Final Ride Pictures

Here are a last few shots from the MS Ride.

























































Here we are getting ready to go. Ed, Jennifer, me and Teresa.

Thoughts on the Trip Back from Springfield

Some thoughts on the trip back to DC. Well the second day I started out from Hebron, Ohio. A couple of miles into the trip it started raining and I mean raining. Even with windshield whippers on high I couldn’t see the road in front of me. Then the rain would come to a complete stop. The road ahead looked dry. I’d drive another ten or so miles and then it would start pouring again. This lasted for about an hour but finally the sky cleared and the rain stopped. I was very happy about that.

Here are a few pictures from the drive back. They had the original mile markers from what was considered the first interstate in the are which I believe was route 40. The mileage markers were based on where the road ended. So you get the mileage to the end of the road and the mileage to the previous maker. In this case it was Zanesville, Ohio. There was also a plaque dedicated to Eisenhower as being the father of the modern interstate transit system.

Within a year after Eisenhower became President in 1953, he began to push for a system of interstate highways across the United States. Although federal highways covered many areas of the country, the interstate highway plan would create 42,000 miles of limited-access and very modern highways. Eisenhower and his staff worked for two years to get the world’s largest public works project approved by Congress. On June 29, 1956 the Federal Aid Highway Act (FAHA) of 1956 was signed and the Interstates, as they would be known, began to spread across the landscape.

Driving through the hills/mountains on 68 were a challenge. I’m not used to driving in hills and it made for an interesting drive. If I go out to Missouri, I’m going to divide both driving out and back into two days. Driving on 68 in the dark (which I did on the trip out) is just not much fun.

Once I got into the DC area things really got fun. The GPS took me around the Beltway to Georgia Avenue and from there I drove into the city. All I can say is that people on the Beltway drive like they’re nuts. I was going at least 65 miles an hour and felt like I was standing still. If you’re not in the correct lane when an exit comes along you are lost. The thing is there are several exits that are on the left hand side of the road. Next time I plan to exit at Wisconsin Avenue.

In all I had a very good trip out. The drive was not bad except for that one patch of rain I had no weather problems. I also got great gas mileage. I average 30 miles a gallon or above. Last time out I was averaging in the high 20s. I think part of it had to due with the fact I went to Jiffy Lube before I left and they cleaned out the values or something like that. That’s supposed to be done once a year and I’m going to make sure it’s done before I go out next time.

Here are some pictures from the trip back. The last couple show the leaves just starting to turn.

Cider Days

Sunday was cloudy and cool. We had a wonderful late breakfast at a place called Aton's. Then we went to Cider Days.

The first couple of pictures show a woman playing the according while another woman is dancing with a hula hoop.

The other pictures show what else was at the street festival. The band was particularly good.

Cider Days Music

This is a band that played at Cider Days

MS Ride - Pictures Part 1

The first pictures show how I got my bike out to Missouri. I'd hope to take off the front tire but the quick release mechanism was neither quick nor did it release but I got it in anyway.


















This is the school where everyone met up to start the ride.



















Here we are at the school. Making our last preparations before the ride.

MS Ride - Pictures Part 2

We're getting ready to head out. Because Jennifer and Teresa were part of the top fund raisers last year, we got to go out with the first group of people. Riders went out in waves of 200.

Here's Ed getting ready.




















Our bikes. Mine's in the middle.























Jennifer is all pumped up for the ride.


















This gives you an idea of the number of people who rode. The count was over 800.







































Riders coming into the first pit stop of the day.

MS Ride - Pictures Part 3

This is the first pit stop. In the first picture Ed is at the far right.





































































As I got closer to the lunch stop I had more and more problems with my legs. My thighs were getting really really tight. And to make things even more difficult there was a hill to get into the parking lot. I got a cramp in my right thigh when I went up the hill. I got off the bike and thought I was going to fall. Thankfully that did not happen. I use the bike to support myself until the cramp passed.



































Here's some blue stuff that my brother had to drink at lunch. I think it was Powerade.



















Ed and Jennifer at lunch.

MS Ride - Pictures Part 4

I made it in around 2:20. I think I did really well. I recovered after the cramp in my leg at lunch time. Tylenol does wonderful things. Also I think getting off the bike made a big difference. I also made sure I stopped at every pit stop until the end. I think that made the last part of the ride much easier. At pit stop 7 they had home made chocolate chip cookies. They were very good. Also the volunteers came up to you and asked if you needed your water bottles filled.

Here are pictures of Ed and Jennifer riding in. They to in about a half hour after I did. Teresa, who did the century, came in a little after 3.

The final pictures shows people getting food and relaxing. This was a brand new middle school with locker rooms where you got to take a shower and wash all the grime off that had accumulated during the course of the day.

The first picture is of Pit 6.

MS Ride - Pictures Part 5

After the ride. Here we are recovering after the ride. Ed, Jennifer and Teresa.



















Ed (looking strange as usual), Jennifer and me.


















Some of the gear people take on the road.


















Bikes, bikes and more bikes. These are the bikes of the riders who were going to ride on day two. We only did one day.

Ozark Steam Engine Association, Part I

This is the Ozark Steam Engine Association Steamorama. I find this a very interesting event to go to. It shows the way farm equipment was before the internal combustion engine came on the scene. I also thinks it cool that the tractors look like little steam engines because they are.