David Freeze

By David Freeze

 As I mentioned the other day, it is always bittersweet to see the latest cycling adventure come to its end. As I write this, I am on the Amtrak Crescent leaving Birmingham, Alabama. I checked out early this morning from the motel and walked the bike to the Amtrak terminal, just a quick 1.1 miles. I walked in and told them it was time to go home, both me and the bike. Seems easy, doesn’t it?

    I met Cheryl, head ticket agent, and she looked at the bike and said that I couldn’t ship it even if my ticket said it could ride. No one would be at Salisbury to take it off the train. She called someone and got the OK to put it on the train. Then we began to talk about my adventures, how she had an unused bike that would now get used, and other things. With the pressure off, I was ready to get on the train. Trains have always been a favorite of mine and I was about to go on my longest ride ever, about 20 hours.

  With help from Travels by Allison, I had a roomette, a small sleeper compartment for two. There is a bed overhead and the two chairs make beds too. I was amazed at all the well-planned small space the unit has. There is a toilet, a sink, my own thermostat, plenty of lighting and big window. Meals are included, WiFi works most of the time, and I can’t remember being so relaxed in forever.  Good for the mental and physical stress of what I expect will be somewhere over 1300 total miles. My legs are getting a needed day of rest and a couple of naps won’t hurt either.

    I love the sound of the train whistle and the gentle rolling of the train from side to side. Most of the train ride so far has been in the rain and I have enjoyed being in the dry this time. The train staff are all exceptionally nice while being professional. Other passengers in the car are quiet and respectful. I have a schedule of stops back to Salisbury, regular stops through the night, and expect to get back to the depot about 6:15 am.

    It’s time for my final thoughts on this ride. Thanks to all the sponsors that I know about until I get home. Father and Son Produce, Dick and Jane Richards, Skinny Wheels, Men on Mission at First Baptist Church in China Grove, Wayne Cobb, Gear for Races. All of them have been along for the ride before. I appreciate each and every one of them.

      Thanks to the Salisbury Post and especially good friends Paris Goodnight and Andy Mooney. They fielded the photos and daily updates and made them look good. Rayna Gardner, The Forum General Manager, again managed the whole production as only she can. Amanda Lewis helped with technical issues.

    Two events stick out for me. Early on, I was getting a little bored with my own company and decided to stop at Walmart and get a cheap AM-FM radio. But somehow, I never used it once. I decided that I needed to spend a lot of time daily doing much better with my prayers. Long stretches passed by while God and I talked about my concerns. And His too. The radio just never seemed important again.

   The second was on the evening that my final 30 miles fell apart. I had been thinking that I was well past time for an impending flat or an issue otherwise with the bike. I was concerned for the last week about all the roadside metal, wires and junk that the bike rode through. Then, after that last big storm, I knew the first flat put me in big jeopardy of making New Orleans by dark. The third did me in. I already had a train ticket to leave today and a day of sightseeing in the city planned. No extra days to do that remaining 30 miles.

   After all was said and done, I am sure that the biggest lesson was sent my way when Johnny Walker and David Bourg both stopped to help and we covered the “Pay it forward” philosophy extensively. In the shape the world is in today, what better way to see if we can fix some of the turmoil by only expecting to do something good for the next person. Without any reward except for them to do the same. Those guys set the example, especially David with giving me a ride into the city when he had something else planned.

   So, those will be my takeaways from this adventure.  Plenty more lesser good things happened too, actually too many to revisit them all. But running the bases at the Field of Dreams, the day of fun at Hannibal, all the other days of safe pedaling and people like Cheryl, Layne Logue and plenty of motel owners or others who gave me a good deal or a kind gesture. Or maybe just a friendly “Hello.”

    I got to see a lot of history, always a big part of these adventures. But I wonder why cities like Vicksburg and Natchez don’t take the attitude that Hannibal does. US 61 was a good road and I would have liked to have finished it into New Orleans. But there will be another day, and hopefully by then Missouri, Mississippi and Louisiana will continue to pave over more of the rumble strips.

    And finally one of my favorite parts, each year I make new friends who invest their time in writing to me about something to see or do, or maybe they just offered encouragement. Either way, I am glad that you and the Post readers rode along again. I always feel great when someone says that I make them feel just like they were along for the ride.

    We will do it again soon, and I am already thinking about possibilities. Thank you all for being part of another adventure, learning something more about our great nation and maybe getting to know each other a little better. I appreciate you all!

By David Freeze

 Today was about seeing New Orleans and I planned to get as much done as possible. First up was the World War ll Museum, followed by some time at the Mississippi River and a sightseeing tour if there was time.

  I walked 6 tenths of a mile to the museum with few people on the streets. Just a few folks wandering around the museum plaza anxious to get in. There were just a couple odd guys, one of them standing in the street and hollering to the cars that passed by. There were a few statues and plaques outside to see and I made use of that time to read about the museum. We got in at 9am, which they do nearly every day of the year. Once inside, I paid for the ticket and Tom Hanks’ movie that celebrates the museum and honors those who fought. Galleries follow all the different portions of the war from having an undersized and ill-prepared armed forces that would soon take on war machines already operating with vast power.

    Historian and author Stephen Ambrose along with movie producer Stephen Spielberg got credit for starting the museum, and Hanks and many others have joined in. Those galleries were impressive to me, especially the stories in their own words from the heroes that fought and survived. Brave soldiers who didn’t survive have their stories told too. The equipment displays are real, from all the armies that were involved. A wonderful place worth seeing, worth a least a full day and maybe two, already recognized as New Orleans top attraction.

    Hanks produced the movie in 4-D, meaning the screen is wide angle, the sounds are incredible and the chairs and floor shake at appropriate times.

    After five hours, my first thing when outside was to find a small amount of food. A $5 large cookie and $3 bottle of water. I walked back then to Jackson Square, seen by many as the center of old New Orleans. There is a great viewing area of the working river, and I watched tugboats push barges by. A couple of military ships and a riverboat were also close by, with a small cruise liner moored in the distance.

   I took an hour and a half tour of the city, the last one available for the day. New Orleans is vastly cleaned up and much brighter than when I was here last. I found out that the city is in fact an island, visitors and residents unable to leave except by plane, boat or bridge. Insurance is often more than the house payment, and celebrities like John Goodman and Sandra Bullock have their primary residences here. Beyoncé just bought a huge old church that is a block long and is making it a residence too.

   The trolley system has operated since 1835 and one car still operates that is almost 90 years old. The Mississippi at the viewing spot is about a half mile wide and 200 feet deep. The street performers that I remembered from my last visit no longer perform in Jackson Square, which is now a nice park. But some of those performers entertain at other locations near the square.

    I walked a lot, nearly all day and really enjoyed the city. I did get a standard bag of three beignets, French donuts. Very popular were the places selling them and one stays open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. I did order mine without powdered sugar and it took the girl a long time to get them that way. The line never stops at Cafe Du Monde.. There is a fantastic downtown market that has all kinds of gifts and probably at least a hundred open air vendors.

   Typically, I usually listen for scams and found a few, but I think that is part of the game. One guy who set up his truck near the beignet place, where water and soft drinks were really high, had a sign that said bottled water for $2. I asked for two and he said, “$5.” I told him I wanted the $2 water and he still pulled them out of another cooler and said, “You get it for a discount!”

   I got a huge slice of pizza twice at the same place and got s few things for my granddaughter. Finally, after one more visit to the river with a street performer playing great organ music, and I have called it a day.

    My train, the Crescent, leaves at 9am, but riderless bike and I will walk there early. My longest train ride was to New York City close to 20 years ago, and I am really excited about this one. It should be about 752 miles and will last about 20 hours.
    One more day of traveling and then this journey will be ending. There is some sadness when they all end, but with that sadness comes an opportunity for planning the next one.

I hope you will join me tomorrow when I write from the Amtrak Crescent while seeing yet another part of America. See you back here then and as always, thanks for your prayers!

By David Freeze

  Cloudy and very humid from the start, I pedaled out of Hollandale without a visible sunrise. For the first 10 miles, I rode inside the lane with light traffic. Most of the traffic seemed farm related and patient enough with me, but I was glad to have a red flashing rear light working well.

   Panther Burn passed by but looked more like a big farm. Then came Nitta Yuma, getting my attention right away from the bike seat. At least nine of the buildings in this little community are antebellum, meaning from the 1700’s. Once with 600 residents, only about 20 remain and change comes hard to them. The little town has gained some world wide attention. Next was Anguilla where I finally got a good breakfast deal on two awesome egg, cheese and tomato biscuits.   

   Rolling Fork was next, then Cary, Valley Park and Redwood. Enough good stores with ice available. I made great time with a wind that couldn’t decide what to do. About 40 miles of the 70 mile trip was on recently paved road, mostly without rumble strips. I met Quentin at one of the paving spots today where he was flagman and we had a nice conversation about my trip.

    Surprising, but it shouldn’t have been, as I neared Vicksburg, hills came back. A couple serious ones after more than 60 miles of pancake flat. I just called on my Missouri muscles and noticed that the Yazoo River was part of that mix. About that time, I saw a sign for downtown Vicksburg but needed some answers from Sue and MacKenna who own the Country Junction restaurant where I had stopped. Just up ahead was a huge hill to continue on US 61, and a flat entrance exited toward Vicksburg. Sue said to take the flat exit and that it would all work out.

    Still about six miles of rough roads and plenty of trucks on the way to the Vicksburg Port kept me wary, but I finally made the downtown. The river was not the Mississippi, but it used to be there. I stopped at the Jesse Brent Lower Mississippi River Museum and got the scoop. The river used to be here but moved away, leaving the Yazoo to serve as a canal for light shipping. Attached to the museum was the Mississippi lV towboat, a huge boat that was driven by diesel power.
   Also I learned at the visitor center within the museum that no ongoing downtown tours are available, a big surprise and disappointment to me. Hannibal does well with theirs and Vicksburg is loaded with way more significant old buildings, notable people, and of course the Vicksburg National Military Park.

   Speaking of the park, that’s where I headed next. Just in time to see a great movie about what happened to residents during the Civil War, I think the story is fascinating. The Union attacked several times and couldn’t take the entrenched town because the Confederates had the high ground. Yet, Lincoln and Grant decided to “out camp” them, blockading the city so that no food could get in. The Confederates had to surrender and with it came control of the Mississippi and splitting the Confederacy in half.

    To get into the military park, I used my lifetime senior pass purchased out west a few years ago for $10. A great deal! Speaking of that, the Y Service Club at the South Y has decided to renew my ice cream fund after all!

    Finally, as I was leaving the military park, Layne Logue, a civil engineer and wilderness canoe expedition leader, stopped me for a some great conversation about my cycling and his canoeing. He takes big canoes out on the Mississippi and goes camping on sandbars, all sounding like great fun to me. He sent me great suggestions by email for my trip tomorrow to Natchez.

    I’m in the best room of my trip yet, a first class Quality Inn. Trina, who signed me in, also said the breakfast shouldn’t be missed. I won’t.

    A big day, full of people, and now onto Natchez. If all goes well, tomorrow will be my last full day in Mississippi. Since Vicksburg turned out to not be on the real river, I have been assured that Nachez is. You’ll hopefully get photos of it tomorrow. Join me back here for that!

By David Freeze

 Just as the sun was starting to rise, I pedaled away from the Quality Inn  at Clarksdale. Forecasts called for a chance of thunderstorms and not quite as hot. I decided to pedal south on US 61 and then make a call or two along the way. I wanted to go to Greenville because the river might touch the town, but I wouldn’t know for sure until I talked to the visitors center there.

   On the side of a four lane busy road but out in the driving lane due to Mississippi rumble strips, I passed by exits for Duncan, Shelby, Winstonville, Mound Bayou and Merigold before hitting the busy town of Cleveland. Cleveland has about 12,000 residents, very large for this area. Afterwards, only Boyle and Shaw were towns as I pedaled into the heat and Leland. It was decision time.

  I called the visitors center in Greenville and asked the question. Did the river touch the town? Politely I was told by a friendly woman that it did not, unless you pedaled south of the city limits and went to a park. There was a lake in town, but I decided to skip Greenville and get a jump on Vicksburg. Instead of pedaling west. I stayed on US 61 as it cut down to a two lane road with no shoulder just past Leland. It was a beautiful area of crops and enhanced by a yellow crop dusting plane that I continued to see for much of an 82 mile day. At last sighting, he was just past 50 miles from his home base which was also on 61 South.

   Supported by positive winds all day, I could see storms starting to build and felt the wind changing to a strong headwind. Approaching Hollandale, massive corn harvesting was happening all around me. Huge combines and other equipment pushed until the minute rain started to fall. Suddenly it was all shut down and the corn in the bins covered.

    With rain all around, I was looking hard for Cotton Country Inn. I had called this morning and arranged for a room, just a basic room but sight unseen. Thankfully this one turned out well, with good WiFi, ice and plenty of room. The only food stores in town are Dollar General and a Stop and Shop small grocery store. Everybody in the grocery store seemed to know everybody else.

    I am not a fan of Mississippi roads and this afternoon, I discovered another reason for discontent. Only cyclists would notice but sometimes two slabs of concrete have a two inch gap between them, just enough for a bike tire to fall into it. Twice it happened this afternoon. No damage so far.

  Today wasn’t thrilling and nothing unusual happened except for the weather. As early as possible, I plan to get to Vicksburg and do the city and battlefield tours plus spend some time at the waterfront. Vicksburg was a pivotal city in the Civil War and it’s rumored to be one of the most beautiful in the Deep South.

  So with that, I will close for tonight and meet you back here tomorrow with another new city with much to explore. Thanks for riding along and for continued messages and prayers!

By David Freeze

Just after the sun topped the horizon this morning, I was on the bike and pedaling south. I had sort of a plan, ready to revise if needed. My initial goal was to make West Memphis, Arkansas and set myself up for a run through Memphis, Tennessee on Monday morning.
  I rode four miles on I-55 and then pedaled the rest of the day on other roads. US 61 South was back and initially had a great shoulder and beautiful farm scenery. The weather lady on a Memphis station said winds would be significant out of the south, making the first real headwind of my whole adventure. All the farmland was flat and that probably aided the wind gain some intensity.
   The first segment was on a portion of 61 named the Americana Music Highway, largely because the highway was notable in the careers of BB King and others from the Memphis area. Traffic was light as I passed through a series of very small towns named Bardette, Luxura, Osceola, Driver, Wilson, Bassett, Joiner, Frenchman’s Bayou, Terrell,
Clarkedale, Jericho and Sunset. That run ended on State Road 77 at Marion, a productive and busy town.
  I could see the river levees at times and stopped in Osceola to ask if there was anywhere to see the river. I was told there was not and the roads would lead away from the river ahead.
    My focus was on making West Memphis, but all along if everything went right, I wanted more. I started analyzing last night how to cross the Mississippi on a bike legally. Jeff from the New Madrid Museum said that he heard something has been done to make it possible. In 2016, the Harahan Bridge, formerly used for railroad traffic, was repurposed to get pedestrians including cyclists across the river safely. I used a mixture of city streets and a very nice bike path to access the bridge while interstate traffic from I-55 and I-40 buzzed all around. Just as I reached the bridge, a train started over the upper level of the Harahan Bridge, proving it is still very much in use.
   By riding over the bridge, I am now in Memphis, Tennessee, not too far from Graceland and the Peabody Hotel ducks which I visited while here to run the Memphis Marathon years ago.
   Coming off the Harahan Bridge, I had to ask two locals for help understanding how I could get around the trains and back headed south, unbelievably once again on US 61 South. I found it with a little luck and started looking for a motel, not interested in the upscale ones downtown, I checked Siri for options. One called the Relax Inn was close by but wouldn’t give a rate over the phone. Another was at least $25 too much. I stopped and got a room at another one, then got a refund after I saw the inside. And getting that refund wasn’t easy, but I did get it.
   Finally I am settled in the Regency Inn, the first motel run by a woman and also the first I could understand. I got my dinner from the nearest convenience store that included pizza, ice cream and watermelon chunks way cheaper than the grocery store prices.
    Today’s ride was 80 miles, but I am positioned to head south in the morning and will be quickly entering Mississippi. I’m happy with the progress so far but will have to pull out several maps to plan tomorrow. After Mississippi, only Louisiana remains but there are still lots of miles to cover and plenty to see. Hope you will plan on joining me right back here again tomorrow!

By David Freeze

 My mind had several scenarios rolling last night that kept sleep from being the best. I was excited for what the day might bring in New Madrid, Missouri. The desk clerk at the Super Eight in Sikeston told me not to miss the town or the museum. I was still unsure about whether to take 61 South or use I-55, which is obviously way quicker because of the quality and width of the surface in the breakdown lane. Determined to make it a good day, I used I-55 except for the route from the interstate to downtown New Madrid.

    A quick 22 mile ride got me to the waterfront and just ahead of the 9am museum opening. The Mississippi was especially beautiful in the early morning sun from an observation area that makes viewing the river even better. Instead of a wall, New Madrid has a levee, dirt built up to a high flood level and then stabilized by grass and in this case a walking/ driving road.

  New Madrid is a beautiful little town of over 3,000. In 1811, one of the world’s most powerful earthquakes to this day occurred with all sorts of wild claims of what happened during that day and the next. New Madrid sits on a fault line that spawned earthquakes for the next year and from 5-25 per year since. One claim was that the Mississippi River flowed backwards during this time, which scientists think that parts of it suffered upheaval and actually did change the course of the flow for a day or two.

   Just as interesting to me was a Civil War battle that took 20,000 Union forces to overtake New Madrid and her two forts. One of those was on Island #10, which has since been washed away by the ever changing Mississippi. Those events helped the Union forces eventually control the river.

   I took about an hour for a tour of the New Madrid Historical Museum. Administrator Jeff Grunwald was the perfect host. My bike was a popular conversation piece while I was in town.

    I left New Madrid for a 50 mile ride that included US 61 and then more of I-55. I passed Portageville, the soybean capital of the world, but not much else on another perfect weather day. A tailwind and low humidity with mid 80s for a high.

     Some fun was yet to come as I had called and left my name last night for a room at the Super Eight Motel in Blytheville, after the success of the previous two nights. I found the motel near my exit off I-55 and rolled to the door. Nothing looked good, the door was locked and plenty of unusual characters were hanging around. I called the Quality Inn, Days Inn and America’s Best Value Inn and got the perfect room for a great price from Dana at ABVI. And for the first time on the trip, I will have a real breakfast included. Complete with eggs! I really enjoyed talking with Dana about the trials of finding a good motel on the fly and her interest in cycling.

   Another interesting tidbit from the day included my anticipation of crossing into Arkansas and whether I could continue on the interstate. With just 5 miles, left to Blytheville, I crossed the state line and kept pedaling, possibly a little faster. I stopped at the Arkansas welcome center and talked to the attendant who told me, “Yes, I’ve never been told you couldn’t.”

    Blytheville is one of those interstate exits that has everything. Dana told me there was a Waffle House, but I found one actually named Waffle Inn and not open tonight for some reason. I settled for the Impossible vegetarian burger and ice cream from Burger King. Then I rode to the nearest convenience store and struck up a conversation with Jaimee Williams about the bike ride. I loved her upbeat attitude and appreciation for what I had done on this trip and the others previously. It was great to talk with Jeff, Dana and Jaimee today, all positive and fun and the very best thing about going on these bike adventures. Good people cross my path continually.

    About all I have planned for tomorrow is that I will likely head toward West Memphis, which is still in Arkansas and see if I can cross the river and ride down the Mississippi side for a while. It’s still up in the air but the Arkansas side only visits the river one more time until that side crosses into Louisiana.

  After 79 miles today, I am less than 500 miles to New Orleans. Highlights still ahead include crossing the river near Memphis and visits to Vicksburg, Natchez, Baton Rouge and the finish in New Orleans. I count this as a very good day and hope you enjoyed reading about it! See you back here tomorrow!

By David Freeze

Today dawned with several possibilities. Ride Interstate 55 and hopefully make big time toward Cape Girardeau, or follow US 61 to see if it can find the river. Right now, both of them are designated The Great River Road but 61 would get close while I-55 would not. Here’s what happened.

   I left the town of Arnold after a wonderful night at the Quality Inn and headed for the real thing, US 61 without hesitation. After Arnold, I had almost no shoulder and not a lot of traffic usually. However endless hills, rollers one after another never stopped. So I was forced into traffic constantly and drivers waited behind me while I climbed. Then, US 61 added rumble strips, forcing me into the driver’s lane from there on out. Terrible riding!

   I passed through Bernhardt, Pevely and Festus. Only Festus had much to offer and it had everything. Then another tiny town in Bloomsdale. Up ahead, my map showed that we would get near the water at St. Genevieve and St. Mary’s.

   Stopping in St. Genevieve, I asked about the river. The welcome center lady told me that I would have to ride north on another road and I still wouldn’t see much. I didn’t. She also told me to forget St. Mary’s too because although the river used to run right past the town, it no longer did and had moved farther east. She told me to ride out on Kaskaskia Bridge and look at the dry river bed which I did. Those photos are my best of a poor day of river searching.

    At that point, I still had another 14 or so miles to get to Perryville and a room at Super Eight. Endless uphill riding in the traffic caused me to give in. I got the the opportunity to jump once again on I-55 and pedal the last six miles to Perryville. No problems and nobody seemed to care that I was finally out of the traffic lane and making good time at the end of 68 hard miles. Never a flat stretch all day.

   US 61 or I-55 both remain as options for tomorrow. It’s about 36 miles to Cape Girardeau, one of the focal points of my ride from the beginning. It has a magnificent bridge across the Mississippi, which I might take if time allows, fulfilling my need to at least touch Illinois.

    Home of Rush Limbaugh and a Roswell type alien crash, the city is loaded with other history. It is said to have a magnificent waterfront, which I will look forward to. I will take whatever time I need to explore it. Past that, I’m not sure. US 61 and I-55 both continue directly south and leave the river. Nothing on the Illinois side is close either.

   I will have some kind of plan by morning or will make it as I go. I busted two things today, a lock down straps on one of the bike bags that carries my gear and pedal cage. I can’t repair the bag here but can tie it shut. The pedal cage snapped, the one where my right foot goes. If the bike shop in Cape Girardeau has a set, I will get them. Otherwise I will make do.

   I’m enjoying the Field of Dreams game as I write this. I am looking for plenty more lasting memories as we approach the second half of the adventure. Better pictures are one goal for tomorrow and some more reasonable riding. Perryville is awesome and for the second night in a row, the things I need are close by.

   More good weather is forecast, not a hint of rain since Wednesday of last week. See you back here tomorrow as the adventure continues! Thanks, as always, for a being a part of the journey.

By David Freeze

 Today was going to be a big question mark from the start. I love to study maps, real maps where you can see everything around as possibilities. Last night, I decided to follow US 79 as far it would go into the St. Louis area. Then I picked out a route, not knowing for sure where the bike could go. I had the Missouri map I am using to follow the less detailed Great River Road and the St. Louis area city map. It seems like at least a dozen suburbs make up the city.

   This morning I left out of Elsberry as the town was waking up. Another cool morning helped on the endless hills. Much of the time, I had no shoulder or a very poor one. A sign said US 79 would be repaved this fall. I had to ride in traffic and this was quite spooky at times.

   I passed through Foley and didn’t know when I did. But they did have a stop sign for no reason and a Dollar General. Then on to Winfield, a little bigger with a couple convenience stores. And finally Old Monroe which had little to offer except a better road. Good thing because the traffic was heavy as we neared the greater St. Louis area.

   I stopped at St. Peter’s and talked to Jerry at McDonald’s about this ride and the others while he was concerned about eating so much fast food and brought his lunch for the day. I followed my planned path and jumped on 364, not sure whether it’s more than a county road but it serves as an expressway across much of the city area. Simply put, I raced along on a good shoulder paying special attention to all the exit and entry ramps. The roar of the traffic was tremendous at times and almost overwhelming.

  By following 364, I was able to intersect with US 67, which led to a junction with US 61 which I will follow again for a couple days on the Great River Road. Briefly we also intersected with the Lewis and Clark route. Away from 364, the city is tremendously hilly.

    While all of this describes my day through mid-afternoon, it gets much better. I had made no plans for a room for the evening and made a call to a motel perfectly situated on my planned route. They were full, which left the only option as the higher priced chains. After the runaround at two of those places, I called the desk at the Quality Inn in Arnold, the second best situated motel. Tina gave me a great deal on a first class room and all I had to do was get there.

    Not sure if I could ride on the interstate highway in Missouri, Tina gave me a route that would avoid it. I got Siri involved and again she failed me by sending me on a longer route. I threw caution to the wind and pedaled right on to the I-55 ramp and on the highway. Up to 6 lanes of traffic was flying and so was I, in the breakdown lane. With my history of being stopped by officers over the years, I expected the same thing again.

   With just 4.5 miles to ride to get to the Quality Inn, I thought someone will have to hurry to stop me. I came flying down a hill and a police car was sitting on the side of the road with the door open. Turns out he wasn’t waiting for me but had what looked like sobriety problems with a driver. The officer never looked at me.

   My ride ended at a fantastic motel, surrounded by almost every chain store I ever enter. I stopped at Walgreens and got a fantastic meal at Waffle House. I may go to Target later. Bottom line, I did spot two smaller rivers today but not the Mississippi. There will be at least two more full days in Missouri, with Cape Girardeau the next main target. That is probably the next real sighting of the river.

   The day was perfect, about 80 degrees and a slight tailwind. I honestly felt exhilarated by the whole day! Join me tomorrow for a further journey south on US 61. I hope I get situated in time for tomorrow’s Field of Dreams game, and that you join me again tomorrow right back here!

By David Freeze

  I am watching the minor league game from the Field of Dreams, loving the coverage and excited about Thursday’s major league game. A co-worker asked me the other day what had been the best thing about this adventure so far. It was easy to answer that I got to run the bases on the Field of Dreams and have a video to prove it.

   Last night, I decided to sleep on which way to go today. Options were going to Illinois, returning to US 61 or following the Great River Road on US 79. I expected all three to be hilly because that is what this area does. I chose US 79 in hopes of seeing more of the river than the other two would provide. Leaving Hannibal at 6:30am, I had the trip’s first cool and foggy morning and enjoyed it as the climbing began just past the famous Lover’s Leap. For 15 miles, I climbed half mile long steep hills, rocketed down the other side and climbed another one. US 79 was in the process of paving for at least 25 miles, an improvement definitely needed. Twice I passed scenic outlook signs, something I didn’t follow because more sideways climbing was required.

  The slow pace only had me at about 35 miles by noon. I arrived in Louisiana, Missouri, and took some photos of the river there. Then back to US 79 for a ride to Clarksville, Annada (with a population of 29) and on into Ellsberry, where I’m spending the night, after just 59 hilly miles. A long flat stretch started in Clarksville and I’ve been seeing trains ever since. My motel is across the road from the tracks. Tracks nearby mean flatter riding!

   I had two reasons for stopping here. There has been little to no cell phone coverage for AT&T and Verizon most of the day and I took a chance on the last room of the only motel in Ellsberry. I got the photos out to the Post editors and hope to get this story submitted on the less than stellar WiFi. The second reason was to set the distance for a doable ride through St. Louis.
   I had an ongoing conversation with the motel manager hoping she could free up a room. That part worked, but the details of me making a trip to Dollar General for cleaning supplies will be told in the book. All is well now and I’m hoping it stays quiet. By the way, Ellsberry is really small at about 2,000 inhabitants, but it has a huge DG complete with produce and lots more. I got my food and water for tonight and tomorrow there too.

  When planning this trip, I was going around St. Louis. With the Great River Road map in place, I am going there tomorrow and hope to spend the night on the southern side after battling their traffic. I will follow US 79 to the city and then find my way through using a city map which I will study shortly.

   I did get to see the river numerous times today but probably won’t see it at all tomorrow. The challenge will be finding a safe way through St. Louis, then we’ll resume getting as close to the river as possible.

   See you back here tomorrow!