I awoke at about 0500 and did a couple of hours of blogging, got almost caught up. You have prolly noticed I am keeping it to text only this year, partially because this blog site isn't as good as the one I used before, you can't weave the images and video into the story, they appear on separate tabs. Also because the multimedia rich Blog I wrote for the Alaska trip became a 4+ hour commitment each day, ultimately it became bigger than I ever intended it to be, and was almost an obligation each day.

That being said, I still enjoyed the writing, and appreciate them even more now reading them, especially last summer when I was stuck with my hurt foot. The old Blog site had a feature where you could have the Blog printed as a soft cover book, which I did with our Arctic Ocean Journey. I was going to give Bill the book for Christmas, but when he was in the Hospital with Legionairres Disease I thought his spirits could use a boost and gave it to him then.

So between 0500 and 0800 I was able to do 2 more days, catching me completely up. Hopefully I can stay caught up and write about each day the evening of. Although sometimes I find it takes a day for my brain to sort out the details.

I had a call booked for 0800 with someone in Toronto wrt a show I have there next week. Call only took 15 minutes, then another call with a current client who wants to do a new peice of business in September. I have been managing events from the road my entire career, 23+ years in the business so it doesn't bug me in the least. I often get inspired from things I see on the road. I saw a multiscreen multimedia presentation at the WWII Museum in New Orleans that I eventually replicated for the annual Fashion with Compassion event I produce each Fall. Art imitating Life!

I had washed some socks and gaunchies in the sink last night and they weren't quite dry so I took them outside to dry in the Sun and Bill was out packing his bike. I suggested a 0900 departure but when I went back inside I noticed I had lost track of time and it was 0847, I went back out and asked for 0930! Bill as always, especially when repeatedly sated with fine quality Tequila, was contrite.

That's not to say he has Tequila in the morning! Just that overall his mood has been good of late.

We depart at 0945, I am taking liberties here, having left ourselves 400 kms to St. Louis, it should be a relatively easy day. I made us hotel reservations in DT-STL on Expedia. We have 2 goals for our visit, see the Gateway Arch and get us some BBQ.

Couple of explanations: The Gateway Arch was convceived in the 1930's, enduring corruption, theivery, nepotism, funding SNAFU's etc for 30 years and finally built in the 60's. There is a fascinating Wikipedia article about it I encourage you to read. This site does not allow posting links in blogs so I will leave that up to you, but it is well worth it. While you are there, donate the them $3, it is an important resource to have the sum of all human knowledge in one place.

BBQ, in Canada it is a style of cooking, or an event. As is "Hey, we are having a BBQ, wanna come over?" or "Hey, wanna come over for dinner, we are BBQing Steaks." In 'merica, BBQ is a food group, it is any meat cooked with smoke, fire and steel, liberally coated in sauces and spices. We are going to Pappy's, the most famous BBQ place in STL, then tomorrow SugarFire SmokeHouse, a close second. So, are we driving 3600 kms for smoked ribs? Maybe......

I do a little Google Maps research beforehand to determine the best route, minimizing time spent on the Interstates, which are always terrifying. I write out the directions; 36 to 61, 61 to I10, I10 to I270, I270 to I64, I64 to 14th Street, turn left. I repeat the numerical sequence over and over while I drive, committing it to my Goldfish like memory.

Although the drive is somewhat short by normal standards, today after a couple of hours I find myself feeling sleepy. Falling asleep on a Motorcycle at 75 MPH is a terrifying prospect and the second worse feeling. The first worse feeling is WAKING UP on a motorcycle at 75 MPH, sadly, in my 30+ year riding career I have done both, many times. You know you are in trouble when you start negotiating with yourself; I will just close my eyes for a second, there is a straightaway here, I can get 15 seconds of sleep, that'll freshen me up!

I saw a show on the Discovery Channel about a small bird that was on the menu of dozens of predators and had to remain ever vigil or he'd get eaten, so over time they evolved to have the capability to put one side of their brain to sleep while keeping watch with the other. That is a talent I could use right now. Instead I make the adult choice and although the shoulder is rather narrow, I pull over.

Dismounting I tell Bill that I am dozing off, he understands completely. Early in his Insurance career, before he owned his own company, he was an insurance inspector and drove all over the Province for weeks at a time. He has felt the same feeling.

Using my slightly narcoleptic talents I put my jacket down in the ditch, fashion my riding gloves into a pillow, lay down and fall asleep in about 45 seconds. Unbeknownst to me, as I am in REM, Bill takes his book and moves to a nearby shady tree for a rest himself. I can hear the traffic roaring by, and also the sound of vehicles driving over the rumble strips so as to give our parked bikes a wide berth, but the sound serves as more of a Lullaby.

I sleep for 10, maybe 15 minutes and wake-up feeling like a million bucks. The recuperative benefits of the catnap, no matter what the circumstances, cannot be under rated! We continue on with the plan of stopping once more for gas before we get to STL. I am still repeating the complex directions in my head, although we are southbound now on 61 so the chant is one highway shorter.

As we approach the STL Metro area I am keeping my eyes peeled for Interstae 10, the first road in the maze, but as we approach a complicated interchange I see a sign for I64, which is our eventual goal anyway so we just skip all the ones in between and get on the final one first. Fingers crossed it is the right one!

After a couple of minutes on I64 we see a big accident in the Westbound lanes, cars are scattered everywhere, emergency vehicles are on scene, traffic is backed up for a mile. Then incredibly, no more than 3 miles closer to STL another accident in the other lane, the various emergency vehicles have this one backed up for a couple of miles. Note to self, find a different way out of town!

Just as I am wondering what would cause so many accidents (or as they say in 'merica; wrecks!) a guy in a Jeep comes up behind us, we're doing 80+ MPH and he swerves across all 4 lanes doing at least 100+ MPH. OK, I get it!

I still want to top off fuel before we get into town, the theory being on departure morning we can just get out of town and not worry about anything that day. I take an exit into a small city about 30 miles short of STL that has gas station icons, but can't I find the goddamn gas station? It is a dense retail shopping area and I take one twist and turn after another all the while trying to remember how to get back on the Interstate. I can only imagine what Bill is thinking as he follows. Prolly, where the Hell is this guy going?

Don't find gas, but stumble on a collector that spits us back out on I64. We drive for about 20 minutes, I know we are getting close. We take another exit that has a gas station sign, but it doesn't tell you until you are off the Intertstate that said gas station is over a mile away, so we have no choice, we are committed, we go the whole way and top off our tanks. I take the opportunity when stopped to determine the exit we need to take for our hotel. The Red Lion Hotel is on 14th Street, there appears to be a 14th Street exit, we'll see.

Only takes a few minutes to get to the hotel from there, exit was as advertised, and we are in front of our hotel in no time. Stephanie at the Front Desk is a real treat, she says I look like a Rock Star, because of my hair whence I pull my head out of my black helmet in 35 degree weather. I suggest if I was a Rock Star I would have arrived in an air conditioned Limo, not in a non AC'ed black leather jacket!

Same routine, unload into the rooms, takes a little longer because of the distance, then park the bikes in the parkade. Expedia rooms are typically kinda crummy, the hotel gives you less than desireable rooms, ones with a view of the HVAC stack for example, but these rooms were quite outstanding, large, balcony, albeit inside view, King size bed, free wifi. Good deal for downtown STL! At $106.00+tax per night, only slightly more expensive than we have paid in some small towns.

It was 1445, our usual stopping time anyway. Bill and I agreed upon a lobby call of 1800 and retired to our rooms. We are going to Pappy's Smokehouse for dinner tonight. I looked up Pappy's on the web and they warn that they run out of stuff everyday, basically they stay open until they run out of ribs, usally around eightish. It was 1730 when I called Bill to see if he was ready (I knew he would be) and we left a bit early.

Pappy's was a short cab ride away and it was everything I expected it to be, except it wasn't lined up around the block. When Guy Fieri was there for Triple D it was super busy. There were maybe 25 people in line in front of us, so we got through and got our slabs of ribs in short order.

I had a full slab of dry rub ribs, what they are famous for and was not disappointed! Also had fried corn on the cob as a side, the first time eating corn that way, but not the last! Bill had half a slab and some beans. Bill wanted to make sure you knew that I could not finish my order of ribs, they were that big. I left about 25% of my meal. I am sure there is a special place in Hell for those who squander Pappy's Ribs! As we were leaving we saw the line-up had grown to about 50 people and was almost to the door. Good timing on our part!

We took a cab back downtown and went to the Gateway Arch to reconnoiter the area for tomorrow. (I tell you this because I enjoy using the word 'Reconnoiter' in both spoken word and print!) The Arch is nothing short of spectacular in real life! It was still hot to the touch despite the sun having retreated behind the office buildings of downtown. I tried, without success, to find out how much thermal expansion the Arch sees each day, it must be substantial and complex as first one side, then the end, then the other side is heated by the Sun. Perhaps we'll find out today when we explore the Arch in detail.

We asked our cabbie to return in 30 minutes as neither of us thought to bring a cell phone. He returned at the appointed time and we returned to the hotel, retiring to the hotel bar for a night cap.

Back to our rooms by 2030 for an evening of blogging and Tom Cruise movies.

Day Seven

Cameron, MO to St. Louis, MO

433 kms (3642 thus far)