St. Joseph to Chillicothe

It was great to have an off day from riding. We got the bikes cleaned and lubed, and washed clothes. I took the opportunity to visit the Pony Express museum, the house where Jesse James lived briefly and was murdered by one of his partners in crime, and Pattie House, a large restored hotel built in 1858, where the Pony Express headquarters was based.

A nice couple, who had toured with ABB in the past, and lives in St Joseph, taxied us wherever we wanted to go. The husband and wife each had a vehicle and showed up at the hotel to be our taxi from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM.

I learned that the Pony Express was only operational for 19 months before the Telegraph made it obsolete. The museum was housed in the original stable for the horses used. In this building was the original well used which was dug in 1859, There was a Plexiglas cover and the well was lit so you could see the stone lining and the water below. There was a hand pump that you could operate to pump water into a trough. Pony express riders could deliver the mail in 20 LB. pouches 1,950 miles to Sacramento, CA in 10 days. Fresh horses were located at stations every 10-15 miles.

Today we rode 90 miles from St. Joseph to Chillicothe beautiful rolling farmland. At the first SAG stop a nice man approached me and asked about our tour. I introduced myself to him. His name was Michael Burress. He was maybe in his late 40’s or early 50’s. He asked if he could pray for me. He shook my hand while he prayed for my safety and that of the other riders. It was a meaningful interaction. He may have been a minister, or he may have been an angel.

Our route took us through Jamesport, MO, known for Amish home cooking. Most of the bikers stopped at Gingrich Dutch Pantry for lunch. We had sandwiches and pie with ice cream. It was apple for me. We all agreed that this was a lunch stop to remember. Young Amish or Mennonite girls were working in the kitchen. We saw horse and buggy transportation as we ate. With lunch finished and back on the road again we met several horse and buggy Amish. They readily returned our waves of greeting.

Our daily information sheet that we get with each day’s ride included a short paragraph on the Mennonite movement and how it originated in Holland in 1561. The Amish group originated from the Mennonite movement and was founded by Jacob Amman in 1663.

We have 4 new riders that joined us in St. Joseph. A husband and wife couple from Atlanta, Ga who are riding a tandem bicycle. Also, a Grandfather and Grandson team have joined us. The Grandfather is on a recumbent and did the cross country ride about ten years ago.

Tomorrow we ride 83 hilly miles to Kirksville, MO.