Prairie du Chien, WI to Winona, MN - 97 miles

Got an early start this morning. It was cold and drizzling, then rain. Actually I didn't mind riding in the rain. I prefer it over strong headwinds or heat. Small towns were Lynxville, Ferryville, DeSoto, Genoa, Stoddard. Saw a couple of lock and dams along the route but was able to take a photo of just one.




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The only major city we rode into was LaCrosse before crossing the River over to the Minnesota side to finish in Winona. The large statue is of Hiawatha in LaCrosse.




Winona is the Island City and also the stained glass capital of the world. Winona Ryder is from this city and that is how she got her name.

Dyersville, IA to Prairie du Chien, WI

Today was a very cold and windy day. We rode thru small towns such as New Vienna, Luxemberg, Guttenberg, and McGregor before arriving in Prairie du Chien, WI. We are now in Wisconsin, which means it is margarita night!
In Guttengerg, I stopped and took photos of one of the many lock and dams along the River.




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This following photo was taken from a scenic overlook (which means we had to climb a steep hill to get there).




In fact there were three major hills to climb.
The last small town before crossing the River was McGregor where the Ringling Brothers Circus began. We stopped for lunch there and I had my first Mississippi mud carp chowder. Not bad. Across from the restaurant was the Green Room Spa. We all had a chuckle over that one because to us the term "green room" means something else. We refer to the green room as our outdoor restroom facility, usually behind a tree or bush or rock, whatever works.




Upon arriving at Prairie du Chien (which means prairie dog) some of us took a tour of the Villa Louis, a beautifully restored Victorian mansion. It does not look Victorian on the outside but the inside is totally Victorian.

Maquoketa to Dyersville, IA -- 60 miles

The ride to Dyersville was not good for me....strong headwinds and lots of hills. The weather was perfect and the scenery was pretty, but just too windy for my liking.



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Dyersville claim to fame is that the movie "Field of Dreams" was filmed a few miles outside of town. The site is open to visitors to enjoy the surroundings. The field, the bleachers and house are still there.

Muscatine to Maquoketa, IA -- 59 miles

Strong tailwinds were a delight, the crosswinds were not! We rode thru small towns such as Bennett, Lowden, Massillion, Lost Nation and Elwood (home of Miss Iowa, 1986) before arriving in Maquoketa which mean "bear was here."

Along our route there were several barns with quilt blocks. I only spotted one. I guess I was traveling to fast and missed them.


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As we rode out of the town of Lowden, we passed by a cemetery full of flags. It was a very moving experience because the local church bells were ringing to the tune of America the Beautiful.

Burlington to Muscatine, IA -- 61 miles

From the hotel we crossed over the same bridge we crossed yesterday back over to the Illinois side. (no we do not get margaritas tonight because we finished in the same state that we started...it is only when we finish in a different state that we have margaritas.)
Again MORE corn fields! The only point of interest was a covered bridge.




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I did pass an interesting sign...could this mean that there could be more than 40 farms?




Anyway I rode as fast as my legs could pedal to beat the heat. It starts getting hot here around 1pm. I think it was 93 or 95 and very humid! I made it in to Muscatine exactly at 1pm. Muscatine is know as the pearl of the Mississippi. They have a button museum here that I would have liked to see but it is closed, of course. Burlington did have a pearl button factory at one time but is no longer there.

I understand that there is another criterium taking place here today. As much as I would like to see it, it is just too hot to stand out there to watch.

Burlington, IA -- Rest day

Today was an exciting day here in Burlington, Iowa. It is the 30th anniversary of the Snake Alley Criterium. Snake Alley is this cobblestone street built in 1894. The distance is 275 feet, rising 58 feet for a 21% grade!


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Keokuk to Burlington, IA -- 52 miles

We left the hotel to cross the River back to the Illinois side for a scenic ride for the first 14 miles or so. The first town we rode to was Nauvoo which is a historic Mormon town. Then it was MORE cornfields for as far as you can see.


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At mile 49 we crossed the River back to the Iowa side and finish in the city of Burlington.

Hannibal, MO to Keokuk, IA -- 70 miles

It was smooth sailing with a strong tailwind until we got to the last ferry crossing of this trip.




Our guide sweet talked the ferryman to take us across. It could have been an interesting day if we all had to find another way to get to Keokuk, IA.

I don't know much about this town but some famous people have connections with Keokuk. To name a few, Mark Twain, Theodore Roosevelt, Andrew Carnegie, Betsy Ross, Robert E. Lee, William Jennings Bryan, Carrie Nation, Roger Maris, John Phillips Sousa, the Marx Brothers, Howard Hughes, Buffalo Bill, Ringling Brothers Circus, and Charles Emerson Winchester III.

Grafton, IL to Hannibal, MO -- 112 miles

Today started to be a great day. We had two ferry crossings, one to cross the Illinois River and the second to cross the Mississippi River again. So now we are on the Missouri side again. We rode thru several small towns likeWinfield, Foley, Elsberry, Annada, Clarksville, and Louisiana before arriving in Hannibal. Mark Twain lived in here from the age of 4 to 17 before becoming a steamboat pilot, silver miner, journalist, and author.

The roads after the last ferry crossing went from good to bad and worse as we got closer to town. I was so angry, I was ready to call it quits and come home. Lots of rolling hills and no shoulder and heavy traffic...a very dangerous situation for bicyclists. To add, motorist are not bicycle friendly.
Quite a contrast from the day before.

May 22, 2012
St. Louis, MO to Grafton, IL -- 45 miles

The ride to Grafton was mostly on a bike path along the river.


This is one of many murals along the path. This one is of the Freedom Crossing.


About 12 miles out of town, we came to the Chain of Rocks Bridge which is the old Route 66 into Illinois. This bridge is used only for bikes and pedestrians.





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St. Louis -- Rest Day

Today was a rest day from bicycling but a great day for sight-seeing. I might add that it was a very educational one as well. I learned a great deal about the building of the Arch and have a new respect for the architect and engineers and men that constructed this beautiful and magnificent monument. A photograph does not do it justice. You have to be here to appreciate it's size and height. It is twice the height of the Statue of Liberty. Going up to the top is another whole new experience. I took some shots from the top.




Straight ahead is a shot of the Old Courthouse (more about it to follow) and to the right is our Hyatt Hotel. Behind the Courthouse was where the wagon trains gathered before heading West.




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The next photo of the River




This is the pod like thing which seats five at a time to transport you to the top and back down.








This is at the top. Can you see the narrow windows from which we were able to look down.
After getting back to ground level, my friends and I watched an IMAX movie about Lewis and Clark's journey to the Pacific Ocean. I was impressed by their incredible journey and can't wait to get home to read more about them.
In the afternoon we took a leisure steamboat ride on the River.








The bridge is the famous Eads bridge. The city's oldest bridge.
The next stop on our sight-seeing adventure was a visit to the Old Courthouse. The famous Dred Scott case began here and led to the divisive U.S. Supreme Court decision. The photo below is of the dome from inside the rotunda.




The last photo of today is of a statue of Lewis and Clark and Lewis's dog on the banks of the River.




Finally a photo of the Arch from the terrace on the 18th floor of the Hyatt.




Our last stop was the bike shop for some needed supplies. It' s the nicest one so far on our trip, but they can't compare to the ones in Fresno. I have to stress how lucky we are to have such great shops and I am going to let them know how much I appreciate them when I get back.
To finish the day, I had ribs and beer for dinner!

Ste. Genevieve to St. Louis, MO -- 59 miles

We started out this morning crossing the Mississippi River by ferry over to the Illinois side. Most of the ride was along limestone bluffs which also provided nice shade.




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At one point where there was a limestone quarry, and there were several caves that had been carved out the sides of these bluffs. At each opening we were blasted with almost freezing cold air! We could have used more of those cold air blasts as the day proceeded to get warmer.
On our left were more corn fields and the small towns that we rode thru were Modoc, Prairie du Rocher, Maeystown, Columbia, and DuPont. We crossed a bridge once again into St. Louis to put us back in Missouri. Our hotel, the Hyatt is right across the street from the Arch!

Cape Girardeau to Ste. Genevieve, MO -- 64 miles

Today's ride was more of the corn and wheat fields over rolling country roads, which means two lanes with no shoulder and when there were shoulders, it had those damn rumble strips! It turned out to be another hot day.

Ste. Genevieve is Missouri's oldest city. It was settled in the early 1740's by French-Canadians.

Since I don't have photos to post today, I have taken a shot of the back of the trailer which is the kitchen. Every evening we gather around in the parking lot of the hotel for dinner and a review of the cue sheet for the following day. This is my favorite time of the day because for many it is the only time to socialize and share the events of the day.


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The meals, by the way, have been delicious and nutritious.

Charleston to Cape Girardeau, MO -- 51 miles

Lots and lots of corn fields on this very hot day. We rode thru small towns of Morley, Oran, and Chaffee before arriving in Cape Girardeau. Was surprised to see bison in Missouri.


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Dyersburg, TN to Charleston, MO -- 75 miles

Today we rode thru three states--Tennessee, Kentucky, and now we are in Missouri. We passed thru towns like Ridgely and Samburg before arriving at Charleston,MO. Now I can say that I have been in Charleston, MO and Charleston, WV. Along the route we rode past the Reelfoot Lake which is the world's largest fish hatchery. The lake was formed by the 1811-1812 earthquake. The Mississippi River flowed backward to fill the lake. The lake is named after an Indian chief with a deformed foot and the settlers nicknamed him Reelfoot.


On this route we crossed into Kentucky and crossed the Mississippi River by ferry. On the other end of the ferry, we were in Missouri.





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After each ride, I jump in the shower, then wash my bicycling clothes. The ironing board works great as a clothes line...something I learned on this trip.

Covington to Dyersburg, TN -- 43 miles

Today was a short ride to Dyersburg. We rode past many small country towns like Henning, Ripley, and Halls. Many stopped in Henning to visit the Alex Haley House Museum. I had mixed feelings about stopping or going on only to get into Dyersburg before it gets too hot to ride.

Memphis to Covington, TN -- 63 miles
The scenery is definitely beginning to change. The roads are full of curves and hills, a couple of 10 to 12% grade ones and lots of trees.


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I saw one sign that I thought needed to be reworded. Don't you think it is meant for everyone on the road?



Memphis -- Rest day
I thought this would be a rest day and sight-seeing day, but one day isn't enough time to see everything that I wanted to see. I didn't get to Graceland or the Peabody hotel to see the ducks. I did get to the Civil Rights Museum. I highly recommend it to everyone. It is a very moving and emotional place to be.





I apologize for not posting on my blog every day, but the days have been long and by the time I get in I am too tired to write anything. Many days after a ride I sometimes have to find the time to clean my bike or doing laundry. Sometimes, I shower with my bike clothes on to save time.