#68 Lake of the Ozarks

April 15, 2007

392 miles

Moonshine
Day 4
Sunday

The Moonshine Lunch Run (RTE) is over until next year. Time for everyone that's still around to head out their own separate ways.

Sunday morning the sun broke through and it was a wonderful day to ride. I was headed to St Louis, Missouri as was two of my new found friends, Danny and Sue. So we saddled up and headed west together. They both live in the Kansas City area and had ridden in to Moonshine together. Today they have company going back.

Here's Sue and I gearing up.

We rode together to the Illinois - Missouri state line where I wanted to stop at the Lewis & Clark State Park to collect a stamp. Here Sue split off to head home.
However, Danny and I had other plans. Next, we crossed the Mississippi River and rode into downtown St Louis so I could see the National Expansion Memorial Arch up close and collect a couple stamps at the old Historic Courthouse.

Danny volunteered to stay with the bikes where we parked "not quite legally" in front of the old courthouse so I could run in to get the stamps.
For a Sunday it seemed to be little more busier than I was expecting in downtown St Louis.

As I got off Fleeter when parking at the courthouse, I about fell to the ground when a thundering BOOM sounded. Danny laughed...and explained to me that the Cardinals just scored. The game was being played just across the street on the next block. The ballpark was full of mostly red-wearing fans. That explains the extra people roaming around St Louis.

Does this look like someone you would follow half way across the state of Missouri to spend a night at his lake house at Lake of the Ozarks? Well, I generally am a good judge of people and SO I DID head with him to Lake of the Ozarks just because...I'd never been there before. Lake of the Ozarks: At 92 miles long it is one of the largest man-made lakes in the world! Who knew?!

Here's my tour guide for my adventure into mid-Missouri.

Here we go...heading southwest on I44 to Lake of the Ozarks.
This route shared pavement with the Historic Route US 66.

Once we reached Laurie, Missouri, we got onto the smaller back roads...
And rode this way and that...

... until we reached lake side.
He's the lakehouse...home for the night.
After running around the area a bit and having supper at Chances 'R', we ended up back at the lake house for the night.

Danny was a wonderful host and I had a great visit to Lake of the Ozarks!

Thanks Danny!

Tomorrow back to Southwest Kentucky to see another new friend I met at Moonshine.