Day 20- Ozark Mountains

73.4 miles- Farmington to Ellington, Missouri

Farmington is probably the most cyclist friendly town I have ever been in. On my way out of town a truck pulled up beside me. After asking where I was headed the guy stopped and got out to talk for a few minutes. He was about fifty, would retire in three years, and could not wait to start a trip of his own. While I was talking to him another yonger man pulled up and said he thought I was someone else, but offered me a cliff bar and a some words of encouragement anyway. Ten miles further down the road another cyclist stopped me to ask what I was doing and to tell me about his adventures. This, on top of the fantastic time I had with the Mohans, has put Farmington high on the most enjoyable places I have been so far.

Today I entered the Ozark Mountains. They are considered one of the oldest mountain ranges in the world, and have been weathered from above and below by extensive networks of waterways carving away the limestone that dominates this entire part of the country. I had thought Missouri would be flat. I was unfortunatly very much mistaken.

With mountains comes more rural poverty. It becomes apparent shortly after Farmington, but is not as dense and desperate as western Appalacia. Tonight I am staying with Herman Stien, a German ex-steel worker who has been in the United States since the seventies. He believes quite strongly in living Gods word through ones own interpretation of the bible, and seems to have spent much of his life helping people.

Day 19- Meeting Farmington

0 miles- Farmington, MO

Took a day off because of unrelenting high winds and pending afternoon thunder/lightening storms. Stayed last night (and will stay tonight) with the Mohan's. Karen is amazingly active in the cycling community here, was instrumental in setting up the town biker hostel, Al's Place, and organizes community rides for adults and children. I commented that this must be an extremely biker-active and friendly area with such involvement. BUT- she corrected me, warning me that this is the most biker unfriendly state behind only Kentucky!

The winds are still at 20mph, with storms rolling in this afternoon. I earned a day off in the beautiful house by mowing the lawn and helping with their computers. Back on the road tomorrow, hopefully into Kansas by Tuesday afternoon.

Day 18- Turbulence

51.4 miles- Chester, Illinois to Farmington, Missouri

I could not have crossed the grand and spectacular Mississippi today. The thing I crossed looked more like an over-saturated mud pile. I could not find a "Welcome to Illinois" sign when I crossed a few days ago after crossing the Ohio, nor looking back as I crossed the Mississippi. To find even the sign posted below, I had to search desperately several miles off route. Maybe the state government felt that if I didn't know I was in Illinois, I would continue to blame my woes on Kentucky.

Entering the rolling hills of the Ozark Mountains I though I might have fallen asleep for a few thousand miles and woken up south of Seattle in Napa Valley. The landscape is plush green, immersed in vineyards, and covered in "wine tasting" signs.

What a day with the weather! Sunny, clear, BUT 25mph headwinds, gusting at 35mph!

Day 17- Mississippi Levee

87.5 miles- Tunnel Hill to Chester, IL

Woke up this morning to watch Alan feed the new born calf. Its mother died several days after its birth and the other mothers in the field do not have enough milk to share with this little fella. Alan is an ex iron worker from Chicago, but after fifteen knee surgeries now teaches high school, takes care of his farm, and hosts foreign exchange students with his wife Anne.

Saw some amazing stuff today. For the last thirty miles the landscape was flat as a coin and barely populated. Eventually realized this flat expanse was artificially created by a levee that separated it from the Mississippi river. I eventually joined a road that ran on the levee itself. For two hours cruised on an elevated road with the river to the left and the plains to the right. What's more, only saw three cars this entire time, and averaged 13-18mph in the flatland.

Last event of note was the coal deposits. Describing the picture below, each train car goes into the white building and the coal is dumped. This black gold gets deposited in enormous ten story piles around the depot. The bridge in the foreground is a ramp that pulls the coal from the piles, across the levee and into barges on the river. Its good to know the coal that tormented me throughout Kentucky was not just being driven in circles for my pleasure.

Day 16- Goodbye KY!

107 miles- Sebree, Kentucky to Tunnel Hill, Illinois

"Day 16- Goodbye KY" is so named because today's excitement came not with entering Illinois but rather with leaving Kentucky. I met some great people, but with coal trucks, rumble strips on literally every road, a language-dialect barrier and heavy storms, I am very glad to be out. Confirmation of the good came from the heavens when, almost immediately after crossing the Ohio river by barge, cold and wet turned to warm and sunny.

Today at breakfast the man across from me was asked if he wanted to eat. He replied that he was awaiting the lunch specials. The waitress said chicken something with mashed potatoes and green beans. In case I have not made it clear before, mashed potatoes and green beans are on special everywhere all the time in Kentucky. People in this region have a bizarre fascination with the unusually unpleasant manor in which these are cooked.

I ended today with a great couple in a beautiful house with a delicious dinner. I soaked in a hot tub while watching the sun set just off their back deck- what an end to a day! I am sure tonight will be one of my most comfortable nights since leaving home.

Day 15- Tyson

78.7 miles- McDaniels to Sebree, KY

The day would have been very dull if it were not for the saving graces of a county toilet. I saw many of these in south-western Virginia and eastern Kentucky but never got a picture. The device is essentially a simple donjon with one ingenious key advancement. These county donjons are suspended above a river with a hole in the floor and are therefore "pumped" naturally.

I stopped for breakfast at a country place for a much needed respite from the rain. When the man in front of me wanted his check he yelled "HEY WENCH!" His wife was sitting across from him and hardly reacted. Oh, Kentucky!

At about one I was passed by a large semi that sounded like a passing chirp. By the third one I realized they were stacked high with chicken cages. At three I discovered the morose din was coming from enormous Tyson chicken farms that adorned both sides of the road. As the trucks continued to pass I had to turn my head to avoid being covered with feathers.

While pulling into Sebree I got a well timed shot of a coal barge with a coal plant in the background. Tonight I am staying in a biker hostel run by a Baptist Church that is extremely luxurious and preparing for tomorrow- another wet day with defeating headwinds.

Day 14- High winds and lunch

54.4 miles- Buffalo to McDaniels

After a late start, the ride was windy but flat. The damage from yesterday evenings storms was apparent. Broken limbs and green leaves adorned the roads while sheet metal from barns flapped in the wind.

Met Arabel, my aunt, and two of her friends for lunch. I was a bit worried about actually finding a place to eat so far out here in the boonies, but our paths crossed at a local bbq place. Was really great seeing her so far out here, especially when miserable weather makes the day such a daunting task.

The man at the entrance to tonight's campgrounds told me about the hundreds of cyclists who came through here in 1976. Bikers came from around the world when adventure cycling celebrated the 200th anniversary of the United States and first released the maps I am using today.