a sod house, and had lots of interesting items on display, including a one speed bike that one man rode from NY to Kinsley. My theory is that his bike broke down here in Kinsley, and therefore he stayed here in Kinsley. The man running the museaum said that the museum there is open 5 months out of the year, and they have approximately 1,500 visitors a year. It seemed they had more things on display than the small museum in Ft. Collins, CO! I found that to be interesting!!! They also had old wagon wheels on display there. I never knew that the outside of the wooden wheels were covered in metal.

I at times thought today that Kansas was not so biker friendly, as the shoulder which we rode was so terribly bumpy. After visiting the museum, I could only imagine how bumpy the road was for those poor people back in the day traveling on wooden wheels over unmarked hills/fields/roads!

There were a few more very small towns we passed through. I took a pic of the public library in Garfield, KS. I was amazed at how small it was, as was the post office! We also passed through Lanard, KS and Dundee, KS. I also saw lots of silos today as well. And a train also passed by us!

We ate at the same restaurant today as we did yesterday, Montana Mike's and I had the same entree again. It again, was as good as yesterday.

Tomorrow we ride to McPherson, KS....a 64 mile day. We still gotta get up early for brkfst tho! 6 am.

Not much else to write for now. Will post the pics of Kansas fields within the next few days!

Hope all is well! Adios! Meiri.