October 9, 2014
Day 31: To Branson
65F and foggy in the morning. I left the motel in Ava at 8:45. It was very foggy for the first 45 minutes. Kind of spooky, but the light became increasingly bright and cheery as the fog dissipated.
I'm still on MO 76 but it has more traffic now. 5 times the highway climbs a big hill, then drops 300 feet to a stream crossing. The first 3 stream crossings were Beaver creek. Then Bull Shoals lake and Lake Taneycomo.
I enjoyed seeing occasional fall foliage. It's just getting started. Scenery was pretty good but the traffic was annoying.
Today I saw mostly General Baptist churches. Also a Church of the Nazarene, Anglican church, and a Jehovah's Witnesses Kingdom Hall.
The afternoon was very warm and humid. High of 85F. I had difficulty operating my rear grip shifter because it was coated in oily sweat.
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Traffic was especially heavy for the last 10 miles to Branson. The area is much more populated now.
After crossing Lake Taneycomo MO 76 climbs steeply into Branson. I arrived at 4 PM and got a room at Garden Inn. $89 for 2 nights, but I will probably stay a 3rd night. The room has a fridge and microwave.
I had a gentle tailwind for most of the day. The terrain is still hilly but I can handle it. I enjoyed the hilltop views and early fall foliage. Overall, a good day.
My plan was to ride to Eureka Springs tomorrow and take a rest day there. But the weather isn't cooperating. Heavy rain is predicted for the next 2 days, so I will wait 2 days in Branson and not have a rest day in Eureka Springs.
Distance: 57.1 mi. (91 km)
Climbing: 3156 ft. (956 m)
Average Speed: 10.9 mph (17.4 km/h)
Today's ride: 57 miles (92 km)
Total: 1,579 miles (2,541 km)
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