May 27 - May 30

May 28th

After taking the 27th off to give Jamye the opportunity to rest her back (she has had some lower back pain), I got an early start today and finished before noon. I started just outside of Council Bluffs and ended in Onawa, IA 57 miles later. The route was flat and the winds were moderate, enough to remind me that I would soon be heading into the wind as the route shifts west. It's nice having a few weeks to get in shape to be ready for headwinds and eventually, tough climbs.

While stopped at the side of the road or in the middle of the road to take photos, not a day has gone by that some kind soul has not stopped to ask if I need help. One in particular readily agreed to have his picture taken and even offered to pull over so that I could get a better shot of him. Needless to say, I took him up on the offer. "Wolf River Bob" is 83 years old and the unofficial historian of White Cloud. He lived in California most of his life, was friends with Roy Rogers, Gene Autry, etc., and did not move back home until late in life. When he asked what I did on this trip and found out I was an artist, he replied he was an artist, too. "I draw pictures, crowds and flies!" We talked long enough for Larry to catch up to me and he too talked with Bob for some time. He was happy we stayed a while and told us some bicyclists are in such a hurry to get to Oregon on the Lewis and Clark trail that they miss the whole point. His response to them? "If you are in such a big hurry to get to the west coast, take a plane!"

"Wolf River Bob"

May 29th

A day of young cornfields and blue skies with a patchwork of clouds. The winds began to pick up out of the southwest in the afternoon and made for some tough cycling. I saw my first eagle enjoying the winds, soaring just ahead of me; I followed his frolicking for about a mile. I passed a small Lutheran church out in the country that had readied its cemetary for Memorial Day with American Flags. I was impressed by the effort made to pay tribute to those who had served. I arrived in Yankton, SD, 81 miles later, tired but satisfied from a day filled with beautiful scenes of our wide open country.

May 30th

Jamye and I took today off and slept in, listening to the rain against the aluminum of HiYo. It rained all morning. Clear skies were expected for Monday when we would again take to the road.

May 24 - May 26

May 24

I got a late start (9:15) and intended to ride 60 miles to Marshall, MO. Things did not go as planned. About 7 miles into my final day on the Katy trail, I had a flat. I was prepared for one flat, but not two. My spare tube was bad so I picked up my bike and began jogging to Rocheport, about 2 miles away. I'm not sure why I jogged...I guess I didn't want to lose too much riding time. I had called Jamye, and she turned back to meet me in Rocheport. We had lunch together and I changed bikes to my Colnago since I was getting off the trail and onto paved surface. I took off at about 1PM and by 3:30, I was exhausted from 93 degree heat. Coming out of Booneville, I began to ride on the Sante Fe Trail and about 5 miles into that, in Lamine, I stopped and watched about 10 minutes of a little league baseball practice. The heat was so exhausting that a break about every 15-20 minutes was necessary. I was relieved when Jamye called to say that there was a good place to stay at Arrow Rock, which would end my day at 44 miles. The heat had taken its toll. Going forward, I would begin at around 7AM and end each day's ride before the afternoon sun would wear me down. It turned out that Arrow Rock State Park was our nicest stay yet!

Hi everyone. This is the driver of Larry's chase vehicle (also known as his better half). I will be adding my 2 cents every now and then and maybe on a regular basis when settled. I am still "nesting" our silver home, HiYo. I've found that tight quarters are made bearable by uber extreme organization - every item must have a secure and permanent home with easy access. Trial and error my friends, trial and error. Sometimes we open the door to the silver bullet and wonder "How did that get there?!"

Who knew? Missouri has Vineyards!

May 25th

Had a relaxing morning in Arrow Rock. Jamye and I were amazed at the museum in this quaint town that got its name as the place where the Osage Indians came for the stone to make arrows. The museum had great artifacts that covered about a 300 year period. We would have missed this wonderful stop had it not been for my troubles the day before. We were in the heart of Boone's Lick country, so named because of the plentiful salt in the area (Saline County, MO). It was a critical area to the development of the west in many ways. The natural salt springs provided salt needed for preserving meat and tanning hides. Also, Boone's Lick was where the Osage and Missouri tribes confronted Spain, France and the United States. Traders left from the area for Mexico to blaze the Santa Fe Trail. Jamye and I walked around the small town boardwalk, had ice cream, then headed for Blackwater, where we enjoyed lunch in a small diner. We then drove to Kansas City and north to St Joseph, MO, so that I could avoid high traffic areas on the route. We spent the night in St Joseph.

The small diner in Blackwater was called Backroads Restaurant (aptly named for all who find themselves dining there), and on the front window was their motto "Good Food at the Cross Roads to Some Where and No Where" (typed as written on their window).

The overheard conversation was as good as the food. When a local man delivered strawberries to the restaurant, the owner told him that his wife just left. His response - "Yeah, I know. She was leaving as I came in. Worked out perfect that way."

May 26

A great riding day, from Troy, KS to Brownville, NE. Just 55 miles; it would have been about 7 miles longer, but a bridge was out and Jamye and I drove the 15 mile detour together and got me back on the route. I left around 7:30. It was a cool morning, the sun was coming up over my right shoulder and my legs were effortlessly keeping a fast cadence on the fairly flat ride. The Missouri River and one month old cornfields were to my right and beatiful, lush hills were on my left. I felt an exhiliration in the freedom that I was experiencing. Jamye has some photos to include from this day. She would stop to take pictures and I would pass her then soon she would pass me again. She has always wanted to be able to stop whenever she wanted for photo opps; she was in heaven today! And her pictures are incredible! Later in the morning until the end of my ride, the terrain became more rolling, good training for the Rockies in July.

My days usually consist of driving the same route Larry takes (about 60 miles each day). However, it takes me about 7.5 hours to cover that distance because I stop so frequently. Some of the time I can pull off the side of the road for a photo and other times I have to stop in the middle of the highway (after looking up and down the road for traffic, of course).

Because I have to be very quick at these stops (and also have my phone on me at all times in case Larry calls), my photos have been taken with the iphone. As you can see, the quality varies depending on the time of day, the light and of course, the photographer. It's not hard to take decent photos when presented with such beautiful subject matter (and you thought I was talking about the landscape!)

A modern windmill propeller blade.