Day 32: 47 Miles

Marshfield, MO to Ash Grove, MO

After setting up my tent last night I walked over to the Mexican restaurant about 100 feet away to grab some dinner. The food was good, but I was surprised by the margarita. The waiter asked what size I wanted, so I asked for a medium without thinking to check what that actually meant. My meal came out along with 30 ounces of margarita. It was enough to have me feeling pretty good after the meal.

It was funny walking back from the restaurant because I realized the RV park was right behind a Holiday Inn Express. It was $140 per night to stay there, but only $12 to basically sleep in their parking lot. I managed to sleep well which was surprising given the rain and the highway on ramp 20 feet away. I think the margarita may have helped me out.

I woke up fairly early and started to pack things up. There was more rain in the forecast, so I thought it would be best to get all of my things together while there was a gap in the rain. While packing up I noticed my bike was missing one of the bolts that holds the rack onto the frame. While I’d probably be fine for a day or two, I decided to wait until 8:00 AM when the hardware store opened so I could get a new one. I got breakfast at McDonald’s, quickly found a new bolt at the store and then headed out to start the day.

The first 20 miles of today’s ride had some rolling hills but trended downhill. I flew through this section but found the following 27 miles to be a bit tougher. I still averaged over 12 mph today which was really good, but I thought the day would go by a little easier. It was a short day though and I arrived in Ash Grove right around 12:45.

Tonight’s accommodations are in a bike hostel run through the town. There is air conditioning, a shower and bathrooms and once again it doesn’t cost a thing. I arrived at the hostel shortly after Matt. Since there is a full kitchen, Matt and I decided to head to the grocery store to grab some food to cook for dinner. Of course as we were checking out the people behind us invited us over to their place tonight. So the dinner food became a late lunch and we may get another free meal later tonight.