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Through the industrial haze of St. Louis, with its 30 miles of
bike-unfriendly traffic, I came from the west, and finally saw the great arch that they say connects east and west. 
Finally, on a bike path beside the Mississippi River, the arch gleamed above me in the sun.
I crossed the great river on the old Chain of Rocks Bridge,
the way Route 66 crossed from 1936 to 1965.
It’s closed to traffic now except for bikes and pedestrians. From here, St. Louis fades away. 
Illinois sunrise on my first full day in this bike friendly state.
About half my riding since crossing the Mississippi has been on bike trails like these, completely free from cars.
It seems odd that the modern idea of bike trails stands right beside a crippled old power line, where rotting poles have splints on their feet to keep from falling and prosthetic arms on their tops to hold up sagging wires.
Old abandoned Route 66 and the way it looked soon after it opened.
Even where the bike path is in poor condition, its better than
a smooth shoulderless road with too many cars.
And even where I have to nearly stop for heaved up pavement, and a tree
seems to say, “Pave over my roots, will you?
Your asphalt is no match,” I can say, “Long live trees.” 
In the little town of Farmersville, they’re having a bake sale to restore the old opera house. It needs a lot of help, and the cookies were good.
Michael Angerman updates the map of my journey every day. Find it at:
Google Map Link for my ride from Pasadena to Chicago
Hi Sharon, what day did you go thru Farmersville? Was it Saturday? Counter Buddy
ReplyDeleteI went through there today, Saturday, and a fine little town it was.
DeleteGood to see that roads are friendly with you and your bike. Looking forward to whenever you're back in the California world where your bike will park and you will ride once again on Alternate Wheels, traveling to poets' meetings and slideshow events and all the things you love to do when you're not doing what you're now doing. Happy riding!
ReplyDeleteThat should be on Halloween, Junnie. If all goes as planned. A day of transformation from who I am now to who I might be. A costume change. Two me's, both in the same brain. Alternate wheels, and which are the alternate?
Deletehappy to see you on the wooded bike lanes without cars... the only way things should be, I have always thought! Thank you for persisting through it all and in good spirits. We arrive back from Seabeck late on the 29th or early the 30th (we leave on 26th) so we will have near simultaneous arrivals. Hao leaves on Nov 1... so hopefully you can see us soon after your return! We will bring back a collection of autumn leaves I think --and you too...? Will be happy to welcome you back! We hope you do see a little of big Chicago --the Art Institute is magnificent... There is a sculpture garden in Skokie where bike paths abound... and the sculptures interesting and by different artists... we always walk there.
ReplyDeleteYes, our three paths will cross for a couple of days--you, me, and Hao. We could get together on Halloween, 10/31, for tricks and treats.
ReplyDeleteYou could do salon on Nov 3 4:30 poetry-meeting- salon at our home if you want--or you could wait to Nov 10 if that too early for you. The salon-meeting combo at 4:30 has been working really well for Tai Chi people and also anyone who needs an early ending)
DeleteI could do it either of those two dates. I'll have two days on the train to get ready.
DeleteThat would be really nice. Tuesday day or night if you are free!
ReplyDelete