Weds Sep 20, 2017 Parsons KS to Jefferson City MO

Hot, hot, hot today! It hit 99 degrees and it was a lot more humid than we have seen the last week anyway. We are pretty good about fluids now after being out west so no problems there. I think we were 1 o maybe three rooms being rented last night, which is pretty par for the course in Sept. The hotel managers are a nice young couple with a pre-schooler, cute as a button as she headed off to school.
We both drizzled a little oil in the bikes, first time this trip, probably about time. My old girl pulled a new one today. The reserve light (gas) started turning on at any tank level. I looked it up on one of our stops and there is a little float thingie with a magnet and a reed switch whihc must be gummed up or just plain old worn out after 20 years and 104K miles. Recommended fix is black electrical tape over the light.
The plan was to stay on Rt400 and then skip through a number of little side roads, except we missed the first turn (John missed it of course), and ended up headed south and got within 15 miles of the Arkansas border. I finally realized the sun was not where it was supposed to be and stopped and checked the map. Oh well, late again..
The side roads in Missouri are for the most part letters not numbers. So you see signs for N or A or AA or MM or C or R, etc. Kinda weird. Being above our pay grade, we stayed on numbered roads. the rest of the day.

We hopped on the super slab, Rt 44 and then Rt 46 east and then north to skip by Joplin and turned east again at the town of Nevada MO.
Missouri is actually a kinda pretty state. The western part is more treed than Kansas but you can still see big crop fields. The eastern side is more like Kentucky with lots more rolling hills and lots more trees and an occasional abandoned farm in a scrubby field. I kept thinking, but not wanting to think, that small farms are dead in America for the most part. I think they thrive back home because we are land constrained. All ag out here is big ag. Giant tractors and high tech, genetically enhanced seed, ammonia tanks all over. Big big business and flat huge fields. But the jobs are all gone, and I can't see them coming back, not because anybody is doing anything wrong, but capital and technology have made us so efficient. It shows in the depressed little towns, but not all of them. Sorry for the message of good cheer..
At Nevada we took Rt 54 which took us right through Lake of the Ozarks which is a sprawling area of boating and recreation. Seven exits of marine this and boat that and beaches. Missouri's playground.
The civil war history here is all over. Missouri was conflicted about supporting the North or South and officially sided with the North, but not without problems of course. Democracy in action.
We collapsed in Jefferson City and soaked up the air conditioning. Looks like it may take an extra day to get home at this rate..