Mississippi Crossing

Day 20-

This morning we rose with the sun and set off on the bikes before 6 am to beat the heat. Sat at the counter of Marylou's Diner in Carbondale, IL and took down some biscuits n' gravy before hitting the road for the 64 miler to Chester. We got our first glimpse of Missouri today across the river and I'm still not sure what to make of it- rumors have it the climbs in the Ozarks are merciless but I'm not convinced (stay tuned to see me eat my words). It's looking like the early start will be imperative to our progress as both the temps and humidity are in the 90's from noon til dark. The nights have been hot and sticky in the tent and we can hear eachother rustle around in our tents trying to get comfortable in futility. Fortunately we are still getting the royal treatment nearly everywhere we go and the Fraternal Order of the Eagle has carried the torch heroically this evening- showers, A/C pub, and free pizzas. We are camped between a bar and a rodeo, and its good that we are all exhuasted because otherwise we would get little sleep before 2 am. Another shout has to go out to Violet and Bob from the First Baptist Church of Sebree, KY. These generous folks have been hosting cyclists since the 70's and she fed all 12 of us to the limits of what one would think a human could consume. She also sent us off with an exceptional blessing for us and our families and all cyclists away from home. Think about the people she has met over the years and what interesting summers she must have.

As for cycling, the group is starting to get the 'drafting' phenomenon like clockwork. There is much more parity in fitness and speed than early on and the group is practically moving too quick for the support vehicle to keep up. Hopefully we we have favorable conditions for a 100 mile ride at some point. Time for a cold shower before bed- Happy Summer Solstice and Father's Day from Bike the US for MS.