C2C Leg#3 Day 16: St.Joe State Park to Marquand - - Cruisin....We thought there’d be more days like this

7/12/21
C2C Leg#3 Day 16:  St.Joe State Park to Marquand- Cruisin....We thought there’d be more days like this

Miles: 43.5
Total Miles: 780
MYZone MEPS: 560 - lowest MEPs yet

We wake to a soggy campground & tent, but the skies are blue.  We make a quick coffee and our peaches + granola and leave camp by 7:45am.  Little late start, but short miles today.

We had a pleasant 4 mile start on a paved bike trail through the foggy woods.  No surprise... more rolling hills with some steep climbs.

And who can’t resist a photo of Big Dick’s?

In the town of Farmington  we stopped at a Walmart for dinner & lunch supplies. 

I also surprisingly found the button battery for my bike odometer that had been warning me about low batts - Whew! 

We eat muffins, drink some OJ, repack the food, and had to work our way out of Farmington (16,000 population) to highway H, a glorious, scenic, low traffic road with actual rolling hills (not steep climbs).  Ah - this is nice riding.

We take a break on the side of the road next to a farm. 

Then roll on with high views along a ridge, repeating the familiar up-down-up-down.  I have a little bit of dread every time we hit a steep downhill because its usually followed by a short but crushing (8-11%) climb, but not so much today - we had fewer than we expected.  

Old 67 was a wide concrete road with plenty of space for cars to pass.  At Mill Creek we bought a bag of honey peanuts and giant 44oz Diet Pepsi (it was only 10 cents more than the 32 oz).  We finally reach Cherokee Pass (900 some feet. not really a pass like we know in Washington state) - but at least the top of the ridge. 

We have lunch at a Subway where Doug says - “we only have 10 miles, but let’s not putt or it will take forever to get there”.  So I have to tell him that I’m hammering but he just couldn’t tell.  

WOW- road “H” this to Marquand should stand for Hella Good - actual rolling hills, light traffic, beautiful scenery, and generally cruising down hill.  We thought we’d have more riding like this.

We pull over in Marquand to get our bearings and figure out where the Belmont Inn Bed & Breakfast is.  A truck pulls up and the gent asks us if we need cell service because the hot spot is over by City Hall.  Oh, Belmont?  It’s just 1 block that way. 

2pm arrival, We are the only ones in the entire house - the owner lives elsewhere and gave us an access code to enter. 

We have plenty of time and sun to dry out the wet tent and kitchen supplies in the yard of this lovely house. 

Showers, laundry,  BATHROBES! What a treat to have the whole house and a kitchen! 

A beautiful home, filled with antiques and a very comfortable bed that made it easy to take a nap.

Had a brief walk about town searching for the hot spot (none) but instead saw kids swinging high on a rope swing and dropping into the river.  Now that’s Missouri! 

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