Departed Calvert City KY about 0755CT, having dumped tanks. Avoided the super slab north through Illinois in favor of crossing into Missouri early. Drove past Paducah, nice rolling road. Got onto 62 West, saw lots of redwing blackbirds. Got to the town of Wickliff, from which views of the Ohio river can be seen at the end of every westward-facing street. Wickliff has a state park with Indian mounds.
Crossed the Ohio river on an old scary, narrow truss bridge. Took it slow, as 18-wheelers were coming the other direction. My route is called the National Great River Road in Illinois. Low rice paddies with water being pumped into them from rivers and creeks. Passed through Cairo, IL, which is a dead river town. On the far side of Cairo, as part of a railroad overpass, there was a huge overhead levee gate that gets raised or lowered depending on river flooding. Continued sighting lots of redwing blackbirds, unsurprising since there is water and cat tails everywhere.
Crossed the Mississippi river from Illinois 146 west, across a modern cable suspension bridge. Much less scary than the bridge over the Ohio. Then got onto I-55 north, a straight shot in fantastic condition.
There were lots of billboards advertising Stone’s Sausage Shop in Perryville MO (city was established fairly early in 1831), so I stopped. They have 35 kinds of bratwurst, and I bought some bacon and original. Also bought cheddar horseradish cheese, some spicy beef jerky, best I’ve ever had. I bought Debbi a jar of pickled asparagus (ick!).
I continued up I-55, passing on both sides exposed sedimentary rock upthrust, probably part of the ancient inland sea. My route took me around the southwest of St. Louis, on which I crossed the Missouri river. Three rivers today! I’m a river-crossing animal!
West of Warrenton, the landscape changed. Much more open, fewer trees, lots more fields. Don’t know if this is climatological, or simply human activity (like farming).
There clearly is no prohibition on highway billboards along I-70 west. Large billboards are on both sides, each only about one-tenth of a mile apart. Reminds me of I-10 in south Mississippi, but the Missouri billboards don’t advertise casinos.
Arrived at Cottonwoods RV park about 3pmCT. My site has shade! A good thing in the 90 degree heat.
