Today is my birthday...and what a great way to spend it! My friend Scott from cap picked me up from Marion and we drove to Paducca Kentucky. Scott took time to show me around town..Paducca is a nice town with lots of history. I really liked the cool muriels painted on the flood wall which was built by German pows.

The town was badly flooded in 1938 and in Scotts shoe shop there is a high water mark.from that flood. It must have been one hell of a time for the people here back.then.

It was good to.pick.up some of Scotts guitars and make some noise...its been a while since I played and Scott has a cool scalloped ne k.Stratocaster.

We went out ans had a hug steak for dinner and then to.a local.bar where I got a surprise birthday cheescake...that wad so nice of Scott and his wife Lisa.

I really like paducca..its a nice clean.and green town.

Scott outside his shop

Playing with some cool toys and sharing a huge steak

The flood wall in paducca is covered with amazing muriels. Here the Ohio and tenesse rivers meet.

This Adam who is riding to Virginia from Astoria

Larry kindly sent this pic of me outside the bike hovel..hostel in Chester a few days ago. The maps are the current section of the transam route I am riding.

Larry kindly sent this pic of me outside the bike hovel..hostel in Chester a few days ago. The maps are the current section of the transam route I am riding.

Tonights room at the church in Marion Kentucky. I've met back up with Larry whom I met in Chester a few days ago...he said he followed me for 15 miles today but I didn't hear him call or see him...I need to open my eyes and ears a bit more on the rides I guess I do tend to be a.bit blinkered.
Also a guy called Adam is staying here as well who is riding east and said he'd been following me for about three weeks now...there are visitors books in some places and I like to sign them. It's really good to know there are other guys as crazy as me out there lol!

I've been told the apalacians are a tough ride as the climbs are very steep and long. I think Shinto may need a new chain and cassette before then...ill see.

Todays sub from subway was full of so much fresh stuff the girl couldn't shut it lol! I thought is make the most of it lol!

In town today I was warned about drug addicts by a guy...apparently meth is an issue here.

Tomorrow I'm meeting my friend from cap and I'm really looking forward to it. I'm so lucky to have friends here in the USA who have been so supportive and welcoming to me.

I can't over emphasize just how hospitable the American people have been to me on this trip.

Tonight I am sleeping in the united Methodist church in Marion Kentucky. I spent time this afternoon in town stuffing my face at subway then over the road to McDonalds to get some free WiFi to update the blog etc.
Then over to check in at the church. I wasn't sure what to expect as this is my first night in Kentucky but I was welcomed nicely and shown around and made to feel at home. This church has been welcoming transam cyclists for over 13 years and they have a visitors book. The photo is my page in it.

So...I made it to Kentucky today!

Shinto crossing the Ohio river this afternoon to kentucky

The ride to cave in rock was humid and hilly again. Elizabethtown was very run down and I took a video because its such a shame this place right on the Ohio river is so poor and deprived. Most of the town is shut or for sale and I left the store because it had nothing I could buy. I headed onto cave on rock hoping for better things and a cellphone signal or wi fi so I could contact my mate from cap on Kentucky. At cave in rock there was still no signal and I decided to ride onto onto Kentucky as cleaelybthis part of Illinois is still in the 1940's lol!
At cave on rock I got the ferry across the Ohio river to Kentucky and rode to Marion.

The fields here in Illinois look very my h like Sussex fields...apart from the odd wig wam lol!

The lake at devils kitchen

The ride from Chester tool me along country lanes and the Missisipi levee to devils kitchen Lake where I decided to camp and get out of the rain. Mosquitos are a real pita here! The ride was the usual rollercoaster of steep hills over mostly poor road surfaces. Humid today. The camp site was right on the lake but I was so tired I just climbed into the tent and fell asleep. This part of Illinois seems to be pretty poor..some if the towns are very run down. The trees are starting to look like they will drop there leaves.

The Missisipi river

I rode along the Missisipi levee

A couple.of shots from Chester Illinois.

Last night was a blast! I was taking a napp when there wad a knock on my free hovel...erm..hostel door and were Tim And Bill my.friends from vs planet! We drove up to st. Louis and I got to see the archway to the west...and then we hit the steak house for what has to be the.best steak I ever ate! We chatted like old mates and then moved onto a bar where the barmaids skimpy clothes left nothing to the imagination...the guys had to drag me in the bar you understand...kicking and screaming. Ha ha! ..next it wad off to a local gig to see a band...Tim and Bill are so cool guys and obviously famous locally as everyone knew them and thier band cardboard room which has been getting airplay on local radio and tv and they are boomed to play a gig at Busch stadium st Louis soon...that is a big baseball team over here so its a really cool gig!

It was a perfect night and I'm so happy we met and got to hang out after all these years on the planet! :)))

St. Louis is the biggest and busiest town I have seen since Portland .

Thanks again guys for everything!

St.Louis skyline last night

The coolest plate in America for sure!

Live band...pretty loud so we hung outside so we could hear ourselves talk mostly :)

This is Larry who is riding the transam from sanfransisco.

Shinto in the town Popeye was 'born'...

The Illinois state flag

The ride today was pleasant enough and started late as I had been out on the town on st.Louis the night before...and a great time I had to!
The weather was humid and cooler than of late. The grey skies dominated the day and the sun didn't break through allday. I rode from Chester along the misissipi levee ...here the land is totally flat and mostly covered incorn. I wanted to swim in the river but the current looked pretty strong so I chose against it.
NVigating the rest of the day became harder and harder...I was glad I had pre loaded the routes to my Garmin which dug me out of the merde a few times.
I decided to skip around murphysboro as no doubt it is just another town full of cars and bad road surfaces and I headed to Carbondale instead...here I found the entire town shut. All I could find for food wad mc donalds...I bit my tongue and went in because it wad the only food option until tomorrow lunchtime earliest.
By now heavy drops of rain were falling and I raced along to devils kitchen lake to the campsite. Here I am now in the tent hiding from a deluge of bugs and.mosquitos. the place has showers and water at least so I can rest here.
Shintos chain is still slipping even though the bike shop serviced him. A new chain will mean a new cassette as well and I had a new o.e fitted before the trip...to expensive so ill soldier on.

There is definatly a different vibe about things now I am getting more east. Today there were parts where it was like Sussex or Surrey commuter belt almost...until.I got to the towns and it all went pear shaped lol!

As I type the dad in the tent next to me is failing to tune a guitar and impress his kids...mom has decided enuff is enuff and taken the truck to hunt for chips..and all on all things are good even though riding in cat ondale today had its stressfull moments I enjoyed the ride!

Devils kitchen lake Illinois tonight

I left devils kitchen later than usual this morning as there was a heavy thunderstorm and heavy rain...I thought it best to wait it out while I was still in the tent. I followed the map directions as best I could but the street signs here are hit and miss so I switched on the GPS and still managed a few wrong turns! The lanes around the lake reminded me a lot of some of the Sussex lanes I ride in in England..except for the sound of locusts and the numurous dear in the woods just off the roadside here seemingly interested in my bike..here they are timid if you stop riding I guess because they are pissed off with being shot at by hunters around here.
The wind was against me and the hills remain steep and short. It has cooled down a lot recently and the sky is grey with thunder clouds.
I'm trying to get a message to my friend in Kentucky but haven't been able to get WiFi or phone signal today.
At one point I hit a hole in the road so hard I thought my time had come..the front oannier fell off. But Shinto is ok.
When I got to eddyville I saw a pizza sign and followed my stomache in. Here I met a nice old guy with a ww 2 vets hat on. He had been fighting in the pacific back then and we spoke about that and my trip while I ate pizza. I had to decide if my legs would get me to the next town and the sky was getting darker...so my new friend offered to open up the community centre for me so I could sleep in the dry with a washroom without having to pay for camping or ride another 38 miles in the rain. It is generousity like this that I will remember the American people for. So that's several nights free sleeps on the trot to help make up for the costs of air con heaven in Kansas.

So ...next stop Kentucky!

The lake at devils kitchen Illinois after the storm this morning

The countryside in this part of Illinois is much like southern England...except for the wigwam lol!

The community centre where I was invited to stay at tonight. My tent is drying out on the porch after the soaking it got this morning. This is a tiny village of just 109 people...a gas station and a church...and one crazy English cyclist tonight!

Inside the community centre here in eddysville Illinois are photos of guys from this tiny place who fought ans died in various wars...mostly ww2.
I think its an honour to see this ...these guys from this tiny place ..so far away from Europe and the pacific gave their lives so we could be free...and here in an old wooden house on a hill in Illinois they once called home I get to see them. Not many Brits can say that.

Drying my wet tent in the sun at the community centre in eddysville Illinois.

What a facinating little place the community hall at edysville is. To many it would simply be a wooden hut with lights that don't work ..a place to.get out of the rain. I see more..the place is a little shrine to the people from the villages past..there are pictures of Scholl classes from 1916...a biker from the thirties...the village school teachers in the 50's...family portriats...all of past village life is here to see in what I suspect is a 'nothing' village in a nothing place to most.
I wonder what powers of the universe or life events got me here..eating m & m's and learning about the people who lived in this tiny village in Illinois all those years ago. I'm guessing this is.just one of thousands of such halls across the united states...the stories that these places could tell would be amazing I am sure.

Hi Scott...I'm in Marion Kentucky.have left messgw on your voice mail mate. Hope to hook up soon.

Today I rode a bicycle to the Missisipi river!

The last few hills of the Ozarks were steep as expected but they soon gave way to flatter land ad I left Missouri and entered the state of Illinois.

My legs were tired..even Free two days rest! I think I've been eating junk for so long that last nights home cooked meal was a shock to them!

Crossing the Missisipi river was very cool. It's such a monumental global landmark and I reached it by bicycle! I'm actually proud of myself!

The rider I met this morning from Boston was heading to Oregon...he wad worried he had left to late for the weather in the Rockies and was doing 100 miles a day to get there in time. If he can do that across the Rockies he will need to be superman!

In Chester Illinois I met Cindy at the visitor.centre . She kindly took a picture of.me.and wad.interested I'm my trip as she may do it herself one day. I'm sure she could do it easily.

Chester seems to be the home of Popeye the cartoon charachter. His statue.greets you as you ride into town. Olive oil doesn't appear anywhere though lol!

I got a subway and then found this ice cream bar with WiFi.

Tonight I have a free bed for the night at the fraternity of eagles ...they have a bar and a biker room with air con and a shower room all for free because I am riding the transam.

Tonight I'm meeting two friends from vs planet . I'm looking forward to that a lot.

Crossing the state line into Illinois land of Popeye the sailor man!

Me and Shinto at the Missisipi river in Chester Illinois .

Popeye and the ice cream place I am posting this from

As I left missouri this morning the roadside was lined with these blue flowers made a change from dead armadillos lol!