Update from Kansas City, MO!

And quickly another week has gone by without me blogging... oops. Here is the rundown on the week from Greenville, IL to Kansas City, MO!

St. Louis, MO: State number (VA, WV, OH, KY, IN, IL, MO) 7! Into St. Louis we had a relatively short ride which was a great break. We did however get a little sidetracked after a local told us to take a bike path instead of a larger (and scarier) road. Unfortunately, the road turned into deep gravel and we had to find a way back to the road. It's really funny what people say about directions because it's so different in a car-- on a bike you feel all the tiny hills and bumps and it makes some roads a lot harder to ride. We are always pretty hesitant about asking people for directions because you never know what you're going to get. However, we did make it to the Mississippi River and into Missouri. We crossed on a pedestrian bridge which allowed ample time for picture taking and checking out the river. When we went into town, we found that the drivers in Missouri were much like the drivers in Illinois-- driving very close to us and definitely not super biking-friendly. We made it through town and stayed at the University of Missouri St. Louis. We saw Sarah, Christina, and Kristen's families and they provided us with wonderful snacks and meals. It's great to see other people's families-- even if it isn't my own, it stil reminds me of home a little bit. After dinner we checked out the arch and saw some of downtown St. Louis. The over-21 crew went out to the loop for a bit while us young folk got ice cream and went back to UMSL to bed.

We had a build day the next day with Rebuilding Together ans worked to lay down some flooring. It was interesting to work with Rebuilding Together instead of Habitat for Humanity because RT works to keep people in their homes rather than build mostly from the ground up (Habitat). We got a lot of good work done in about three houses and went back to UMSL.

Next up, Washington, MO: We rode about 50ish miles today and 35 of them were on the Katy Trail. It spans across Missouri and is kind of similar to the C&O Canal Trail. It's packed gravel and is really shaded and pretty to ride on. However, as KRho and S. Christophe may remember, gravel trails near rivers lead to two things: lots of flat tires and swarms of mosquitoes whenever you stop pedaling. I didn't get any flats but a few people did and whenever you stopped biking, the mosquitoes were ready to pounce. However, it was still a beautiful day and we had lots of fun talking to each other and not having to worry about cars. Washington was adorable with a cute little riverfront and a downtown area that we checked out after dinner.

Jefferson City, MO: 75 miles on the Katy Trail! While the Katy Trail was awesome going into Washington, the road seemed a little bumpier and with more holes and it got very monotonous. We were still able to talk a lot which is always fun but after about mile 50, I was sick of the gravel. It was a little cooler than the day before but I was still exhausted when we got to our host site. We were able to talk with the executive director of Habitat for Humanity in Jefferson City and hear about all their work in the area.

Sedalia, MO: Sedalia was wonderful. The ride in was really comical to me... lots of stops a long the way including free sonic, a long lunch break, a good rain storm, and a flat tire that turned into a tire replacement. It was a long day but still a good one! After a delicious dinner the host announced that they had a massage therapist and a chiropractor coming to readjust and help massage everyone. It was wonderful and awesome to see such great people volunteer their time to help us. Even though it was short, the leg massage felt awesome and everyone was in great spirits. Thank you!!

Kansas City, MO: We rode 95 miles today! We had two lunches which broke the trip up into thirds perfectly. The first thirty miles were really smooth-- nice new roads and beautiful rolling hills which are really fun to ride. The second third was getting a little hotter but we still enjoyed the beautiful landscape. We even got to ride along side a few trains which was neat to see. After second lunch, I was definitely tired but it was still only noon! 65 miles down before noon! I guess it really helps to wake up at 5am to start the day. Today we had lots of turns and were never on a road longer than 15 miles which broke up the ride a lot. The last couple miles were hard with a surprise climb hidden about 3 miles out. We pulled into the church exhausted and happy to be done but also proud of our longest day so far!

I hope you are all enjoying your summers-- I am loving mine. B&B is an experience so difficult to put into words but it is incredible. I love the people (and we really are turning into a family), the traveling aspect of the trip, waking up in the morning having nothing to do but bike all day long, learning and working more with affordable housing, and challenging myself. I know these blog entires don't do it justice, but just wait until I get home-- I don't think I'll be able to talk about anything else for weeks. Thank you for all your support and I will update again soon!

Love, Caroline