Update #20 - Thursday, July 19, 2007
TROY, MISSOURI
7,938.62 miles (12,701.79 kms) since Jan 01st
7,097.76 miles (11,356.42 kms) since March 03

The ride has been going okay. I had four good days off the road in Zearing, Iowa. I was also able to talk at my friend's church (Zearing Christian). This was the first time that I got to worship at Rev. Ted's church in Zearing. This is my third time through Zearing but the first time that I've stayed over the weekend.

From Zearing, I headed basically eastward across Iowa to the Mississippi River. I crossed the Mississippi River (for possibly the 16th time this year) at Fort Madison, Iowa. This bridge is the longest swing bridge in the country. The bridge is double-decked and provides two lanes of rail traffic on the bottom level. This bridge link is very vital to the country since well over half of the countries rail traffic goes across the bridge.

I made a short jaunt through Illinois with a rest day outside of Calusa. I crossed the Mississippi River again at Hannibal, Missouri. I was hoping to stop and see some friends there but they were not at their store near the Mark Twain home. Tomorrow, I'll be crossing the Mississippi River again but this time I'll be taking a toll ferry at Winfield, Missouri. The bridge at Louisiana, MO is too narrow and I don't want to cross near St. Louis.

I got to stretch a two day trip into a four day trip to Granite City, Illinois (across the Mississippi River from St. Louis). My friends in Granite City will not be back home from a church camp till late Sunday night.

I'll be in Granite City for a few days. From Granite City, I'll be crossing southern Illinois and Indiana to Cincinatti, Ohio. From Cincinatti, I'll be riding to Charlestown, WV and then back across the Appalachian Mountains to central Virginia.

I'll try and post an update as often as I can if my plans change. The next update should be posted between July 26th and August 02nd. Hopefully, I'll have more to write about by then.