June 23, 2001 - Mike and Marilyn's 2001 TranAmerican Bike Tour

 

Houston to Marshfield, Missouri. (65 mi.) Mile 1538

Back on the road and still in the Ozarks

We were camped out at the Houston Post Office doors when they opened first thing in the morning, but it wasn't good news. It seems our tent and other camping gear is lost somewhere in the bowels of the Postal System. The postal guy explained that sometimes the mail for Houston, Missouri, goes to Houston, Texas, even with the right state and zip code. He said that if it came in later today, he could express mail it to our next big town a few days away. Our next big town a few days away is Pittsburg, Kansas. Sounds risky to me!

Rested and ready to ride out of Houston

Since it's Saturday, we couldn't hang out indefinitely waiting for our stuff to show up, so we pedaled on our way. We'll be calling them Monday and every other day until it shows up. Not having camping gear puts us at a disadvantage as to where we can stay, as well as adding quite a bit of expense to the trip for motels. Otherwise, we had a very good day of riding. The weather was clear and at least 10 degrees cooler than last week. The hills were easier on us, and the lay-over day had given our legs a rest. There were bluebirds, purple cone flowers, and miles of scenic Midwest farmland.

Hartville, a typical small town in Missouri. We stopped for an All You Can Eat Real American Lunch.

This turtle does not realize that I am about to save its life.

Ozark family, owners of a small Ma and Pa country market where we stopped for cold Gatorade. The two red-headed siblings, Marvin and Melissa, were very interested in our bikes. When I asked if I could take their picture, the rest of the family wanted in the shot too.

M ---------> Marilyn
(It is no wonder it takes us so long to get anywhere when we stop to take photos like this.)