Day 17 - 123 Mi to Cameron, MO

Wow, what a perfect day for a ride!  excellent conditions and a route that was suited for me. Today we entered or 7th state...Missouri. We also passed our halfway point after 9 miles of riding.  

Halfway Across America for the Wounded Warrior Project

If you look at the elevation profile, we had 6500 feet of climbing up and down with one small 15-17% grade smoker,  The hills were such that once you reach the peak of one you could use the momentum down to get up halfway up the next. 

We got an early start this morning with plenty of fog but not cold at all.  We rode right into downtown Topeka and picked up highway 24 to highway 4. The final miles out of Kansas are pretty easy with several long rolling hills to break the monotony.  We passed Atchison, Kansas which was near Leavenworth, Kansas, a place I lived in 1999-2000 while attending US Army Command and General Staff College.

Familiar Surroundings

Soon after we entered Missouri over the Amelia Earhart Memorial Bridge over the Missouri River we were welcomed by a Missouri state sign and of course we had to take the obligatory state line photos.

Entering our 7th State

From there we rode through some beautiful rolling farm country to a little town of DeKalb, MO (population 225) where we had our lunch SAG at the town square. I was fortunate to meet a nice lady, Lula Belle Mathews a resident of DeKalb, who opened the community center for us to use the bathroom. She does that every time the bike tour comes through.

Lula Belle and I in DeKalb, MO

Tomorrow we are expecting some thunder and storms possible along our route, 30% chance . This will be our first time dealing with rain.  The terrain will be the same, 120 miles of rolling hills.

(Most Photos taken by Mike Munk- Bamacyclist.com)