The "Holy" Bike Trip: Muscatine to Des Peres , the Wisdom of Mark Twain, Stan from Oregon , and Iowa's Hills
Last winter, my younger sister Mary Ellen invited me to join her on a May '24 bike trip along the Mississippi Great River Road. Considering that at the age of Seventy -Five was daunting to me. The last time I had attempted a multi-day ride was our "Tour De Thumb" five years ago. Prior to that , I had ridden 250+ miles on the DalMac in 2011 from Lansing to Mackinac City. Several questions roiled around my brain .... Could I ride a bicycle 300+ miles? Would I have the stamina to make it? What preparations were needed? Was this just a crazy notion? Am I in denial about the limitations faced by this old baby boomer? May 10, 2024 found Cathe and me camping in Muscatine Iowa awaiting the arrival of my sister , Mary Ellen during the middle of her "Holy Ride" from St. Paul , Minnesota to St. Louis Missouri. We celebrated with wine and chili around the campfire with her lifelong friend Mary Lou from Oakland, our sister Kathy and our part-time Sag Driver, Cathe. Ma