Day 28
St. Louis MO, 42 miles
Today I was on the road at 7:00 AM. I wanted good light for photos when I crossed the “Chain of Rocks Bridge.” I was freaking-out when I arrived at the East end of the bridge and saw that it was gated and locked. I got off the bike to take a closer look and found a sign that said volunteers open the bridge every day by 9:00 AM. I only had to wait a few minutes and a fellow drove up to unlock and open the gate. We had a nice conversation. He asked me if I was riding across the country for charity. I had to admit that I wasn’t. Not being on Facebook makes it tough to raise money for charity.
After crossing the iconic Route 66 bridge, I rode the riverfront bicycle trail all the way to downtown St. Louis and the Gateway Arch. The ride in to St. Louis follows the Mississippi River and various canals built to support shipping and industry. The area along the river is a major industrial hub of America, not terribly picturesque, but vitally important economically.
After hanging out at Gateway Arch for awhile, and having my picture taken, I simply rode around downtown St. Louis. I was looking for interesting sights. After an hour or so, I ended up in West St. Louis. I stopped at a corner and three people started chatting with me. When they found out I was crossing the country they were excited to hear about my trip. One of them took my picture while another got me some water. After chatting for awhile I was asked if I liked BBQ? I replied, “I’m in St. Louis, right?” Well that got them laughing. They told me the best BBQ in St. Louis was just a half-a-block away! The place is closed on Tuesday so I’ll be back on one of my rest days.
I wandered a bit more until I found myself in Brentwood. That’s where I’m going to hang-out for the next three days. The bicycle trip will resume on Saturday after I go to the Cardinals Reds game Friday night. I’ve decided I’m going to do the Katy Trail before I drop back south to resume the TransAm route. More on the Katy to follow…
The famous Route 66 “Chain of Rocks Bridge.”