Farmington, MO

Hills, hills, hills. 50 miles today from Chester to Farmington. You can see the elevation profile below. I'm afraid I don't have a fancy tracker to tell you my total climbing - but it felt like lots. The road surfaces were smooth so that was good!

Below you can see a photo from Chester looking over the Mississippi. It took about an hour on the flat to reach the hills in the distance and then it was like a rollercoaster of up and down.

I met some cyclists for the road today. Biff and George stayed at the Eagles 'motel' last night and (after pancakes, bacon and maple syrup) we set off. Below is George crossing into Missouri. Both are solo cyclists, both from Virginia.

We then met Mark and Patti just as we hit the hills. They are from Florida. Patti is the 1st female tourer I have met so far!! The tandom fans will enjoy the picture below. They say hauling the trailer up hills is like dragging an anchor up behind you. Though they still were faster than me.

I'm spending the night in jail !! Well a converted jail anyway, now a cyclists hostel. It's very luxurious. Farmington is a very attractive town, despite being laid out in a grid like most American towns. There is a picture of the city hall below. After all the hills it was a treat to stroll into town to find a nice bakery for muffins and coffee.

Other strange places I have slept in / camped this trip include:-
A church
Outside a bike shop
With the fraternal order of the eagles
Outside a volunteer fire department

More hills tomorrow methinks.