July 11, 2023
The Trolls Under the Chain Of Rocks Bridge Come Out
DAY SIXTEEN
| Heart | 1 | Comment | 0 | Link |
Nancy and Vernon make me an amazing breakfast complete with coffee, eggs with cheese, biscuits and gravy, sausage links and orange juice. We’re ready to go shortly after and she gung-ho’s my stuff into the back of her truck before I can even really help. We’re flying down Rt 159 and I am thankful to be in this truck vs dealing with this high speed traffic. I’m going to make it to St Louis today!
I, of course, haven’t shaken the UAP yet and I told them both all about it at breakfast. They appeared mildly amused and I suddenly realized how Mulder felt in every episode of the X Files.
The MCTrails in Edwardsville are top notch and before long I’m headed due W towards the Mississippi River on the Chain Of Rocks road.
So, I’m pedaling along on what is, honestly, a pretty crappy road with zero shoulder. There is a small white car coming towards me and a small white car coming up behind me. I hear the car behind me punch it and a grip the bars and watch my mirror, I’m already hugging the white line. The car passes me with no space and the car in front of us slams on its breaks and swerves towards the grass. I am, as I am every single day when this inevitably happens, shocked. Why do people have no patience for anything? Grrrr. And then! The lady that nearly got front ended pulls up to me with her window down and starts yelling at me that I shouldn’t be on the road and blah blah blah. I smiled and said thank you and carried on. Somehow, I thought, I’m at fault for daring defy the popular customs of car culture.
The bridge at the Chain Of Rocks is old and interesting and allows no motorized vehicles. There’s glass a plenty which I’m about to discover is St Louis signature style. Turning S along the river I ride the last 10 miles down to the Gateway Arch. The path is junky, industrial and in severe disrepair in places, also suddenly steep in spots, but gets the job done.
At the arch it’s blazing hot and sunny and it takes me nearly an hour of sunblind work to get the picture I want. Once I do I move to the shade and post my triumph to the world of social media. I also get a surprise video link to a little project I’m working on the side. Emotions overwhelm me and I shed a few tears of joy at making it this far on the bicycle.
| Heart | 2 | Comment | 1 | Link |
Sean, my WS host, meets me and we ride S beyond the Miracle Mile and to his home. I shower and meet the dogs, Sally and Hank. Sean’s partner, Kiley, works from home so we have to be quiet and we enjoy whispering and giggling as we try to calm the dogs down at meeting a new person.
Cleaned up, we duck out for ice cream while she finishes her work. Sean introduces me to Clementines and it is fabulous. I get the gooey butter cake flavor, something STL is famous for, and it is divine. My teeth cry out to be brushed afterwards because it’s so so sweet.
Dinner is Mexican American and good. We have some interesting conversations about the philosophy of hosting and touring and the current state of politics. It’s a nice deep dive and I get a few takeaways including this - while I am talking about being overly observant to hosts decor and trying to discern a potentially hostile environment Kiley welcomes me to the table. As a woman this has been her life as long as she has known to pay attention. I hear her and I appreciate her calling me out. I’m loving this couple!
Today's ride: 39 miles (63 km)
Total: 665 miles (1,070 km)
| Rate this entry's writing | Heart | 2 |
| Comment on this entry | Comment | 0 |