Riders fighting through the gravel on their road bikes.
There has been a noticeable mood change amongst the riders after reaching Missouri. Everyone is starting to realize how far we have come and how close to home we are. We are all counting the days and miles until we see some familiar faces. More than any other state on the ride so far, Missouri has reminded us of home, with its saturated green forests and fields for miles. Riding out of Sweet Springs on June 29, we had our first introduction to the Katy Trail. Our experience mixing gravel paths with road bikes had been nothing less than disastrous so far. Still, the trail had been smoothed out by the hundreds of cyclists who had ridden before us, and the tree cover provided us with some greatly needed shade. After a 3-mile detour and a quick pit-stop at Sonic in Boonville, the team hopped back on the trail to finish the day out in Columbia.
Resting after a hard day’s work.
The next day, June 30, we continued along the Katy Trail. The trail ran across the entire length of the state and was our primary route the whole way. The heat on this ride was brutal, with the index showing 110 degrees at its maximum before we finished. Despite being one of the lowest amounts of elevation we do on a ride all trip, that had to be one of the most miserable so far. 70 miles and buckets of sweat later, the team finished strong. We also collectively agreed that we had never sweat so much in our lives. While in Union, we stayed at the Lifestream Church there. We were greeted by thunder and lightning in the morning upon waking up. This was incredibly nice to see until we felt the humidity as the sun came out. From Union, the team rode out to St. Louis, where a friend of Bike4Alz let us stay at their house on Lake St. Louis. We got to enjoy some time on the lake, swimming, fishing, and all other manners of marine-based shenanigans. While there, we also hosted an event at Civil Life Brewery and visited Two Shamrocks Irish Pub in O’Fallon, which donated food to us for a hearty dinner.
Mid-ride selfie.
From St. Louis, we made our way to Murphysboro, IL, crossing another state off our list on July 2. This ride was more fun than anything – gravel paths, curvy country roads, racing trains, passing a prison, and a nice downpour to wrap things up. In Murphysboro, we stayed at the United Methodist Church there. They graciously fed us both dinner and breakfast and saw us on our way. On July 3, we crossed into Kentucky, beginning our home tour. Even the drivers yelling at us as we crossed the bridge couldn’t dampen our spirits. This was the day we had been waiting so long for. Upon arriving in Paducah, WPSD greeted us at the park, interviewed a couple of riders, including Paducah native Grant Johnson, and then filmed us riding off to Grant’s house, where we were staying. Our two days in Paducah were probably some of the most relaxing and rejuvenating of the whole trip. Something about “no place like home.” The next day, the Fourth of July, we held one of our most successful events so far and then finished up the night watching the fireworks over the Ohio River. The following morning, we woke up and rendezvoused at Grant’s house for our nearly 100-mile ride to Clarksville, TN, continuing the Team 11 Home Tour.
