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Friday, September 30, 2011
Day 22 - Jonesboro, IL to Wickliffe, Kentucky (46 Miles)
Left the Land of Lincoln and entered the birthplace of Lincoln today. But landed in a dry county, so no watching MLB Playoffs in a bar tonight. I wanted to experience the different River cultures and I am!
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Day 22 - Chester, IL to Jonesboro, IL (67 Miles)
I had no idea when I awoke that I was in the hometown of a very prominent American figure - Popeye! (Technically, the hometown of Popeye's creator, Elzie Crisler Segar)
Upon learning that important fact, I had to make a side trip to the Popeye Museum where I had a delightful conversation with the owner and founder of the Official Popeye Fan Club, Debbie Brooks. Popeye and all of his fellow cartoon characters were based on actual residents of Chester whom Segar knew as a youth. Among other things I learned that Popeye was introduced as a secondary character in the comic in 1929, ten years after the comic was started featuring the beloved Olive Oyl.
I ended the day in Jonesboro, site of the third Lincoln Douglas debate in 1858.
From Popeye to Honest Abe it was another great day on the fascinating Mississippi River Trail!
Upon learning that important fact, I had to make a side trip to the Popeye Museum where I had a delightful conversation with the owner and founder of the Official Popeye Fan Club, Debbie Brooks. Popeye and all of his fellow cartoon characters were based on actual residents of Chester whom Segar knew as a youth. Among other things I learned that Popeye was introduced as a secondary character in the comic in 1929, ten years after the comic was started featuring the beloved Olive Oyl.
I ended the day in Jonesboro, site of the third Lincoln Douglas debate in 1858.
From Popeye to Honest Abe it was another great day on the fascinating Mississippi River Trail!
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Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Day 21 - Festus, MO to Chester, IL (53 Miles)
Nice day today!
First highlight was the town of Ste. Genevieve, MO. It was founded in 1735 and lays claim to being the oldest U.S. city west of The River. It has a lot of charm. But unlike many quaint, old River towns, it has a thriving current industry outside of tourism. Namely, lime. It produces some of the highest grade lime / limestone anywhere. The lime is used in water treatment facilities, cement production and lots of other things, and brings Ste. Genevieve a lot of jobs and prosperity.
The second highlight is Fort Kaskaskia State Park, where I am camping tonight. Aside from being spectacularly beautiful, it has a fascinating history. In the flood of 1881, The River actually changed course and rerouted itself from the west side of the village of Kaskaskia to the east side of the village. Over the course of the next decade or so it swept the village entirely away. Kaskaskia had been the capital of Illinois and had once been known as the "Paris of the West." It had been a thriving river town at one time, but by the turn of the century it had been completely abandoned and most of the buildings had been washed away by The River. Mark Twain writes of this in his book, "Life on The Mississippi". My camp site is at the site of an old French fort on a bluff overlooking what had once been the town of Kaskaskia.
Only bit of bad news is that the new biking shoes I bought in St. Louis two days ago became very uncomfortable today. Hopefully it is just a matter of breaking them in! And mosquitos have returned in this warmer climate! Oh, and this beautiful campground has no showers! Other than that, things are great!
First highlight was the town of Ste. Genevieve, MO. It was founded in 1735 and lays claim to being the oldest U.S. city west of The River. It has a lot of charm. But unlike many quaint, old River towns, it has a thriving current industry outside of tourism. Namely, lime. It produces some of the highest grade lime / limestone anywhere. The lime is used in water treatment facilities, cement production and lots of other things, and brings Ste. Genevieve a lot of jobs and prosperity.
The second highlight is Fort Kaskaskia State Park, where I am camping tonight. Aside from being spectacularly beautiful, it has a fascinating history. In the flood of 1881, The River actually changed course and rerouted itself from the west side of the village of Kaskaskia to the east side of the village. Over the course of the next decade or so it swept the village entirely away. Kaskaskia had been the capital of Illinois and had once been known as the "Paris of the West." It had been a thriving river town at one time, but by the turn of the century it had been completely abandoned and most of the buildings had been washed away by The River. Mark Twain writes of this in his book, "Life on The Mississippi". My camp site is at the site of an old French fort on a bluff overlooking what had once been the town of Kaskaskia.
Only bit of bad news is that the new biking shoes I bought in St. Louis two days ago became very uncomfortable today. Hopefully it is just a matter of breaking them in! And mosquitos have returned in this warmer climate! Oh, and this beautiful campground has no showers! Other than that, things are great!
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Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Downtown St. Louis - Green Domed Building Is Old Federal Courthouse Building
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Day 20 - St. Louis, MO to Festus, MO (44 miles)
Spent the morning bumming around downtown St. Louis and taking some interesting photos of the city, which I will share via separate posts. Like everything, St. Louis looks entirely different by bicycle than by automobile. I also went to Urban Shark Bicycle, a nice bicycle store in downtown St. Louis(good inventory and knowledgeable, friendly staff), for some equipment needs.
Downtown St. Louis is very easy to navigate on bicycle -- well marked, generous bicycle lanes and courteous motorists. Even some of the police officers patrol downtown St. Louis on bicycle.
The ride south from St. Louis was not my favorite part of the ride -- fair amount of traffic even in mid-day and some dangerous intersections and shoulders. But I am now out of the greater metropolitan area and am looking forward to a good ride tomorrow.
Weather is great and it would be a fabulous night for camping if there were any campgrounds around. I guess that makes it a fabulous night for doing laundry at the motel.
Downtown St. Louis is very easy to navigate on bicycle -- well marked, generous bicycle lanes and courteous motorists. Even some of the police officers patrol downtown St. Louis on bicycle.
The ride south from St. Louis was not my favorite part of the ride -- fair amount of traffic even in mid-day and some dangerous intersections and shoulders. But I am now out of the greater metropolitan area and am looking forward to a good ride tomorrow.
Weather is great and it would be a fabulous night for camping if there were any campgrounds around. I guess that makes it a fabulous night for doing laundry at the motel.
Monday, September 26, 2011
Reproduction of a Native American Piasa Bird painting on bluff near Alton, IL
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Day 19 - Grafton, IL to St. Louis, MO (56 Miles)
I started today with a beautiful riverside ride flanked by steep limestone bluffs on a dedicated bikeway that runs from Pere Marquette State Park to Alton, IL. At the end of this stretch I saw the Piasa Bird petroglyph that I have included in the posted photos for this section. The story, as I recall, behind this is that when Father Marquette left St. Ignace, MI on his voyage in search of a water passage to the Pacific in the 1760s he was warned that he would encounter monsters in this area. While he never saw monsters, he did see a Native American petroglyph in the bluffs high above the river. The petroglyph washed away over time and all that is known about it is the descriptions in journals and stories that have been passed down, which are somewhat inconsistent with each other. This is a reproduction of that petroglyph based on those descriptions.
In Alton I met fellow cyclist and former school teacher, Jim, who guided me through the trails north of St. Louis. Together we saw the spot where Louis and Clark began their journey, the point of confluence of The River and the Missouri River, and the Chain of Rocks Bridge, which was part of Route 66, and currently is used exclusively by pedestrians and bicyclists.
The Chain of Rocks, which is shown in the posted photograph of me taken from the bridge, resembles a natural dam in the River. Since it makes The River non-navigable in low water, a channel has been dredged around that segment of The River to accommodate barge and boat traffic.
The final 9 miles of today's ride was on the Waterfront Trail through the industrial north side of St. Louis and ending at the Arch. It was quite an interesting ride and I will post some photos from that area tomorrow.
In Alton I met fellow cyclist and former school teacher, Jim, who guided me through the trails north of St. Louis. Together we saw the spot where Louis and Clark began their journey, the point of confluence of The River and the Missouri River, and the Chain of Rocks Bridge, which was part of Route 66, and currently is used exclusively by pedestrians and bicyclists.
The Chain of Rocks, which is shown in the posted photograph of me taken from the bridge, resembles a natural dam in the River. Since it makes The River non-navigable in low water, a channel has been dredged around that segment of The River to accommodate barge and boat traffic.
The final 9 miles of today's ride was on the Waterfront Trail through the industrial north side of St. Louis and ending at the Arch. It was quite an interesting ride and I will post some photos from that area tomorrow.
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Day 18 - Louisiana, MO to Grafton, IL (81 Miles)
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Saturday, September 24, 2011
Day 17 - Hannibal, MO to Louisiana, MO (36 Miles)
Eventful day. Crossed the 1,000 mile milestone today! Still loving every mile of this trip.
The Samuel Clemens / Mark Twain business continues
to boom in Hannibal! This place made me feel like a little kid as I visited Mark Twain's boyhood home and the places made famous in Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn. It was also fun to see thirteen of the original Norman Rockwell paintings used in the illustrated Tom Sawyer book.
This afternoon it was 36 hilly miles (punctuated by a mile of rugged dirt road that had washed out this spring) which put me in Louisiana, MO, a town of fewer than 4,000 that I had never heard of before today. It is obvious that, like many of the river towns I have seen, there was once a lot of money in this beautiful town; but it has long since migrated elsewhere. It is amazing to me to see how much wealth the River generated between 1850 and 1950.
I saw a first rate blues band from Nashville tonight, the Scott Holt Band. Scott Holt played with Buddy Guy for eleven years before striking out on his own. I met the drummer, Tom Larson, as I rode into town earlier this afternoon.
The Samuel Clemens / Mark Twain business continues
to boom in Hannibal! This place made me feel like a little kid as I visited Mark Twain's boyhood home and the places made famous in Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn. It was also fun to see thirteen of the original Norman Rockwell paintings used in the illustrated Tom Sawyer book.
This afternoon it was 36 hilly miles (punctuated by a mile of rugged dirt road that had washed out this spring) which put me in Louisiana, MO, a town of fewer than 4,000 that I had never heard of before today. It is obvious that, like many of the river towns I have seen, there was once a lot of money in this beautiful town; but it has long since migrated elsewhere. It is amazing to me to see how much wealth the River generated between 1850 and 1950.
I saw a first rate blues band from Nashville tonight, the Scott Holt Band. Scott Holt played with Buddy Guy for eleven years before striking out on his own. I met the drummer, Tom Larson, as I rode into town earlier this afternoon.
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Day 16 - Hamilton, IL to Hannibal, MO (65 Miles)
Another gorgeous day for riding! Did get chased by a snarling, fast dog. Very exhilarating!
The terrain I rode through today was mostly gently rolling farmland. Went through the town of Quincy, IL where I saw the site of the famous October 1858 debate between Lincoln and Douglas over the issue of slavery. The debate was the sixth in a series of seven debates in their Senate race.
Quincy is also famous for its impressive residential architecture. I rode around the city and saw many of the beautifully maintained old homes, some of which reminded me of some of the old homes of the same era in my hometown of Owosso, Michigan.
Ended the day by crossing into Missouri, the fifth state I have visited on this trip. I will be spending the evening and part of the day tomorrow seeing the sights in Mark Twain's hometown of Hannibal, Missouri.
The terrain I rode through today was mostly gently rolling farmland. Went through the town of Quincy, IL where I saw the site of the famous October 1858 debate between Lincoln and Douglas over the issue of slavery. The debate was the sixth in a series of seven debates in their Senate race.
Quincy is also famous for its impressive residential architecture. I rode around the city and saw many of the beautifully maintained old homes, some of which reminded me of some of the old homes of the same era in my hometown of Owosso, Michigan.
Ended the day by crossing into Missouri, the fifth state I have visited on this trip. I will be spending the evening and part of the day tomorrow seeing the sights in Mark Twain's hometown of Hannibal, Missouri.
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Thursday, September 22, 2011
Day 15 - Fort Morgan, IA to Hamilton, IL (31 Miles )
Fabulous day today! Took a tour of the replica of the fort on the banks of the River after which Fort Morgan was named. It was established as a trading post but also was the site of a lot of skirmishes with the Winnebago, who were recruited to fight on the side of the British during the War of 1812. The fort was abandoned and destroyed by the Americans in 1813 after only five years of use.
Even more interesting was my visit to the town of Nauvoo, IL, which is the town founded by Mormon prophet Joseph Smith after he was forced to leave Missouri in 1839. It grew to about 15,000 over the next five years and was one of the largest and most important cities Illinois. Mormon converts were pouring into the Nauvoo but serious friction was growing between Mormons and gentiles. In June 1844 Joseph Smith and his brother were killed by an angry mob in Carthage. Today Nauvoo has 1,100 inhabitants and Mormons from all over the country make pilgrimages to Nauvoo. I took the tour of the Joseph Smith homestead and saw his home and many buildings from the original Mormon settlement there from 1839 to 1844. The Mormon have built a gorgeous temple in Nauvoo at the site of the original temple.
I am camping next to a gentleman from Madison, WI, Ria, who is here searching for geodes. Apparently this area and a part of Kentucky are the only places in the U.S. where geodes are found. Geodes are formed over the course of 40-100 million years when water carrying minerals permeates the rock and forms beautiful crystal interiors that can only be seen when the rock is split open. The rocks look perfectly normal but when you shake them you can hear rattling or liquids. Splitting the rock to expose the beautiful interior is a real skill. Ria sells many of his geodes on eBay.
The local paper this morning had a front page picture of Asian carp leaping in The River. I discussed this with some locals who confirmed that Asian carp have been a major problem for fishermen in this area of The River for some time. They said it was not unusual to have Asian carp jump into your boat when the motor is running. All the things we have been hearing about the treat of Asian carp in Minnesota appear to be true!
On the subject of fishing, I understand that there are still some full time commercial fishermen who work on this part of The River. They sell to local restaurants and set nets. Apparently they catch a wide variety of fish, including sturgeon, perch, and catfish.
The ride down the Great River Road from Nauvoo to Hamilton was very scenic and enjoyable.
Even more interesting was my visit to the town of Nauvoo, IL, which is the town founded by Mormon prophet Joseph Smith after he was forced to leave Missouri in 1839. It grew to about 15,000 over the next five years and was one of the largest and most important cities Illinois. Mormon converts were pouring into the Nauvoo but serious friction was growing between Mormons and gentiles. In June 1844 Joseph Smith and his brother were killed by an angry mob in Carthage. Today Nauvoo has 1,100 inhabitants and Mormons from all over the country make pilgrimages to Nauvoo. I took the tour of the Joseph Smith homestead and saw his home and many buildings from the original Mormon settlement there from 1839 to 1844. The Mormon have built a gorgeous temple in Nauvoo at the site of the original temple.
I am camping next to a gentleman from Madison, WI, Ria, who is here searching for geodes. Apparently this area and a part of Kentucky are the only places in the U.S. where geodes are found. Geodes are formed over the course of 40-100 million years when water carrying minerals permeates the rock and forms beautiful crystal interiors that can only be seen when the rock is split open. The rocks look perfectly normal but when you shake them you can hear rattling or liquids. Splitting the rock to expose the beautiful interior is a real skill. Ria sells many of his geodes on eBay.
The local paper this morning had a front page picture of Asian carp leaping in The River. I discussed this with some locals who confirmed that Asian carp have been a major problem for fishermen in this area of The River for some time. They said it was not unusual to have Asian carp jump into your boat when the motor is running. All the things we have been hearing about the treat of Asian carp in Minnesota appear to be true!
On the subject of fishing, I understand that there are still some full time commercial fishermen who work on this part of The River. They sell to local restaurants and set nets. Apparently they catch a wide variety of fish, including sturgeon, perch, and catfish.
The ride down the Great River Road from Nauvoo to Hamilton was very scenic and enjoyable.
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Day 14 - Wapello, IA to Fort Madison, IA (74 Miles)
Another warm, windy day, but the mind, body and bike were in pretty good harmony and I was able to log quite a few miles. Stopped to see some burial mounds of the Hopewell tribe (400 B.C. to 200 A.D.) and to have an excellent breakfast at the Piggy Bank Cafe in Oakville, IA. Oakville, a town of fewer than 200 residents, lies between the Iowa River and the River. The town was completely flooded in 2008 by both rivers. Volunteers from throughout the country came in bus loads for almost three years to completely rebuild the town. The Piggy Bank Cafe is the only restaurant in town and it is housed in a building that was once a bank that failed in the Great Depression.
This is a big agricultural area and from what I can tell there is a good mellon crop just south of Wapello and, of course, corn and soybeans. There appear to be a lot of prosperous family farms and farmers are busy with the start of harvest season.
Late in the day I ran into Craig, an avid cyclist from Fort Madison, who was commuting the 24 miles from his office in Burlington, IA to his home in Fort Madison. Craig was riding an interesting contraption that he constructed himself that seemed to be both comfortable and fast (or maybe it was just his youthful legs!). Craig was a veteran of Iowa's famous RAGBRAI (annual bicycle ride across Iowa attracting thousands of people from all over the U.S.) and filled me in on what that ride is like. It sounds like an unbelievable cycle phenomenon and I have added it to the bucket list. Craig often took recreational rides on a tandem bicycle with his wife, Heather. He left me with the interesting thought that, "No matter where your relationship is going, you will get there faster on a tandem."
Today is largely a sightseeing day. There is a lot to see and do here in beautiful Fort Madison and across the River in Nauvoo.
This is a big agricultural area and from what I can tell there is a good mellon crop just south of Wapello and, of course, corn and soybeans. There appear to be a lot of prosperous family farms and farmers are busy with the start of harvest season.
Late in the day I ran into Craig, an avid cyclist from Fort Madison, who was commuting the 24 miles from his office in Burlington, IA to his home in Fort Madison. Craig was riding an interesting contraption that he constructed himself that seemed to be both comfortable and fast (or maybe it was just his youthful legs!). Craig was a veteran of Iowa's famous RAGBRAI (annual bicycle ride across Iowa attracting thousands of people from all over the U.S.) and filled me in on what that ride is like. It sounds like an unbelievable cycle phenomenon and I have added it to the bucket list. Craig often took recreational rides on a tandem bicycle with his wife, Heather. He left me with the interesting thought that, "No matter where your relationship is going, you will get there faster on a tandem."
Today is largely a sightseeing day. There is a lot to see and do here in beautiful Fort Madison and across the River in Nauvoo.
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Day 13 - Muscatine, IA to Wapello, IA (39 miles)
Dawdling the morning and part of the afternoon away in Muscatine coupled with stiff headwinds (gusting to 25 mph) kept the mileage down today. That along the fact that there are no campgrounds or anything else at all for the next 31 miles of the route! So looks like I am going to have some time to kill here at the Wapello libary. But those headwinds did bring with them mid-summerish weather with temps in the mid-80s.
The story on the pearl button capital of Muscatine is that a German button maker moved there in 1890 when German tariffs became prohibitive. Turns out that mussel shells from The River make superb pearl buttons. Next thing you know there are 45 button factories in town that control 37% of the world's pearl button market. But then in 1910 the guy cuts his foot in the river while collecting shells, develops a severe infection and dies. Within 2 decades of his death zippers have become popular, styles are changing, international competition has entered the market (imagine that) and plastic buttons are not too far off on the horizon. So Muscateen is left with mountains of shells with multiple holes punched in them and a really cool museum depicting an interesting phenomenon in its history.
I am including photos of some friends I met on the road today. Can't figure out why all those caterpillars want to cross the road. Then again, they probably can't figure out why I want to ride the Mississippi River Trail!
Day 12 - Fulton, IL to Muscatine, IA (71 miles)
Staying in a very small, rustic campground just outside of Muscatine. The only people here are me and two tents full of a dozen Menonite women. They seem not to be concerned about things that trouble me like not being able to shower after riding 71 miles today or the fact that I can not charge my cell phone. I had another fun and interesting day on the road today. Got a private tour of the 100' windmill that the City of Fulton constructed on the bank of the River. They brought in a Dutch company to design and build it about 10 years ago. It is used to grind various grains and to promote tourism. I met Dr. Bruce Perry,an experienced touring cyclist in the Quad Cities. Bruce gave me a great guided tour through the area that included a stop at The River City Music Experience in Davenport. We also enjoyed a great lunch together Muscatineat Remember When Ice Cream in Hampton, IL. I am now in what was for many years before the advent of plastics considered the "button capital" of the world. More on that after I learn more about it.
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Sunday, September 18, 2011
With Shirley, her granddaughter and Alex at the Sweet Life Bakery Cafe in Savanna, IL
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With Jen, Scott and their son Alex outside Ullyses S. Grant's home in Galena
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Day 11 - Galena, IL to Fulton, IL (53 miles)
Battled 10-15 mph headwinds all day and endured steady rain and temps from 57-59! And yet it was another marvelous day!
My friends Jen Bellini and Scott Richardson and their children, Izzy and Alex, met me at the Palace Campground in Galena yesterday afternoon. We had a fantastic Italian dinner at Fried Green Tomatoes in downtown Galena last evening and met at 9:00 a.m. this morning at President / General Ulysses S. Grant's post-Civil War home in Galena for a tour of the house. Scott and I then rode together the 30 miles from Galena to Savanna, IL where Jen and the kids met us. We had an outstanding lunch buffet at the Sweet Life Bakery Cafe in downtown Savanna, IL where we met the proprietor, Shirley and her family. It was outstanding food and Shirley offered to let me use the dryer to dry my clothes while we ate lunch.
Shirley recently finished a stint as a cook for a crew of about 15 on a tow boat that powers commercial barges from Minneapolis to New Orleans. She told of 30 day shifts without touching land. This gig ended shortly after the tow boat on which she was working hit a submerged concrete structure (I believe she referred to it as a wind dam) and sunk. Crew and passengers were all rescued by a tug boat. Life on the Mississippi is full of surprises!
Forecast is for much improved weather this week in these parts, which will be a welcome relief from the cool, often wet and "headwindy" weather I encountered much of last week. Also the terrain finally seemed to flatten out over the last 30 miles and I believe I have more flat land ahead heading into the Quad Cities. So I am looking forward to a great week on the roads and the trails!
Big thank you today to Jen and Scott and their kids for the wonderful company and to Shirley and her family and staff at the Sweet Life Bakery Cafe for the great food and the service that was second to none!
My friends Jen Bellini and Scott Richardson and their children, Izzy and Alex, met me at the Palace Campground in Galena yesterday afternoon. We had a fantastic Italian dinner at Fried Green Tomatoes in downtown Galena last evening and met at 9:00 a.m. this morning at President / General Ulysses S. Grant's post-Civil War home in Galena for a tour of the house. Scott and I then rode together the 30 miles from Galena to Savanna, IL where Jen and the kids met us. We had an outstanding lunch buffet at the Sweet Life Bakery Cafe in downtown Savanna, IL where we met the proprietor, Shirley and her family. It was outstanding food and Shirley offered to let me use the dryer to dry my clothes while we ate lunch.
Shirley recently finished a stint as a cook for a crew of about 15 on a tow boat that powers commercial barges from Minneapolis to New Orleans. She told of 30 day shifts without touching land. This gig ended shortly after the tow boat on which she was working hit a submerged concrete structure (I believe she referred to it as a wind dam) and sunk. Crew and passengers were all rescued by a tug boat. Life on the Mississippi is full of surprises!
Forecast is for much improved weather this week in these parts, which will be a welcome relief from the cool, often wet and "headwindy" weather I encountered much of last week. Also the terrain finally seemed to flatten out over the last 30 miles and I believe I have more flat land ahead heading into the Quad Cities. So I am looking forward to a great week on the roads and the trails!
Big thank you today to Jen and Scott and their kids for the wonderful company and to Shirley and her family and staff at the Sweet Life Bakery Cafe for the great food and the service that was second to none!
Saturday, September 17, 2011
Day 10 - Dubuque, IA to Galena, IL (15 miles)
Rest day here in historic Galena. Thunderstorms forecast for tomorrow so may be here for a couple of days. Hope my tent is up to the challenge! Spending time here with friends Jen Bellini and Scott Richardson, who came down from Chicago to meet me. First day in a state that doesn't border Minnesota. Feels like I am making progress!
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It's easy to make friends in Iowa (especially if you are a Hawkeye fan)!
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