I am sitting in the shade, on a chair, in a sundress, watching the world go by at the Windsor Crossroads Motel. Neither of up slept well last night, but Dana reprogrammed his shifter so even though his right shifter is broken he can use the left too change the back gears, and he’s not actively bleeding, so all is good.
FYI, he wrote all of that techie stuff. I’m just glad he fixed his shifter.
We rode about one mile on a wonderfully paved road with no bloody (get it?) panniers to breakfast at the Wagon Wheel.
And who did we see but Kelly and Luke! It’s just happening! When the waitress asked “Where y’all from?”, they said New Mexico and we said Massachusetts. She was pleasantly surprised. But she’s probably seen it before, because that’s what happens on a bike tour. You’ve known someone for 3 days and you’ve become good friends. We may never see them again, but it’s been nice.
The waitress took our pictures for her Katy Trail Wall of fame.
Our next short, pleasant ride was to the pharmacy, where we went straight to the first aid aisle. There were only 6 aisles, and they saw Dana’s knee, so even I could find it.
We bought a bunch of stuff for the motel owner, to replenish her supply, and pay it forward. She said someone came in last week with his head cut open. Turns out there’s a hospital next door. If Dana had seen it yesterday, we might have paid a visit.
Then we were finally on the Katy Trail! … where we rode through the State Park, and learned lots of local history. Then a mile back to the hotel. Now that’s what I call a nice day on a bike!
So, if you are still reading…
After the fall, we washed out the road rash on the trail, but it was getting worse. At the motel, we hosed off the bikes and the blood. I laid a towel on the bed, so Dana could lie down without bleeding on the bedspread. After his shower I patched him up, but it wasn’t pretty.
Neither of us really slept last night. I was dehydrated and worried. I think he slept fine unless he moved. His back, ribs, and right knee and shoulder are achy today.
We decided not to ride today. If Dana had wanted to ride 16 miles to Clinton, ring a bell, and then ride 16 miles back – all on gravelsand – I would have. But he did not! Phew! Even with the button, and without the road rash, I’d still rather not.
But compared to our day, Kelly and Luke fared worse. Don’t worry, there was no blood.
So their average speed was about 6 mph, because they aren’t Dana and they don’t have buttons. After riding non-stop, not even time for DiMaggio’s, it started getting dark around mile 40. By mile 50 it was dark, they had gotten separated, and their phones were dead. Kelly had made it to their reserved cabin, but somehow Luke had missed the turnoff, and he assumed she was still on the trail. So he ditched the panniers, rode back 10 miles looking for her. Figured he could carry her panniers for her. But he didn’t find her, and he rode 10 miles back. By then, his headlamp had died. He got to the cabin at 11:15 PM. After riding 70 miles.
I am a whiny wimp. And I’m going to have to be ok with that!
Tomorrow we’re continuing on to Sedalia, a nice 20 mile ride, and we’ll be back on schedule.
If we were to name today’s ride, it would be “The Smorgasbord of Hell”.
We started the day eating leftover BBQ in the hotel lobby. Dana got us free coffees because when he was checking in, the person in front of him was a titanium member, and they got free breakfast. Dana asked if a titanium bicycle got free breakfast. It did not. But they gave him coupons for 2 free MEDIUM coffees. I know this because I asked for a large.
Our first 13 miles today were going through Kansas City starting at Amtrak’s Union station. What a beautiful city! And what a hilly city! Not too much traffic, though. Then a park, some nice farmland, a few historic markers, then onto the Rock Island trail.
The first 5 miles on the trail were lovely, and we met a nice couple from New Mexico, Kelly and Luke. This is their first long bike tour.
But then the Rock Island trail ended. They are planning to complete it eventually. But today, we had to get on the road. A little hill up a pleasant, empty road, which led straight to a 6-lane highway. Luckily it had a median. So we waited a while, rushed across the first 3 lanes, stood in the middle of highway traffic for a while, waiting to cross the next 3 lanes. Turns out the median was also a left turn lane, but the car turning left waited for us. (Drivers around here are very courteous.) After that, a very pleasant country road, ending with a left turn, uphill, onto a 4-lane, 55mph highway with NO shoulder. We were on that for 5 miles, but it wasn’t a hill, thank goodness. About half way in, there was a narrow shoulder covered with a rumble strip. Not better. Dana tried to ride inside, I rode outside, since it hadn’t killed me yet. We had flashbacks of riding in South Carolina.
After a Gatorade stop at a gas station, we turned off the highway onto Smart Road (the name seemed appropriate), which was basically 3 miles of squirrelly loose, large gravel, sand and dirt (Smarter Rd. Now seems more appropriate.) Then back on the trail. Which you’d think would be better, wouldn’t you?
The surface of the trail can only be described as gravelsandmudwater. In the hot sun it was gravelsand. In the cooling shade it was sandmudwater. That went on for another few miles. (Honestly, I’ve lost track of the mileages, I was way more focused on survival).
We climbed 1100 feet in 32 miles. Like that wouldn’t have been enough without all the rest. Below is the route profile.
But now we are in the lovely little town of Pleasant Hill (an oxymoron if I ever heard one). According to the sign entering town , it was the largest chick(en) producer in the world until 1959.
We are in a really nice Airbnb above the tattoo parlor. It’s beautifully decorated with toys, books, music posters, and a kitchen table from the 60s. With an efficient air conditioner, probably not from the 60s. It reminds me a lot of my childhood, except for the air-conditioner.
So after much needed showers, we went to the town museum and historical society. We met the folks who operate it, and their dog, and it was really interesting. They hope the town will perk up when the Rock Island trail is completed.
We asked them if the cafe next door is good. They said it’s the only restaurant in town. So as we headed to the cafe, who did we see but Kelly and Luke! They had just arrived, planning to camp for the night, so we all had dinner at 4:00. BTW, they totally agree with gravelsandmudwater . Dinner was good, although I doubt the menu has changed in decades. After his senior-sized meatloaf dinner, Dana had pie, because he could.
We just took the long way through town, back to the Airbnb. On the way we saw some historical markers, and then we got to a very, very long moving train. I think it had 6 or 7 locomotives, with whatever number of cargo cars matches that. So, instead of getting annoyed, we both thought, “Well, it’s not as bad as the 4 hour trash truck fire”. And we happily stood there for about 10 minutes, counting locomotives.
Speaking of truck fires (I promise I will never mention these again unless absolutely necessary), turns out there were 2 similar incidents in that area in the previous 3 days, and a perfume and candle truck fire the day after. We’re assuming it smelled good. And I’d rather not drive I -70 ever again.
I am exhausted, and can anyone guess what Dana is doing? Good night.
Good night. 
