Intermission - and now a word from our sponsors...

I am currently... at home.  So current location is our house on Big Tree Rd. in Neptune Beach.

I took some time on my rest day in Cape Girardeau to plan out the rest of my trip from there to home.  I figured it wold take me no more than 21 days to complete the ride.  Given the high heat and humidity I knew I would need to stay inside air conditioned spaces each night.  The route I was following did not go through populated areas so finding AC wold be hit or miss, mostly miss for the first week after MO.  I also will not rely on warm showers to provide a host when I would like one.  I actually had a potential host reply to me three weeks after I asked him and through our follow on message exchanges he essentially said he doesn't read email, and it was my fault I didn't contact him because I didn't text him.  He then had the temerity to ask me to do a review of him and include in my review his preferences for contacting him.  I will do the review but I need to write it and let it sit a few times because right now I am finding it challenging to be neutral.  Anyway, lesson learned that WS hosts can be wonderful people but the system itself is not reliable enough to plan a ride around.

The long range weather forecasts of apparent, real-feel temperatures being above 110 degrees, the paucity of places to stay, the lack of food sources along the way, and the continuing hilly terrain (the route did not follow the Mississippi River flood plain but instead went through hilly terrain like the Nachez Trace) all combined to let me know my ride was over for the summer.  Amy had the correct question for me, "will you regret not doing this all at once" and the answer has been a resounding No.  I can always go finish the ride when it cools down (current plan is to do so in October after I speak at a shipmates retirement ceremony), but it would be impossible to finish it if I suffered heat stroke along the way and passed out on some remote road with no shoulders and often drunk traffic.  The route maps I am following repeatedly described the routes with positive virtues like "limited services," "dogs frequently chase bicyclists," "remote roads with no shoulders, poor conditions, and blind hills and corners."  I got used to all of that, under the premise that I could find food and water and a place to get some AC at night.  Take away the AC and food and water and the ride becomes less appealing.  Unless you like real-feel temps of 110 degrees for days on end.  I do not.

So the current plan is to keep an eye on the long range forecasts and hurricane season and complete the ride when it makes sense to do so.  I started ridiculously early, a month by the comments of most everyone I met, so I could avoid the heat of summer.  To a person those I spoke about the weather with from ID to MO all said the same thing.  They went from winter to summer with no spring.  I am not complaining about it, it is just a fact and I adjusted my ride to match the facts.  If I were doing this for some more noble cause than my own selfish reasons I suppose I might think differently.  Like I said before, this really is a rather extreme or extravagant form of leisure time activity.

I must also apologize for an unintended gender stereotyping in a previous post.  When I commented about Mercury Marquis drivers I specifically commented on old men.  They day of and after I did that post two elderly women took it upon themselves to show me the error of my assumptions by doing the exact same kinds of things the men had done, buzz me at close distances and make it very clear I had no business being on their driving roads.  I am pleased to report that the gender of the driver for these kinds of cars is not the determinant, the fact any of them drive these cars is the prime factor.  I would also like to make it clear that these comments do not apply to the Mercury Marauder drivers.  That is a muscle car which appeals to a different driver.  I have had no issues with Marauder drivers. 

I do seriously appreciate all of the amazing comments and tremendous support.  I cleaned and serviced the Surly today so it will be ready when the weather cools down.  I am eager to get back out there and meet more of the people who celebrate our nation's birthday with good food with friends and family, a cool beverage of THEIR choice, and just maybe a couple of explosive devices - homemade or purchased. 

Be safe this week.  Now, I need to go write a warm showers host review...

Thank you, Ryan

This photo is of my brother and I as we were riding out of Jefferson City.  We are in front of the Lewis and Clark Core of Discovery monument.  I'm the old guy with the beard.