Biking: 42 miles
Malvern had thunderstorms all through the night and into the morning. We debated about what to do today. Our original plan was to get on the road by 7:30 am to cover the 77 miles before it got too hot. At 9 am the storms were still hanging over the town, so we had to continue to wait it out.
Finally around 10:30 am the storms had passed, and we were on the soggy, muddy trail. Not quite the same as yesterday. Riding was slow going on the soft ground, but the tree cover protected us from the 20 mph headwinds.
Eventually, the sun came out and started to dry up the trail.
We stopped for lunch in Shenandoah, a small town in Iowa. We ate at a restaurant called The Depot that had a collection of old train station benches, depot photos, conductor uniforms, and other interesting artifacts.
After lunch we continued on the Wabash Trail to the end in Blanchard where Brian was waiting for us in the RV. The rest of our trip would be on the road into a 25-30 mph headwind with gusts up to 45 mph. The wind was so strong it was blowing us off our bikes. We had to weigh the fact that given our late start time, we would be arriving in Maryville after dark, if we made it at all.
We decided to take the RV to Maryville rather risk the road ride. Once again, Brian to the rescue.
Tomorrow is a rest day in Maryville. Then, we continue on the road for a few days headed toward the Katy Trail.
RWGPS for today:
Keep the Wheels Turning 
Leave a comment