Day 8: Tuesday

Tm: 4:34:46
Dst: 51.21
Avg: 11.1
Mx: 73.3?

Today the biking was slow, hilly, curvy, and overall crappy. Thankfully, the destination is very pleasant.   I had headwinds, and the roads were BAD from Smithville to Weston, especially from Tracy to the junction with road JJ ... the worst road I've ever ridden on.  It was narrow and hilly with no shoulder.  It was curvy and filled with trucks.  It took me forever to get past that short stretch of road.  It is NOT SAFE FOR BICYCLES.  I rode in the tall grass, walked my bike, and very carefully rode on the pavement (often for only 30 seconds at a time).  It is STUPID to include this road as part of the route.  I also missed a turn (there are so many!) because I was watching oncoming traffic.  I had to backtrack three miles or so.

Thankfully, after Weston the road (45) parallels railroad tracks, which I've learned means the road is flat.  It was so windy I could only average 10 miles an hour.  But at least the road was smooth and had rideable shoulders.  The traffic was heavy, but it didn't bother me because I could ride the shoulder.  The lack of hills meant I could spin instead of climbing and descending.  Spinning makes the wind bearable.  I just get down in the drops and get a rhythm going, maybe pray the Rosary or something to take the mind off the wind.

I did stop for lunch in Weston.  It seems like a nice little town.  I also rested in their city park (pictured above).

After Weston I eventually turned south on highway 59, where the route called for me to cross a busy two-lane bridge that had no pedestrian access or shoulder.  I stopped at a C-Store and asked for a number to the cab company.  Having seen the bridge and the traffic crossing it, I didn't dare attempt the ride.  But the clerk at the store offered to give me a ride across, if I could wait until the end of her shift.  Just then, the Frito-Lay delivery guy walked up and offered me a ride across the bridge in his delivery truck.  He was headed that way anyhow.  So I took him up on his offer.  The truck had plenty of room and, when across, the guy offered me a ton of free beef jerky (expiration date: today).  And so, I crossed into Kansas in a truck.  This completes my ride across Missouri.

Now in Atchison, I rode to the Amelia Earhardt birthplace, lounged at a riverside Lewis & Clark pavilion that had a great view of the river, and visited St Benedict Church.  I prayed for a while in that beautiful church, thanking God for the safe travel thus far.  I prayed Evening Prayer, and left.  This church is on the campus of Benedictine College, so I rode around campus.  Near the abbey there is an awesome scenic outlook.  I could see for miles into Missouri, where I had just been.

This is a great town of about 10,000 people.  The downtown and riverfront are very nice.  The landscaping, buildings, etc., are all well-kept.  The restaurants in town look very inviting.

I eventually checked into the Super 8, walked to the Dairy Queen for supper (it was nearby) and now I'm relaxing.  Tomorrow I will pedal 60 miles to Falls City in Nebraska.