Day 1--First Day on the Road

Day 1—Monday, June 14
Stillwater, OK to St Charles, MO
470 miles

Suz arrived with the loaded Volvo a little after 7 am. We loaded my stuff in the back and my Specialized bike on the bike rack, and were off a little after 8:30 am.

I had been training on my Bike Friday touring bike, but it did not have enough places for water bottles and other touring necessities, its configuration simply would not fit the bike rack, and while we could fold it and squeeze it into the back of the Volvo with our camping gear, this would require a bit of disassembly, taking the rack off to get at it, and too much reassembly each time I wanted to use it . . . so I left Redbud behind.

Suz drove the first part of the route in pouring rain and a lightning storm. I drove the final miles, and though the skies all around were stormy, the rain ceased before we got to St Charles and our Best Western Motel about 6:00 pm.

Our motel was in a shopping plaza and right next to a Bass Pro Outdoor World, so after we cleaned up we went over to the BPOW looking for silk long underwear for Suz. Didn’t find the long undies, but Suz bought a black Under Armour^® v-necked, long-sleeved top like mine.

We then walked to Old Town (Historic Main Street) St Charles and ate at the [Katy] Trailhead Brew Pub where we shared a seared tuna sandwich and each had a cup of seafood bisque. I had eaten here before on one of my Katy Trail rides. It is a fun place with a bicycle built for 7 hanging from the ceiling.

We walked the streets a bit taking photos. It was very HOT, and my spine was giving me trouble. While escorting some Audubon campers around Sanborn Lake on a muddy trail, I had fallen hard on my tailbone the Wednesday before we left. Though I'd had it x-rayed and the doc said he could see no fracture, I think that it is fractured. It is VERY painful — way too painful for a bruised rump. Shrieks when I sit on it, climb stairs, walk, or otherwise put any stress on it. Not too bad on the bike (we tried it for a hilly 22-mile ride before leaving) unless I am climbing or putting pressure on it.

Back at the BW, we hooked up our computers, read our mail, talked to our spouses via cell phone, took showers, and read in bed a bit before going to sleep. I am reading The Outside Boy a very good novel about the Irish “Travellers.” It’s a coming of age tale, the main character an 11-year old boy.