Meet me in St.Louis

We woke to more sunshine and heat on the way.  Breakfast was cereal and toast so we could get an earlyl start. The ride was 108 miles for the day.

The guys left right from the campground while I cleaned and organized a bit.  Then down the road to meet them.  Dave and I switched when we got into the farm country.  Terry and I climbed for 20 miles.  The roads were curvy windy and hilly. The grades were 10 to 12 % and my legs were screaming.
Lots of farmland to the right and bluffs to the left.

We  stopped to have a country lunch by a big old church with an attached cemetery in the middle of god's country. We traveled through Ill. Peach country.  We passed by several signs pointing to the peach orchards but we just kept pedaling. We then scurried to meet the Ferry at Brussels to cross the Ill. River. When we got to the ferry landing Terry met 2 ladies waiting to go home on the ferry. They came across the river just to get peaches. She then offered to share them with us and we gladly accepted. The peaches were gone in an instant.  The juice flowed down our arms.

We then boarded the ferry and headed across to the other side.  And it was FREE!!!  Then Dave and Terry took off down the road hugging the Mississippi on a bike trail for 17 miles. Then you jumped on a levee trail for another 16 miles.  The sun was getting pretty hot by now and the day was getting long.  We are now entering East St.Louis Ill.  The traffic was getting thick. We could see the Arch from this side of the river as we came south.

I was waiting for Terry and Dave to arrive when Lilly decided to take swim in a stinky mud hole.  She was black head to toe and wreaked.  I ran across the street to see if they had a hose to get some of the stench off of her.  I was about to go check into a hotel for the night but not with that stinky thing.  The guy at the service station was kind enough to let me use his hose.   We then checked into the hotel and ordered a pizza.

Laundry is done, dog is clean and 2 days blogs are finished.

Can I go to bed now????  

Terry, Dave & Julie