It is 17 years since I’ve been to Jean’s and Mark’s on my first cross country tour in 2005, a much too long time, but we are here. Different locale in Maumee, OH that time, but same warm welcome. It was 39.4 miles from Pontoon Beach, IL where we stayed last night. Some country riding, some city riding, some getting through road closed detours riding, but we made it. We rode 845 miles in two weeks, about 60 miles a day. We are glad to be off the bikes for a couple of days. Despite all the trials, it was a great fortnight together.
We got our kicks on route 66 today coming from Illinois to Missouri. No welcome to Missouri signs to show, but we do have pics of crossing the Mississippi on the old route 66 bridge.
We got to Jean’s and Mark’s around 3:00, only 2 hours later then we expected but we had a few obstacles to overcome. One was a road closed that was to take us across the Missouri River with a long detour if we couldn’t get through. We successfully walked across a washed out road and very deep, but dry mud that was left over from the recent floods Second obstacle was a street fair right on the Katy trail in St Charles that probably added a ½ hour getting through and around.
The view is amazing as their house sits on a bluff above the Missouri – oh, yeah, we crossed that today, too. After a wonderful meal of Orange Roughy, pasta salad and veggies, and lots and lots of wine, Mark & Jean treated us to the “Happy Together Tour” featuring the Cowsills, the Vogues, the Association, the Buckingham’s, Gary Puckett, and the Turtles. Tomorrow we’ll venture into St Louis.
Hi Paul and Dana!
You guys are amazing! On the road for two whole weeks, and you’ve lived to tell the tale! I can’t wait, Dana, until you’re back on the Avenue and can tell us all about your adventures.
Hugh