Day 5 - ending at Shelbina, MO - Getting Aligned

August 10, 2017

Day 5 - ending at Shelbina, MO

Posted via email Fri Aug 11 06:01:03 2017 PDT

Up at 5:30am (with alarm). Worked on report until 8:05am, then I went to the lobby for coffee and a muffin. Sent report in, packed, and started out at 9:56am.

First stop was downtown just around the corner - Mark Twain Dinette. Our family remembers this place as having good root beer floats. But I was here today for breakfast (country fried steak and eggs). They filled my Klean Kanteen with ice after I brought that in. I called my wife afterwards outside, and we talked for fifteen minutes.

I started out southeast on this busy street (3rd Street) at 11:01am. Turned southwest later trying to get back on-route, according to my GPS routing. After a while, I realized I didn't take any classic Hannibal pictures. I saw the Marion County Courthouse a block away, so that's the picture I have.

Finally I was on the road I was supposed to be on - Warren Barrett Drive. It's a designated bike route. It took me to US-61. A short ride south brought me to my turn-off - County Road HH. At one corner of the intersection was a road construction staging area. I took a break in the shade of a tree there at 11:55am. There sure are a lot of worker notices to read here! One whole side and half the back on their notice board.

Started west on HH at 12:11pm. (Noon mileage was 5.1 miles.) I can't complain about hills, since Missouri is known for them, (but there were some). At 12:47pm I turned off paved HH and got on gravel Big Creek Road. Lot of hills and lots of breaks. Shade from trees wasn't hard to find. And the southwest breeze was cooling. Still, I emptied my gallon water jug, save one bottleful, by the end of the day.

Came to Birch Lane along my route. After a little riding, I got off the bike and walked. Too much big loose gravel (rocks), which seemed hard on the tires. Finally onto pavement just before Monroe City. Arrived at the city limits at 4:02pm. Thought about getting supper in town, but instead stopped at Casey's for a Gatorade for drinking at a park ahead. Also ate a bag of peanuts on my break there at 4:24pm.

It was a slow-go this morning, but I'd be moving faster now, since it was my plan to use US-36 to get to Shelbina. Started my highway riding at 4:50pm. Very wide shoulder, with rumble strips along the white line. I'm not sure it's the smartest thing to do, but I tried out taking a selfie while riding. That works.

At 6:24pm, I stopped to rest near Lakenan. That's when I noticed it was raining behind me. Glad I didn't have a supper delay in Monroe City!

Arrived at Shelbina's city limits at 7:07pm, and America's Best Value Inn at 7:18pm. After getting the bike in room 112, I drank a root beer, took a shower, made a pot of decaf coffee with the room's brewer, and ate a Butterfinger bar. Also worked on the report, desperately wanting to get this done tonight. And I did!

My original destination today was Shelbina Lake and Campground. I changed that to this motel because of nostalgia (I was here on my trip in 2013). I had no idea it was going to rain, but it is sure storming outside now (at 11:30pm).

I'm warm and dry. Sometimes, things just work out well. Good night.

Jeff

Spent: $14.68 plus $3 (breakfast) + $1.87 (Gatorade) + $61.22 plus $5 (motel) + $1 (root beer) + $1 (candy bar) = $87.77.

+ plus signs indicate pictures added after returning home from the trip +

Day 5 - Hannibal, MO to Shelbina, MO

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