Wandering Retirees

Hi friends. We had a really nice day’s riding today. We covered over 330 miles and are relaxing in Pontoon Beach, IL. Yes, you read that right. It just off I-270 about 5 miles from the Mississippi River. Or about 10 miles upstream from St Louis, MO, home of the Arch, the Gateway to the West Museum, and home to the Anheuser Busch beer company (think Budweiser and Michelob).

We started the day a little later than expected because (suspenseful music) we stopped to talk to a really nice couple. Doug and Heather are from Wichita, KS who were in town helping their daughter get settled in her new apartment. The daughter (sorry, we didn’t catch her name) just got a job in quality control for Hills Dog Food in Richmond, IN and needed some help prepping her rental, the ground floor of a 130 year old house. Oh, my, but Doug and Heather had some stories to tell about this project. Without going into details, they traveled 800 miles to really work over the course of a long weekend to make a safe place for their daughter. And they didn’t seem terribly unhappy, though home and jobs were beckoning. Amazing how parenting doesn’t necessarily stop when offspring reach 18, or graduation from college or at any particular time; we’re happy and willing to pitch in because it’s part of who we are as parents. We get to be needed and appreciated one more time. And it’s fun watching our kids’ adventures unfold. Maybe even get to say, “told you so!” If we’re lucky. BTW – did you know that dog food must meet the standards of human consumption? Another fun fact picked up along the way.

We so enjoyed Heather and Doug’s company. They are kind and openly warm people who make you feel like an instant friend. It didn’t hurt any that Doug rides a Harley and knows his way around a bike. And while he has spent his working life in the trucking industry, Heather is a teacher to more vulnerable students whom she adores. They offered their home if we were to get in trouble near Wichita. We are so glad we met.

Predictably, there’s not a lot of thrilling landscapes to talk about along I-70. We’ve seen some fun ads and a few head scratching official placards, like this one: “Drug Activity Impaired Driving, dial #677”. We spent about 200 miles trying to parse this one. It sounds like we should report a car driven by someone who is not in complete control. Sound reasonable. But how does one assess that drugs are involved? Or are they necessary? Could texting while behind the wheel be sufficient to call the hotline? Can we? (Please?!). Or if you’re impaired, should you call? “Man, I’m wasted …” There just seems a lack of clarity to what should be a wonderful Public Service Announcement. Just saying.

Around lunchtime, we stopped in Martinsville, IL, a little agricultural town of about 1,200 souls, 2 miles south of I-70. We parked and immediately met Norma, a town ambassador who also is coordinating the food vendors for the Clark County Fair coming up soon. (She took a couple of calls while we were talking.) she directed us to a little café where for about $6 we could get homemade ham and bean soup, and fresh sirloin quesadillas. We were hungry and the sale was ridiculously easy. We also provided a bit of conversation for the regular patrons, dressed as we were in our riding gear.

After the long day, we were really grateful to have a swim, a shower, a libation and some supper. Now, the only question is whether we can stay awake long enough to watch a period or two of the Stanley Cup finals. Have a good night! —

Cozy Candle Outlet billboards populated the edges of Interstate 70. There was even one with a half naked cowboy holding a hearth candle. Oo la la. So inviting!

We stopped in Martinsburg, IN for some lunch. It was a such a quintessential midwestern town.

Farm fields for miles and miles and miles

We were impressed by front page news of philanthropists sponsoring international studies.

How we track our progress. Spot. The device also lets us contact 911 if we have no cell service.

About midday we entered Illinois.