Heading North
Today we took advantage of a breeze from the south to head north. Despite the wind direction, the temperature was pleasant and never quite made it to 80 degrees.
We made 3 significant crossings on our way North: US 40 (the national road), the Santa Fe trail, and the Missouri River.
The first 15 miles were not great. There was quite a bit of traffic, including a fair number of trucks, and a rumble strip that spoiled an otherwise nice shoulder. I'll spare you yet another rumble strip picture. Instead, I'll treat you to a picture of Kerry's hand, which is recovering nicely from it's encounter with a router.
| Heart | 0 | Comment | 0 | Link |
Once we reached US 40 we were on much nicer and emptier roads. We won't see US 40 again until we get to Zanesville in late August.
We made a stop at the site of the Confederate Soldiers Home (CSH) in Higginsville. From 1891 until 1950, the CSH was used to house indigent soldiers and their families. The oldest vet lived to the ripe old age of 108. A farm and dairy were part of the facility, providing employment for both the soldiers and for local people. Most of the 30 original buildings are gone, but a cemetery and chapel remain.
A memorial park also remains. In the 1920s, local farmers were asked to haul trees from nearby wooded sites to transplant in the park. Today the park contains many magnificent trees. During our visit, the park was swarming with cub scouts.
Independence MO was a starting point for both the Oregon trail and Santa Fe trail. The trail carried both manufactured goods and settlers from Missouri to Santa Fe. Today the trail passes through the fruit region of Missouri: apples, peaches and grapes.
Riding the Santa Fe trail is thirsty work. We stopped at the Baltimore Bend winery to deal with that issue. Sarah, one of the winery owners, was very knowledgeable and friendly. In 1997 she and her parents started growing grapes on the property. After a few years they branched into making wine. Viktoriya and Jeanna both enjoyed wines made with Norton grapes (the state grape of Missouri), although Jeanna preferred hers aged in American oak barrels while Viktoriya preferred the taste of French oak barrels.
| Heart | 2 | Comment | 0 | Link |
| Heart | 1 | Comment | 0 | Link |
We said goodbye to the Missouri River. We won't be seeing the big muddy again on this trip. It's astonishing how the topography changes when you reach the river. South of the river we were in rolling hills all day. North of the river is a pan flat bottom land.
In front of the courthouse in Carrollton MO stands a statue of James Shields. He was a general in the Union army during the civil war, a US senator from Illinois, a US senator from Minnesota, and finally a US senator from Missouri. Yes, that is a record, no one else has represented 3 different states in the Senate.
| Rate this entry's writing | Heart | 4 |
| Comment on this entry | Comment | 1 |