Part 2, Day 6, Carbondale to Chester IL
64 miles, 5:25 riding time, don,t know clock time today, 11.6 mph avg, 1329 ft ascent
The white mound between the silos are sand bags. About 20 miles in we came across an intersection with 3 road closed signs. We decided to proceed and found out the signs were not kidding...nowhere to go but back.
We backtracked 3 miles to the Bottoms Up bar and grill to get advice from a local. Cristy told us the water was only 6 inches deep on one road, so we backtracked again and decided to go through the water; Cristy was right.
We later came across a similar facility for coal. These facilities were a hub for semi trucks, trains and barges. It was difficult to tell what was bringing and what was taking away. Our route took us out of the flood plains and into the town of Chester IL, which is the home of Popeye
Tonight we are staying at a bike hostel and tomorrow we cross the Mississippi into Missouri.
We got a late start today from Jack’s house. I think we got started around 10:00. Our first task was to find a grocery store to reprovisiom. Bike touring is all about managing hydration and calorie intake. Today our route would take us through a 38 mile stretch with no services. We chose to take the Mississippi levee alternate route which would take us into the River valley. I was surprised at the amount of water; there’s a lot of flooding. Farming in a food plain is full of risk.
The white mound between the silos are sand bags. About 20 miles in we came across an intersection with 3 road closed signs. We decided to proceed and found out the signs were not kidding...nowhere to go but back.
We backtracked 3 miles to the Bottoms Up bar and grill to get advice from a local. Cristy told us the water was only 6 inches deep on one road, so we backtracked again and decided to go through the water; Cristy was right.
After the water crossing we came across a grain elevator with a conveyor to a barge dock on the Mississippi.
We later came across a similar facility for coal. These facilities were a hub for semi trucks, trains and barges. It was difficult to tell what was bringing and what was taking away. Our route took us out of the flood plains and into the town of Chester IL, which is the home of Popeye
Tonight we are staying at a bike hostel and tomorrow we cross the Mississippi into Missouri.
Hey Dad, sounds like you are dealing with some crazy heat! The heat wave broke in Zurich and now it's pretty cold (highs only 21C). Not great for boating, but I bet you'd enjoy these temperatures about now :) Sounds like you aren't being chased by dogs anymore? That's good to hear. Hope you are enjoying the adventure! Love, Jenna
ReplyDeleteGreat to see your cycling adventure. Great job and very impressive seeing your daily progress and challenges. Best wishes!
ReplyDeleteHey Steve, which one is popeye in the picture? �� If the heat gets too bad think of those days when your fingers and toes turn white to put a chill into your thoughts!
ReplyDeleteYour blog is a great read each day. Thanks for sharing your adventure. Curtis