TheSouth2011

Day 2

Saturday, 28 May 2011
Chester, IL to Cape Girardeau, MO
60.9 miles, 5h31m, 11.0 mph
Elapsed Time: 6h37m, Max speed: 36.3mph
Total Climbing: 3248ft, Max elevation: 666ft
Total mileage: 142.0

The word for today was "wind." Of course, it was a headwind. I really don't know any other kind. Going back to last year, I've ridden five consecutive tour days into a headwind. Yes, I'm whining. Even better--tomorrow I'll have 15-25mph headwinds and 90 degree temperatures--for 90 miles! It's gonna be awesome! This is how I take a vacation.

At least today I would not be riding down a flat floodplain, slogging into the wind, unable to hear anything except the roaring in my ears. I would be riding up and down hills in Missouri, which I think is slightly better.

Anyway, I started out by losing my way trying to get to the Chester Bridge. I did run across some characters.

Wimpy enjoys a hamburger that he will not pay for until Tuesday.
Is that the source of the band name 'Til Tuesday?

Popeye his-bad-self.

Linda took this lovely shot of the Chester Bridge.
I waited for a break in the traffic and sprinted out.

And then moseyed on across.

On the Missouri side I started out by riding about 10 miles in the floodplain.

Some places were still kind of flooded. I passed a house where the driveway was flooded and
it would be a good long walk to get around to the house. I took a picture, but I didn't feel like including it. Sorry.

Cone down! Cone down!

All good things must come to an end. Fortunately, all lousy things also must come to an end, and so I reached the end of the plains and climbed up the bluff and into the rolling farm country of southwest Missouri. Not much here.

Downtown Brazeau. The blacksmith shop is closed. The post office is not.

Linda met me along the way and restocked me with pepper spray. There were a couple of dog incidents today, but I didn't need to shoot anybody.

Something I had never really thought about.

In an area like this you'd think people would just bury their pets in the back yard. Puzzling.

I rode on the MRT for about 200 yards. Maybe I'll hit it again tomorrow.

I grabbed lunch at a convenience store and then worked my way through Cape Girardeau on a bike path. I stopped at a bike shop to pump up my back tire. Thing only had 45 pounds in it. I pumped it up to 90 and pushed on (into the headwind) to the Candlewood Suites. Linda was waiting. Got a nice room.

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