July 3

Golden City, MO to Fair Grove, MO

69.5 / 2445

Outside of Golden City I meet another bicycle tourist, Michael, from London. He carries enormous front panniers that scrape the ground when he turns. We talk a while and when I head off the roller coaster hills of Missouri begin....

 These hills are just as one rider described them : steep as hell, but never for too long.

I forget the name of this town but I stopped for some shade and a self portrait. The veranda I sit on was built in the twenties to honor WWI veterans. It seems to be the place where kids go to smoke and break bottles.

 It's 96 degrees when I reach Ash Grove and I follow the signs to Mama Loca Restaurant. The meal is regrettable but the people are nice.

Back at it I meet Travis from England at a convenience store. He's riding the same route as me. He met Michael a while back and they rode together for a few days. Travis prefers riding 60 miles max in a day. This brings up an interesting point. Riding 50 miles or less in a day offers more time to take it all in and snap pictures and what not. Pushing for more than that makes me itchy to keep moving in order to reach my goal before dark.

  This stretch was insane!

 Flags are a-flyin' in Walnut Grove. I think it was in this town that I discovered my most potent snack : Snickers ice cream bar with an unsweetened ice tea. Time and again this combo gave me a boost like no cup of coffee or Clif Bar could! I rest outside of the gas stop where weird characters loiter and laugh like madmen. A girl chuckles and stumbles out of the gas stop and I'm not sure if she's got crazy make-up or two black eyes.

Before reaching Fair Grove I encounter some longhorns stayin' cool...

I reach Fair Grove safe and sound and set up camp just before it starts raining cats 'n' dogs.