Good morning from St. Louis! I'm currently at the University of Missouri at St. Louis, waiting out a thunderstorm before I start riding this morning.
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| Nashville, Indiana |
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| IU in Bloomington |
It's been a big week- since I've last blogged, I've traveled through Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and into Missouri! Indiana has been my favorite state thus far- every town we stopped in was interesting and unique. We went through Columbus (a blossoming city known for their architecture), Nashville (a crafty toursit town that is very much like the shopping villages at Disney), Bloomington (an awesome college town with the beautiful IU and the most interesting ice cream place I've been yet! So many crazy flavors...), and Terre Haute (home of the "Crossroads of America", or the intersection of Routes 40 and 41). In Terre Haute, we hosted a bike clinic for young kids to teach them cycling safety. The kids were adorable and SO excited to show off their skills in an adjacent parking lot.
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| 2 friends from the bike clinic! |
Illinois was fun as well, but quite thunderstormy. We had to break up a couple of rides when there was lightening and the rain got bad (visibility issues). Those days, despite being soggy, ended up being hilarious and rather enjoyable, as we entertained ourselves for hours inside laundromats and under gazebos.
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| Laundromat Entertainment |
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| Welcome to Illinois! |
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| Crossing the Mississippi!!! |
Near the Missouri border, I stopped into the Louis and Clarke museum and compared their westward exploration to ours. It was pretty cool to read quotes from their journal entries that expressed their fatigue yet determination to reach the Pacific, and then their excitement at finally getting there. The similarities were neat, but it also made me appreciate how easy I have it.
Just the other day, we monumentally crossed the mighty Mississippi River. It felt like such an accomplishment to have gotten this far! Shortly after, we pedaled by the arch of St. Louis. It was so exciting to finally see the gateway to the west!
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| Working with Rebuilding Together |
Yesterday, we had a build day in St. Louis. For the first time on our trip, we worked with Rebuilding Together (instead of Habitat for Humanity), another affordable housing organization. We had the pleasure of revamping Sandy's home, doing things like painting her kitchen, replacing her cabinets, and fixing her porch. It was a nice change from Habitat and incredibly satisfying to see the improvements we made in just one day. Sandy, an elderly woman, was one of the most appreciative women I've met. We could barely talk to her for thirty seconds without her crying happy tears!
The storm is passing, and it looks like it's time to ride!
Love,
Abby
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