Said good bye to Greg as he was leavong for “work”

Did wash @ laundromat; there was one on each side of the street, I chose the one on the other side of the street, better choice. 69yo woman attendant. Asked her what her rememberence of her earliest washing machine. She grew up on a farm that must not have had indoor plumbing as they had a tub washer w/ a ringer attachment. they heated h2o on stove & emptied the tub out thru a hose. Got her to think about her past.

Continued drive into KC to Epic Cycles where I am to pick up my braked pads. Paul works there and is a friend of Greg’s from last night. Greg called him last night and introduced me.

Stopped @ Hy-Vee grocery. Wow, what a store. Lots of freshly prepared food, way good. It was like a restaurant w/o the waiters but with supremarket prices.Groceries were plentiful.

I am using black beans for my burritos as a judge of store. I have found them about $1.35 as the highest in Winnoa, AR w/ no Mexicans. It’s as if the store wanted to price them out of not living there. Big price fluctuation throughout country. I beleive there is a conscience price policy to affect consumptions. Hey, I’m not Mexican, I like black bean burritos as they are easy & quick to fix and nutritious.

Found bike shop in this new concept shopping mall: stores in short strips of businesses w/ parking out front w park benches in front of stores. All paved in brick w/o mortar. I liked the concept for a cluster of shopping but give me the historical buildings in downtown.

UPS ran late but inside a box was my pair of pads. Visited w/ Paul & store owner Scott for awhile. Installed pads and brake works correctly.

Doing a ride tonight w/ earthriders, the local IMBA club. Network w/ other riders. They have a trail work day this Sat, manage schedule but might stay. Kansas City is right on MO / KS border. I could do seveal rides across the border, do the trail work, & then drive across KS & on to Loveland, CO. Wet weekend is forecasted.

Spring is not here, bare trees but dandylions have bloomed.

Drove out to Smithville to ride w/ Eartriders.com on their trails here @ park. Nice night. Rode w/ Neil at a pace that was favorable to my huffing. Nice job of trails, basically flat, some small rocks, & lots of little roots.

Sleep @ TH unless rousted but no sign saying no parking overnight.

Thorns: WVA had long thorns, these MO show me thorns are huge.

Dateline: same

Off to dirtbag @ Brandon’s house. I parked in a hastings / movie theater parking lot right off rt 50. A young man pulled up in a jeep wagon wearing a patagonia fleece and said he saw my van & had to check it out. We conversed and I said something about needing a spot to sleep and he invited me over.

A conversation w/ theater manager and a woman college grad doing art work on Hastings window to come  when I get back.

Watching 3 cats: one a female, one a tom for sure and a third that its role is unknown. The she doesn’t want the tom: she laid down stiff & wouldn’t lift her tail out of the way.

Drove over to Brandon’s house & met housemate greg pushing his townie up onto the yard 7 I heard beer bottles rattling in his panier Enjoyed a lively evening of telling stories & laughing. 3 guys sharing a rental, either in grad school or back for 2nd degree. Early 20s. They enjoyed my company and thanked me for visiting & sharing. Giving them a vision of what might be and I looking at my past, each envious of each other’s position. Should we discuss my future or the consequences of my past?

Dateline: Jefferson City, MO

Last night pulled into Berryman XG just @ dark, had place to myself. Frogs were at it again. Rained during night.

Drove east to Festus, MO, home of 2 bike shops, hunting brake pads. Struck out with them as well as Big Shark and every other store in ST Louis. Most were willing to order them but arrival would have been like Friday. Plan B was to find a shop I would be going to. I found Epic in Kansas City, MO and I was told the pads would arrive on Wed. Cool. Ordered a pair. They also have a Wed eve ride that I will hit.

GPS mapped a road down to shore of Mississippi: Hugs Landing. I was hoping it would have been  a real old time landing. I drove down road that dead ended into a private boat club. I parked along side the rr tracks outside the entrance & took several pictures. A car driven by an older man passed & then backed up and rolled the window down and invited me onto property to take pictures as he is a member. I took him up on it. I parked near him & engaged in conversation regarding river life. He told of river history. Club house is on jersey barrier build ups. River height in feet incfrements are painted on them. 41 feetis last measure which is below club house. River reaches 31 feet to climb onto club property.

An suv pulled up driven by an older man. He waited until I started to walk away and he engaged me in conversation. He saw my van and he told me of 2 adventurers that were kayaking down the river and they stopped @ the club and this man was there. He helped them out and was enthralled w/ their adventure. He encouraged me to write a book about my trip because people like him can’t adventure but are rewarded by reading about others who do. He read Blue Highways & Walk Across America, Lewis & Clark journals. I doubt my having something to say in a book but he said write it. To you, sir, I looked @ both Kevin Knieling  and roadwarriornews.com websites. They are way above my adventure.

I coined a phrase for my riding: Lifestyle riding, i ride what I can and walk what I need to.

I called Gracie & learned she rode 3 laps of Oak Mtn: 52 miles. GREAT for her. She’s training for the Leadville 100 mtn bike race. Will Lance make it this year after his collar bone break?

I’m driving to Columbia, MO for a ride tomorrow, heading West. I drive thru Pacific which is right on Lewis & Clark’s route; which came first: the town name or did they give it as they went thru? They started from St Louis right? Took road that didn’t take me where I wanted to go. I pulled over and a white van pulled in behind me and the driver got out. He was in 60s. He asked if I was lost because of my WA plates. He said he lived in Kingston for 5 years & is still trying to sell the house. We chatted about WA and the light rain that was falling.

I was seeking the legendary route 66 that the new interstate I-44 parallels. I found it & drove a few miles on it which is now almost a frontage road w/ no businesses. “Get your kicks on route 66” lyrics are from what song?

My drive followed the Katy trail, a 120 mile rails to trails pathway which is also part of the L & C route, rt 94 on N side of Missouri River. Twisty some up & down roadway. Hardly any traffic. I stopped in Portland, MO at a TH for a quick store bought salad dinner. Right on river shoreline.

Crossed Missouri & continued to Jefferson City, capital. I found a parking space behind a bank bldg many blocks from capital bldg.

Rained today so the driving made good use of the day. Making good tracks heading west, too good, I will have to slow down in Kansas in cold. Spring isn’t here yet: trees have hardly flowered and it is in 40s.

Passed Daniel Boone’s grave in Marthasville. No stopping.

Been talking into digital recorder more. Should have had 1 from start to record thoughts that don’t make blog.

I just know that my solo traveling opens me up to all these conversations. William Least Heat Moon & Steinbeck did the same.Maybe each of us sought out converations for human companionship. My belief is when 2 or more people are together they are involved w/ each other, they are not as inclined to look outward. The conversations are between 2 strangers and can be whatever they can be. That’s why i travel alone.