2021-08-04 - Lawrence KS to Olney IL - 445 miles

Wow, better day than I had imagined. Missouri always seems hot and humid, but this is northern Missouri which is more like Iowa. And Rt 50 was great, way away from the ugly interstate and one of the old coast to coast roads. It was started in 1926 and I saw portions of what looked like the original road and bridges in Illinois this afternoon. Very skinny for those Model T's and A's I suppose .

The hills were rolling and green and as the day went on, I finally hit the huger corn and sow fields, but not as vast because the hills limit things. Very green all over.

A couple from Missouri chatted me up and they are Harley folks so were interested in my trip. He grew up on a beef farm, 7-900 head, in southern MO and she grew up raising beef ans soy in northern MO. They pointed out how different the north and south are. North is more farmland like Iowa and south is more rocky, less agriculture. Very nice folks. 

I stayed on Rt50 all day with light, polite traffic doing 55-60. The temperature started at 66 this morning, peaked at 85 this afternoon and down to 80 when I pulled into the hotel tonight, so perfect. 

About 45 minutes of 5&6 lane craziness skirting around St Louis, but very relaxing ride the rest of the day.

The hotel is nice, clean, and cheap ($35). The diner 2 doors down was hopping but only two beers on draft so I had a couple Corona's and a Bourbon Burger. New best friends with the staff, bonus from sitting at the bar and eating dinner.

Talked to my brother tonight. He mad 300+ miles riding down the Ohio River. Sounds like a nice quiet, non-busy ride. We meet tomorrow somewhere in Indiana along the river. His trip, Vernon VT to Elmira NY to Cranberry Township, PA to Portsmouth OH.

Great day!!

Odometer: 2750-2305=445 miles

Gas mileage today: 61.8, 71.4, 66.4