Day 47 - Monday, July 5

I missed the fireworks last night by a good 2 hours because I was just too wiped out. As the days go by, especially this week getting above 30 miles per day, I am feeling run down and not even able to eat as much as I used to - i.e. I was having a big bowl of ice cream at night and now I’m too tired to do it. Even though I go to sleep early, I wake up tired and today I felt it the most just dreaming through 30 miles today not really remembering how I did it but know it hurt. Starting at 100 miles for first week, the last week was 210 miles so big progress is being made and tomorrow is required day off because of Lucky so I will recover a bit.

After wrapping up the day in Vienna MO, Chris loaded me up and we drove back to Columbia for the second time in two weeks for a visit tomorrow morning at Mizzou Veterinary Clinic. Lucky was unable to have his last round of chemo on Monday and I am hoping he can do it tomorrow. He has been low energy as of late so I’m a little concerned with what is happening. Nonetheless we will find out more tomorrow.

We just ate at a restaurant in Columbia called Murry’s. Excellent food, ambiance and they have live jazz at 7pm every evening. What a great find for us. We both had Greek salads with anchovies tossed on top, ahi tuna medium rare and spiced to perfection with succulent new potatoes with butter and seasoning. We polished it off with a local dessert called Gooey Butter Cake that reminded me of a pie my grandmother used to make called Milk Pie and she farmed in Nebraska.. The Missouri version was the same butter, milk, eggs, sugar but made with a small cake layer instead of a pie crust. Outstanding dessert they served with 2 scoops of both ice cream and whipped cream. First time I out ate Chris and he brought his leftover back to Lucky who was on a hunger and thirst strike for the entire day until we both came back with goodies for him.

Today’s mini chapter of crossing Route 66 was nice. Tomorrow is Lucky’s day, clean up RV, and we pick up Bob Becker at the airport to get back to where we left off. Bob will accompany us on this next chapter which will take us to Lake Ozark and ultimately Booneville MO where the Santa Fe Trail begins heading west. Bob will head back on Saturday as we make the hard left turn toward California. Bob Will then be heading out to a famous race called Badwater 135 which starts at lowest point in continental US and ends 135 miles later at the highest point on Mt Whitney. He hopes to break a record for being first young 76 year old to accomplish this feat.

All for now - thank you for your continued support.

Cheers,

David.

Route 66!

Sun rising as I walk alone along the famous road.

Missouri Veterans Cemetery on Route 66.

Crossing over Interstate 44 that replaced Route 66.

Old preserved buildings…

And antique shops lined the street.

This is the point of where Trail of Tears continues west to Oklahoma and I go north towards the Santa Fe Trail.

Back out to the rural Missouri.

Farms spread out along the road.

Snack time: pickles, toast w butter and jam, coffee, voodoo chips and a Gatorade. And, parked next to a farm where tractor matches my shirt! Thanks For pic Chris.

Plenty of water sources.

Long stretches of seemingly never ending road.

Another farm house.

Post run and heading towards Columbia, Lucky is a tangled mess with me as I tried to rest up.

Gooey Butter Cake…and The Candyman aka Chris, making Lucky’s day.