I begin today’s blog with the end first, because it was so special. After a long day on the road which took me past lakes, hills, state parks, wildlife refuges and small, healthy towns I was happy with all that came my way. I had no idea the best was yet to come….

Our final stop of the night was The Village of Caledonia, an adorable, well kept oasis in the heart of Missouri. As this is the July 4th weekend RV’s and trailers were streaming by towards the parks and as usual, Chris and I looked for a place to boondock the rig so I could exit at 5am where we left off. We stopped in the back of a Masonic lodge but the sign stated no trucks. I showered and cleaned up quickly and walked across the street to a vintage antique store and approached a woman at the register. I explained our situation and asked if there was anything they could do to help. Debbie, the owner and I soon learned the Clerk of the town made a phone call and the Mayor, John Robinson came over to the shop to welcome me personally to the town of 130 and let me know if would be fine for us to stay and that they would alert the sherif and take care of any surprised neighbors. We chatted about the town and its history - Alexander Craighead came here from Scotland and platted the village. He also built a log cabin in 1819, the year it was founded and that same log cabin just sold for $60k! This is the way a town should feel - well cared for, a strong community and great stewards. I hope anyone traveling through makes a pit stop at the Caledonia Diner for great breakfast or the ice cream shop that is the most unique I have ever visited. One last note, the village won Best of the Parkland for Festivals which they have done for 20 years coming up in 2021 in October for fall where the town of 130 swells to 15k+! My interview with the dynamic duo is below. I thank them greatly for their hospitality!

The day kicked off with my usual routine that ended with me lacing up my shoes, donning my hat and grabbing my pack. Lucky will not let me get away without him…I am thrilled to report he is back eating and working hard on the road with me.

I rolled into the town of Ironton around noon after passing through Arcadia and found a coffee shop on Main Street where I popped in, had a sausage, egg, cheese empanada with an iced vanilla latte. More importantly I met Brittany who just moved back to Ironton from Boston! Interesting discussion we had about this…

On my way out of Ironton I crossed paths with a number of High Schoolers raising money for their class - as an old sales person I appreciated the trench warfare - in the street, flagging down drivers and asking for donation. That is the best training! I donated to the cause and caught up with Allie and Hannah.

As I spoke to John and Debbie, two bikers rode up and asked where they could find beer speaking loudly over the sputtering of their cycles. John cooly told them to head down the street. I noticed something I have never seen in person before on the bikers left bicep - a big swastika tattoo. I told him looked bad ass and could I take his picture - holding my breath he cracked “sure”. Afterwards I asked John if he knew who it was and he responded he knows the 130 folks living in town but not him.

Big day all around!

Thank you for your continued support -

Cheers,

David.