Friday, August 19, 2011

Biking to St Louis





OK,
now
back to
the bike ride
to
Missouri.
















We
head
to the
Arch
today!






Only
30
miles!

Thank
goodness!




Scott,
manager
of the
Country Inn,
tells us
to take
the
North
route...




...over
the
Chain
of Rocks
bridge.







Great
advice!




So it's
good-bye
to
another
hotel
room...








And
back
on the
road
again...






Scott
sends us
with a
great
map...






through
tunnels...






on
roadways...






and
bike
paths...





It is
our
very own
Corps
of
Discovery!





We trip
across
this
awesome
museum...


where
Lewis and
Clark
began
their journey...





We're
a lot
like
them...









Explorers
at
heart.




I visit
the
L&C
keelboat...





Amazing
to see
where
they
slept....






Outside
is their
fort....


Their
flag...


15 stripes -
no flag rules
back then.

They would
add
one stripe
for
each state.







Now
it's good-bye
to Lewis
and Clark...





Our
own
journey
continues...


Bridge
in
sight!





We
reach
the Chain
of
Rocks...




The
Mighty
Mississippi!



Last year
in Wisconsin
we crossed it
going
the
other
way!



And
this spring
in Natchez
we skirted
the
Mississippi
edge.


We're
quite
the
Mississippi
girls!

...and
now
we
enter
Missouri...






The 28th
state
I've
biked in!

***
22
to
go!

***




We're
now
on the
Riverfront
Trail...





So
much
to
see!





And
photograph!




Not
for Al.

- I'm
going
ahead,
Ma.




See ya
at the
hotel.





I'm left
alone
to
wonder
at the art....






and
the
industry...




...
leading
into
St Louis.





I see
masses
of
materials
flow to
the
Mississippi...



Coal...

Oil...

Corn...



Trash....







filling
barges.

Taken
away to
God
knows
where.






I see
Hope
Unfulfilled...


in a
place
where Hope
has been lost
before...




The
art
is
beautiful...





The
industry
disturbing...



as I
bike
into
St Louis...



Gateway
to the
West.

Beginning
of
Lewis
and
Clark.....




Take-off
of
Lindbergh's
Spirit of
St Louis.



Me?

I'm just
glad
to see
ice cream!



I pose
with
fellow
travelers...




I visit
the
sights...




before
I tool
into
the
hotel...





to find
Alex
all
showered...







and
ready
for
dinner...





It's been
an
interesting
day...







full
of
history....






and
full
of
contrasts.





Plenty
to
think
about...





as
we
prepare
for
another
day...






biking
into
Missouri...



3 comments:

  1. I love that landfill pic! I mean terrible thing to be there but amazing pic!

    ReplyDelete
  2. The landfill was amazing.

    There were 3 of these giant cranes working non-stop - scooping up masses of trash like that child's game where you scoop up a prize.

    They would drop their catches on a huge conveyor belt and spin away, the claw spinning in the air, to ratchet down for another bite of rubbish.

    ReplyDelete
  3. It's very cool to see your pictures of my local bike paths and trails I've ridden. I've been enjoying reading about some of your travels since you stopped at the Cyclery.

    ReplyDelete