Day 7 - ending at Shelbina, MO - Tri-points on the Tri-speed

May 20, 2013

Day 7 - ending at Shelbina, MO

Posted via email Tue May 21 07:39:01 2013 PDT

The tent did well through the storms last night. It had a little help from me holding poles up from time to time. Very little water leaked in. I woke at 6:05am and had the bike packed at 8:48am, when I headed over to the shelter for breakfast: Pop Tarts and a Clif Crunch Bar.

Left at 9:23am heading south on SR-D toward MO-15. I'm using my Missouri highway map now instead of my GPS waypoints. I've had enough of backroads for a while. At 10:55am I was at MO-156. The wind today seemed like the strongest I've bicycled in. My safety flag was gone by the time I made it to Newark (at 11:25am).

Tried to get a soda from a pop machine, but just got ten dimes for my dollar bill. I had a waypoint in my GPS indicating Newark had a pavilion, so headed there to get out my spare safety flag. No water at the park, so went over to two ladies who were sitting outside a building. One of them said she'd get me water, and returned my jug filled not only with water, but also ice! Back at the pavilion, I checked the radar on the BlackBerry - rain was heading this way. Waited it out while I installed my spare flag. This one I clipped to the pole. It rained and blew for 20 minutes, starting at 12:20pm. Left at 12:53pm.

At 1:20pm I passed a lovely little rest area: Lone Oak Park. I stopped to try out the swing. Moving on, I arrived at MO-15 at 2:55pm, and Bethel at 3:29pm. Very slow-going. My goal today was to get to Paris, but at this rate, I'd better settle for Shelbina, where there's a motel.

At 4:37pm, I was in Shelbyville, where I stopped in the Casey's for a Gatorade. Drank it outside sitting on the blade of a motor grader next door as I checked the radar. Wow, I'd better drink up and go, or I won't make it to Shelbina before the rain. The look of the sky when I was a mile out of town told me I'd never make it in this wind, so I turned around and was back in Shelbyville at 5:15pm.

While looking for a shelter to wait out the storm, I noticed that one block of businesses downtown had an attached awning that ran the whole block! This was perfect, and the last business was a restaurant! I sat down in Little's Family Restaurant at 5:22pm, as it got darker outside. Ordered a New York steak with baked potato. As I ate I enjoyed watching patrons come and go - some with carry-out orders. One fellow came in waiting for his Dad. The two of them run the ice cream place next door. Twice they offered me a ride to Shelbina!

Done with supper at 6:46pm, I went outside and worked on the report under the awning. Kept checking the radar while I was at it. At 7:45pm it was clearing in Shelbyville, but still storming in Shelbina. So I worked some more and waited. Finally, at 9:35pm I left. The wind wasn't as strong now, and I was making good time. Nice lightning show off to my left.

Arrived in Shelbina at 10:30pm, but couldn't find the one motel in town: Americas Best Value Inn. Past US-36, I stopped at a Casey's for directions. I'd gone right past the motel. More back-tracking. I didn't mind - these tailwind rides north were sweet. Checked in at 10:55pm (room #114), bought a root beer, took a shower, and worked more on the report. Watched the Weather Channel for a while, stunned by the tragic tornado in Oklahoma. To bed at 1:15am.

Jeff

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Spent: $1.87 (Gatorade) + $18.85 plus $4 tip (supper) + $57.60 plus $3 tip (motel) + $1 (soda) = $86.32.

Day 7 - La Belle, MO to Shelbina, MO

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