Todays ride from Ellington to Farmington Missouri was another hilly ride. But after a night in the motel I felt better and even with no breakfast or lunch and just two pepsis my legs got me to farmington easily over some really steep hills. On the way I was again attacked by a dog running free ..the owners are a danger to cyclists and should be made to keep their mutts off the highway.
I stopped at the usual run down gas stations here for a couple of cokes , a few friendly people and rode on to pilot knob...which isn't a condition affecting airline captains but a civil war battlefield in Missouri. Here I was lost in the past..I like all the history and the story of what happened here. The old fort is still visable and the ammo dump that blew up and left a crator...I think the union guys were in the fort and the rebels were attacking it. I could have stayed longer but wanted to get to the bike shop in Farmington before it closed to get Shinto patched up.
I passed the usual deluge of churches with weird messages from god outside..past placards asking me to vote Michael Jackson to the senate..or was it Sherrif...and into farminton. Here I was welcomed by no less than bud the head of parks in his truck...I found the bike shop and it looks like they will do a good job. Opposite the bike shop is als place..a purpose built bike hostel for riders of the trsnsam route..how cool!

The place is built in the old jailhouse and inside it is home..clean, tidy, lounge kitchen beds showers laundry computers all I want..air con..the works. I will rest here.
Whoever made this place happen is a star!
There should be mote places like this on the route..who knows maybe I could set one up.
Todays roadkill count was three armadillos one snake two dogs (hopefully the ones who attack cyclists) one cat one owl and several small rodent like things with black and white tails..
...back to als place...there is a map here of where cyclists come from all over the world to ride the trsnsam..very cool hostel...and there wad a jail break from here and they used dynamite to escape..to cool!!