Lessons Learned

1. Always put new tires on the bicycle before the trip, no matter how good you think your present tires are.
2. Carry lots of ibuprofen with you.
3. Stay in places with hot tubs.

4. A positive mental attitude makes a huge difference.
5. Don't talk to Clay about gears while going uphill.
6. You can still gain weight while bicycling 300 miles.
7. Enjoy the honks of encouragement and ignore honks of the other kind.
8. Smile while bicycling so others will want to bicycle also.

Planes, Trains and Bicycles

Day 6
Odessa, Missouri to Kansas City, Missouri
32 miles

We stayed last night at Sunset Acres Bed and Breakfast in Odessa, Missouri.  After supper we spent an hour going over maps to find the least hilly route into Kansas City.  There were few options and all hilly.  So I had to mentally prepare myself for another hilly day.  I am really hoping Kansas will be flat! 

Clay got up early this morning to go fishing in the pond at the bed and breakfast.  He caught a catfish, two bluegill, and two bass.  What a great way to start his day.  Our hostess, Brenda, served us a delicious breakfast full of carbs for those hills we will climb today. 

Clay, Tom, and I got a later start than normal but that was OK since it was a short bicycling day.  We ended this part of the journey at the Amtrak station in Independence, Missouri.  We had an address where our 1911 relatives spent the winter, but unfortunately the street is no longer there.  The Amtrak station isn't far from where that street used to be, and since they spent a lot of their journey following the railroad, we thought that a railroad station would be a good place to finish.

Today was bittersweet.  Sweet that we accomplished our goal to bicycle from St Louis to Kansas City, and bitter that this part of the journey is ending.  It has been so much fun sharing this experience with Tom and Susan. 

After loading our bikes on the truck, we drove Tom to the Kansas City International Airport so he could fly home.  He had some pressing business that needed his attention back at work.  We are so glad he was able to finish the bicycling with us. 

We are already looking forward to the second part of this journey that will take place sometime in 2012, going from Kansas City to the panhandle of Oklahoma.  If you are one of my Craig or Goldsby relatives and would like to join us next year, we would love to have you participate in any way you would like. 

Alphabet Soup

Day 5
Marshall, Missouri to Odessa, Missouri
50 miles

I spoke too soon.  Today was the hardest day regarding "hills".  Enough said! We spent the majority of the day on state highways.  Highway YY, Highway CC, Highway U and Highway OO.  These highways had little traffic on them which was very nice, but they were hilly! Oops, enough said. We did have a problem about 12 miles into our ride. See picture below.

The bridge was completely gone! So we loaded the bikes up on the truck and had Susan transport us around the construction.  Three cheers for Susan.  We had lunch at Topsy's Cafe in Concordia, Missouri.  They had main street closed for their fall festival.  We got to see the high school band practice marching for the parade. 

This afternoon while descending down one of those hills, we came upon something quite startling. An unfortunate cyclist must have lost control and this is how we found him.

We are so excited to arrive at Kansas City tomorrow and have our shortest ride of the trip but we are so sore from the hills today we are afraid we might not make it. There is a long, gradual climb into our final destination. Hoping for a good night's sleep and if I dream of hills I am going to scream!!

The Hills are Alive With the Sounds of Grunting

Day 4
Moberly, Missouri to Marshall, Missouri
65 miles

Oh my goodness, the mornings have been so cold!  But I am not complaining because once it starts to warm up the days have been beautiful for riding.   Before leaving Moberly this morning, we wanted to make a stop at the old train depot.  When my relatives came through Moberly in 1911, they picked up my great, great grandfather here after he was delayed in St Louis for business. 

Our route today was going to be very hilly and over 60 miles long.  For me, this was going to be one of the most difficult days.  I knew that the hills were going to be challenging.  Then on top of that to have a long riding day, I knew that it would take all that I had to complete this day.  One thing that helped today, was that we had the wind at our backs for part of the day.  We met Susan in Glasgow, Misssouri for lunch.  We had ridden 35 miles at this point and were ready to eat.  Glasgow sits on the Missouri river and it is quite scenic.  There is a small park right on the river where we rested for awhile.  We found the old ferry crossing where our relatives would have crossed the river.



The second part of our day began with crossing the Missouri river and then climbing out of the river valley.  As much as I was anticipating the hills, I think Clay and I handled them very well.  Clay kept saying "Why is every road in Missouri uphill?"  We were really glad though to reach our destination of Marshall, Missouri.  I think this is going to be another hot tub night.  Marshall, Missouri has a very pretty town square and a gorgeous courthouse, picture included.

One interesting thing that happened this evening. On the way home from supper I found a wallet in the middle of an intersection. Clay took it to the police station to turn it in and they took his license and ran a check on him and they wanted to know where he lived and what he was doing in this area.  After Clay passed all the inspections and answered all their questions, they did thank him for turning it in.  That just goes to show you, that no good deed goes unpunished! 

If you hear the wake-up strips, hit the ditch

Day 3

Mexico, Missouri to Moberly, Missouri

53 miles

We had a very nice stay at the bed and breakfast.  The hot tub really helped our aching knees.  Our host and hostess made us feel right at home.  We started out this morning with a delicious breakfast and lots of nice conversation.  We began our ride later than normal but that was ok because it was 45 degrees when we got up.  For those of you that know me really well, you know that I don’t like riding when it is below 60 degrees. 

When we left Mexico, we were on a highway with a nice shoulder but after about 5 miles, the shoulder turned to gravel.  We decided to alter our route again to avoid the no shoulder problem.  So instead of a 40 mile day it ended up being a 50 mile day.  I am amazed at how many roads we are encountering that have no shoulder or are gravel.  Susan has done a great job of driving ahead of us and reporting back the road conditions.  If we didn’t have her along we would be doing a lot of back tracking.   

We ate lunch in Sturgeon, Missouri today at the Buzz Café.  Sturgeon was the first town outside of the St Louis area that was mentioned in the manuscript.  Small town with little going on but our lunch was fantastic.  After lunch Tom decided that he would continue to ride even though we had already ridden 30 miles.  Susan decided to go antiquing.  We decided we didn’t need her to scout ahead because we were on highway 63 going straight into Moberly.  We had a nice shoulder to ride on but there was lots of traffic.  Our mantra of the day was “If you hear the wake-up strips, hit the ditch”.  Luckily we never had to go into the ditch. 

This evening we decided that we needed to buy two new tires for the tandem.  Our front tire was showing signs of sidewall failure.  The nearest bike store was in Columbia, Missouri.  While in Columbia we ate supper at Hu Hot Mongolian Bar-B-Q, did laundry at a Laundromat, and had Starbucks coffee.  We are really roughing it.  

Oklahoma is not the only place where the wind comes sweeping down the plain

Day 2
Foristell, Missouri to Mexico, Missouri
69 miles

A few days ago it was in the 100's and today when we woke up it was in the 50's.  I am so glad that we brought our cold weather biking clothes.  On top of the cooler weather it was also a very windy day which made it feel even colder.  When we left Foristell,  we knew that the first 10 miles we were going to have quite a few "hills"  to climb.  I think we psyched Tom out pretty good, because after those 10 miles he said they weren't as bad as he thought they would be.  Tom rode with us for 25 miles today.  Then Susan took a turn and rode until lunch.  

It was so windy, it blew Susan's helmet off.  After lunch, we rode on a horrendous section of highway.  There was no shoulder, there was a lot of traffic going 60+ miles an hour, and the wind was blowing very hard, head-on.  A few miles down the road we heard sirens and pulled over.  Several emergency vehicles passed by us going back the opposite direction.  We called Tom and Susan to have them look at the map to see if there was another road to take.  They had just passed a very bad accident on the road we had just come down.  They were actually worried about us.  We quickly found an alternate route, which added a few extra miles, but we felt it was worth it. 

By the time we arrived in Mexico, we had ridden 69 miles today.  We were pretty excited that we rode that far, especially with the hills and wind.  Even though we rode that many miles today, it is our second longest ride ever.  We have actually ridden 70 miles in one day last summer on the Katy Trail.  If we had realized we were so close to breaking our record, we would have ridden around the block a few times before stopping for the night. 

We are staying at the A.P. Green House Bed and Breakfast.  We all have aching knees and as soon as I finish this blog, we are going to get in the hot tub. Tomorrow we will head to Moberly and it will be a short 40 mile ride.  We are praying that the wind will be calm or at our backs! 

Thank Goodness For Broken Glass

Day 1
Calvary Cemetery, St Louis, Missouri to Foristell, Missouri.
49 Miles 

The morning started off overcast and sprinkling.  We even had to use the windshield wipers driving to Calvary Cemetery.  I was afraid I was going to be tested and have to ride in the rain.  But fortunately by the time we started our ride it was just overcast and we never got into rain.  We placed some flowers on Caroline Cousins grave, took some pictures, unloaded the bikes, and then we were able to actually start our ride. 

Today we spent most of our time riding in the city traffic.  All went well and most of the drivers were courteous.  Susan was a very good support vehicle driver.  She would drive our route and text us if there were any hazards we needed to be aware of.  She also was our photographer for the day.  We stopped in St. Charles, Missouri for lunch at Subway.  We had ridden 23 miles by that time and needed a break.  Tom decided he "KNEEDED" to keep Susan company for the "REST" of the afternoon. 



 After lunch, Clay and I hit a patch of shoulder that had lots of broken glass.  We decided that we better stop and wipe down our tires in case there were any pieces of glass stuck to them.  As Clay was wiping down the back tire he noticed a bulge in the tire.  Upon closer inspection, it was determined that this tire could blow at anytime. We didn't think that would bode well in the St Louis traffic, so we called for backup.  Tom and Susan brought us one of our extra tires.  I am really thankful that we ran over the broken glass and that we found the bulge when we did.  I am also thankful for our support vehicle.   

We are staying in a hotel tonight and looking forward to another good ride tomorrow.

Trial Run

Today we returned from a mini bike vacation to prepare us for the longer ride starting this Sunday, September 4th. We rode to Pere Marquette State Park in Grafton, IL. It was 83 miles round trip. We stayed in a cabin and ate some great food at the lodge. One of the perks of riding so many miles on a bike is you get to eat some great food!!

 We did experience a flat tire yesterday on the way to Pere Marquette and then today we had head winds all the way home. It gave us some good experience of how we would handle a day riding in the wind. At home we always look at the wind direction before we ride so that we can go into the wind starting out and then have the tail wind coming home when we are more tired. With a ride like we are getting ready to do we won't have that option. We will have to put up with what we are given. We took more breaks today than we normally take and of course, there was a lot less coasting!! One of our breaks was to fuel up with food and gatorade but we had some fun with a camera also.

We really enjoyed riding along the Mississippi River and we discovered that we pedal faster than the barges going upriver. How is that for speed?

Pondering the Preparation

In 2 weeks we leave and do I feel that I am ready? No. We are slowly getting there but I don't feel prepared yet, physically or mentally. As I have been preparing for our bicycle trip, several times I wondered what it was like for my 1911 relatives to prepare for their journey. I went back and read their manuscript again to glean more detailed information. When comparing the journeys they are so different.

This was a life change for them. For us it is basically a vacation. They were dependent on strangers along the way for camping places, water wells, information, some food and even shelter at times. We will be self dependent on ourselves for the most part. We will have a support vehicle close enough that if we need anything or have a problem all we have to do is pull our cell phone out and make a call.

They traveled 12-15 miles a day and we will travel 50 miles a day. The middle of the afternoon they had to begin looking for a suitable place to camp over night. We know where we will be staying each night for we have advance reservations.

In her manuscript, Sophronia Cousins states: "Never once in our crossing of the State of Missouri were we refused permission to camp" and also goes on to say "The farmers were most generous. At milking time we were often given a gallon or so of fresh milk, sometimes butter, bread, fresh vegetables and fruit. Most invited us to come visit for a while after supper. These invitations were accepted in the hopes that there might be cake and lemonade."

The four of us making this 2011 journey really will have a much easier time than our 1911 relatives did. Even our preparations are much easier compared to theirs. So maybe I am more prepared than I think. Only time will tell.

Centennial Anniversary Bike Ride

In February 2010 I received a copy of a book manuscript that a relative had written.  It recounted their journey from St. Louis, Missouri to the panhandle of Oklahoma starting in the year 1911. They left for health reasons and were going to a drier climate - California. Along the way they gave concerts and took pictures that were made into postcards. Also, they were not in any hurry to make it to California, they wanted to enjoy the journey.

It was fun reading about their adventures and struggles along the way. I also enjoyed learning historical facts about that time period. Plus it gave me insight to my past history. My grandmother, at age 2, was the youngest member of this traveling party.

When I finished reading the manuscript I had a very strange thought that I couldn't get out of my head. I realized that this September 4, 2011, would be the 100th anniversary of their leaving St. Louis. I found it very ironic that I now lived in the area that they left from, that I had an account of their journey that told the towns they went through, and that this big anniversary was coming up. I wondered how I could celebrate this centennial anniversary. The thought that wouldn't leave my mind was that Clay and I could ride the same route they took, on our tandem bicycle. (Wasn't that nice of me to include Clay?)

On September 4, 2011 we will leave St. Louis, starting at my great great grandmother's grave, and end in Kansas City (approximately 300 miles) where they spent the winter of 1911. In 2012 we will continue the journey as they did in 1912, and go to the panhandle of Oklahoma, where they eventually settled (they never made it to California). See the tabs at the top of the page for the routes we will take. Going along with us will be Tom and Susan Weaver, my sister and her husband. They will be switching back and forth between driving a support vehicle and riding a bicycle.

Maybe some day my great great child will read this blog and learn something about their history.

Get a tandem bike, are you crazy?

That was my response when my husband Clay first suggested getting a tandem bicycle.

Some of the reasons I didn't want to become a bike rider:
1.  I didn't want to wear a helmet because it would mess my hair up (I know, I'm vain).
2.  I didn't want to wear tight fitting spandex clothing (I know, I'm vain).  And,
3.  I don't like to sweat!

After 2 years of trying to talk me into buying the bike, taking a vacation where we rented a tandem to see how I liked it, turning 40 and seeing my cholesterol levels starting to climb, Clay finally wore me down and I agreed to spend the "small" fortune to buy a Cannondale tandem bicycle.  What did I get myself into? Would I really like riding a tandem? Would I stick with it? These are some of the thoughts I had swirling around in my mind after we had ordered the bike. There was no turning back! I had committed myself to this impending torture!!

Eventually, the day came when the bike arrived and my life was forever changed. I knew I was going to like riding the tandem when I read the manual that came with the bike. It stated that it was the Captains (Clay) job to make the Stoker (me) happy!! Hallelujah, I had it in writing!!!

We have had the bike for 10 years now and I have absolutely loved it. I don't even mind wearing the helmet and biking clothes now (I still don't like to sweat though). We have ridden thousands of miles on the bike and are looking forward to many, many more.