2000 Miles and Crossing the Mississippi River

2000 Miles and Crossing the Mississippi River
Sunday 9^th June, 2019

Day 30

Location: Kirksville, MO to Quincy, IL

Distance: 78 miles.

Temp: 66 – 87 F sunny

Dew point:  63 F

    Winds:  non-issue

 

Cumulative climbing distance:  2,651 ft

Cumulative descending distance:  2,818 ft

Today was a day of milestones. 

 

First we have traveled 2000 miles over the past 29 days from our start at the Pacific Ocean.  Less than half of the riders have biked all 2000 miles.  I have biked 1810 miles, due to heat exhaustion and saddle sores in the Mojave Desert and then flooding issues in eastern Kansas and Missouri.

Today we crossed the flooded Mississippi River and our seventh State Line as we entered Illinois.  Tonight we are in Quincy, IL, a Mississippi river port city.  The river has flooded on both sides of the river.  The eastbound bridge approaches on US 24  into the city were closed due to flooding on the Missouri side.  Traffic was rerouted using 1 of the 2 westbound lanes on a newer bridge adjacent to the eastbound bridge.  Biking across the bridge was a little iffy as there was a limited shoulder on what would be the left side of the left lane.

Otherwise biking was a rather non-eventful today.  The weather was a typical Mid-West summer day with  afternoon temps in the mid 80's with some humidity and sunny weather with puffy white cumulus clouds.
 Tomorrow (Monday) will be a challenging day as the goal is 104 miles from Quincy to Springfield, IL.  Thus I am writing a brief blog tonight to ensure a good 8 hours of rest.  Ideally should have more.

We have traveled 2000 miles, as of this morning.

 

 
 

 

 

 Water break during our morning ride.

 

 

 Terrain flatter than past 2 days but still rolling hill landscape.

  Typical very large crop-based farms.  Over the past 4 days in Missouri and eastern Kansas I would estimate that only a few percent of the farms that any livestock.  And I saw no milk cows, only beef cattle.

 Beautiful farm buildings and pasture lands but NO livestock.

 

 

 

  Flooded eastbound bridge approaches (in center of photo) on US 24 into the city were closed due to flooding on the Missouri side

Entering Quincy, IL.