Royal Gorge Bridge - Colorado

Royal Gorge Bridge - Colorado

Hartsel Jail - Colorado Funny Little Building

Larry and Charlie at Hoosier Pass (Elevation 11,542 Feet) Highest Pass of the Trip

Moose Crossing River at Willow Creek - Colorado

Continental Divide Willow Creek Pass - Colorado

ILLINOIS AND KENTUCKY

Hello everyone,

The Katy Trail ended in St. Charles, so farewell to Missouri and hello to Illinois. I crossed the Mississippi on the Grafton Ferry. The ferry captain asked me what I was doing, and when I explained I was riding across the country to raise money for the fight against cancer, he gave me back the $3.00 he had charged me to cross the ferry.

My brother, David, met me in Alton and we had a very nice dinner at Tony's restaurant. It has been a long time since we have spent any one-on-one time together and we had a very good time.

Illinois is very dry, the winter wheat looks good, but the soybeans and corn are burning up. I'm sure the humidity and heat are here to stay the rest of the trip.

On to Carlyle, where my nephew, Tim O'Reilly, and two friends Steve Pitliangas and Jim Rives met me for dinner. Again, it was another enjoyable evening. Tim proceeded to ride with me for two days through Carbondale and Golconda. We spent the night in Anna at Dick and Midge Bigler's house (Brooke O'Reilly's parents). I really appreciated their hospitality.

About one mile before entering Carbondale, the road was concrete and the shoulder was asphalt with the shoulder lower than the road. When Tim went to get back on the road from the shoulder, his front wheel caught the edge and down he went. I knew he had to be hurting, and so did the people in the cars that saw him go down, as a couple of people stopped to check on him. He said he was okay and continued to ride with me the next day. Tim left me in Golconda, so once again I am back on my own.

I had a rest day in Elizabethtown. I stayed in a cool bed & breakfast owned by the state of Illinois called the Rose Hotel, which was built in 1812. It overlooked the Ohio River and this was the first time I had seen the Ohio River. The town also had a very good bar with very cold beer. I had some great fried catfish for dinner.

I now have made it through Illinois and am now in Kentucky. The state of Kentucky reminds me very much of Missouri. Very few shoulders on the road and very small towns along the route.

I stayed at the First Baptist Church Hostel in Sebree as there were no hotels in Webster County. The pastor of the church, Bob Hardison, and his wife, Violet, are two very special people. They have set up the youth center of the church as a hostel for cyclists. It had separate rooms for sleeping, mattresses, sofas, shower, a full kitchen, and snacks. Bob and Violet's home is next to the church/hostel and they invited me and the other six cyclists that were staying at the hostel to their home for dinner. Violet fixed the most amazing dinner of ham, green beans, corn, sliced homegrown tomatoes, cantaloupe, and corn bread. For dessert there were cookies and three kinds of homemade ice cream. What a delicious feast! She also did every one's laundry for them. They enjoy meeting the cyclists that visit their hostel. They truly do make you feel right at home.

I rode to Cave In Rock and took a ferry across the Ohio River as there is no bridge.

All is well in mind, body, and bike.

Talk next week,

Larry

CONTRIBUTIONS TO LARRY RIDES AMERICA

I would like to thank everyone for their contributions to my ride. Currently, $190,000 has been raised. Your generousity is so very much appreciated. Following is the list of people and businesses that have made donations:

Mark Allenspach
Aftermarket Alliance
Catherine Anderson
Two Anonymous Donors
Doug Arnold (Sherman Williams)
Bob & Becky Bach
Ann & Norb Bagley
Chris Baldwin
Annie Barnes
Tony Bartholomew
Bill & Cindy Bates
Andrea Baty
Jim & Lorna Batten
Whit Bazemore
Patrick Bauer
Cynthia Bennett
Blackwell Sanders Peper Martin LLP
Midyette Bigler
Armine Boustani
Jim Budzinski
John & Crystal Buerlein
Jim Bugg
Jay Burchfield
Tom & Saundra Burks
Virginia Bussey
Evee LeeAnna Butchetta
Roger & Kathleen Cady
Joe & Marie Carmichael
John & Jennifer Carnahan
Carrollton Speciality Products
Ron & Sue Carrot
Ken & Pat Carter
Jenny Carr
Kathryn Charles
Allen Casey
Michael Chevalier (R.B. Howes & Company)
Mike & Krystyna Clarke
Jeanette Clinkenbeard
Jeremy Collins
James Combs
Steve Connolly
John Courtney
KC Cowan
Andrea & Tom Croley
Trevor & Cabrini Croley
Anne & Warren Davis
Kim & Carol Day
Credit Suisse - Chris Baldwin
Dian DeChant
Eddie & Molly Deck
Greg DeLong (Edward Jones)
Betty & Joe Dukert
Ann Drennan
Drury University Athletic Department
Jack & Beverly Emmitt to Honor Vicki Hume's Birthday
Kathy Van Eeuwen
Doug Evans
Frank & Sara Evans
Nancy Fazzino
Alan Fears
John & Jeris Ferguson
John & Pat Ferguson
Dain O'Reilly Flisher
Isabel O'Reilly Flisher
P.J. O'Reilly Flisher
Buddy Freeman
Tom and Susan Froehlich
Rob and Cindy Fulp
Gary Funk
Charlie Gallagher
Dorthy Gardner
Walter & Martha Gaska
Laura Gemery
John Gentry
Kevin & Shelley Gerschefske
David Gohn
Carol Gough
Brian & Julie Gray
Joe Greene
John & An Greene
Bill & Elayne Gordon
Kathleen Griesemer
Larry Gurian
John & Lee Haik (James Decor)
June & Sam Hamra (Wendy's)
Joe Hankins
Bill & Ginger Hardie
Bill & Louise Harding
Alexis O'Reilly Havens
Rich & Dana Havens
Eric & Tricia Headley
Greg & Becky Henslee
JoDee & Peter Herschend
Diana Hicks
Dallis & Darlene Higginbotham
David Hogan
Kevin & Cindy Hogan
Dwayne Holden (Custom Metalcraft)
Jack & Robin House
John Hume
Vicki Hume
Jim & Jeannette Hutcheson
Steve & Pamela Hutchinson
Mike Ingram (Ingram Enterprises, Inc.)
Linda & Jerry Jared
Trish Jeffrey
Brian & Kelly Johnson
Jeff Johnson
Richard Jones (Merrill Lynch)
VIrginia Jones & Buddy Ball
Amy & Ross Keller
Kurt & Kim Keltner
Michele Kiser
Dave Koenigsfeld
Melissa LaBolle
Kurt & Sally Larson
Paul Lederer
Felicia Liebman
Larry Lipscomb
Brenda Logsdon (Whitlock, Selim & Keehn)
Saunny & Tom Lynch
Sallie Mae
Tom & Jennier McFall
Terry & Mary Kay Meek
Ed & Jane Mellers
John Mihalevich
Ron Middleton
Mike Miner
Father Fergus Monaghan
Chuck & Nickie McCann
Tom & Ann McAlear
Rick & Jane McElvaine
Casey & Carrie McLiney
John Montgomery
Dick & Linda Morgan
Peter Morse
John & Jeanie Morris
Bob Murray
Kari Myli
Doug Nabholz
James Nelms
Mike Netzel
Charlie & Mary Beth O'Reilly
David, Lindsay, Matt & Austin O'Reilly
Erin O'Reilly
John O'Reilly
Kenna Lou O'Reilly
Larry & Nancy O'Reilly Family Foundation
Lauren O'Reilly
Nancy O'Reilly
Pat O'Reilly
Terry & Scott O'Reilly
Tim & Brooke O'Reilly
Tony O'Reilly
Ben Parnell, Jr.
Todd Parnell
Mike Patton
Jim & Debbie Penn
Glen Perrini (East Penn Manufacturing)
Steve & Julie Peterie
Dave & Sue Pitts
Angie & Mike Pivac
Tom Prater
Wayne & Sherri Price
Larry & Linda Pryor
Tom & Penni Quinn
Tom Rankin
Ronald Rashkow
Joseph Ray
Joe Rayl
Bill & Camille Ricketts
Jim Rives & Eileen Bartow-Rives
Blaine & Liz Rollins
Carol Rose (Rose and Associates)
Bob Roth
Susan Rowe
Tom & Joyce Samsel
John Schaefer
Michele Schafer
Steve Schneider
Tom & Diane Seboldt
John & Helen Selig
Jeff & Kelly Shaw
Wade & Shanne Shipman
Paula Shumaker
Mindy & Brent Singleton
Amy & Randy Smith
Ted Smith
Larry Snyder
Springfield Engineering Company (Jerry Fielder)
Springfield Trust Company
St. John's Hospital Foundation
Thessaly Startzell
Phil Stocker
Tom Stout
Tony Stubblefield
Mike Swearengin
Jon Swope
Bianca Taulman
Peggy Taylor
Ron & Sue Carrol Terry
Erica & David Thiessen
Rhonda Thomas
Paula Tindell and the Victim Center Advocates
Becky Tinkham
Mrs. Howard Tisdale
Don and Phyllis Tisdale
Stephny Tisdale & Cary Barneycastle
Gerald Toler
Bill & Ann Turner
Doug Ulman
Colin Wallis
Arch & Tina Watson
Sylvia Weitzman
Terry & Jean Whaley
Mike & Nancy White
Phyllis & Carl Wilcox
Randy & Marge Wilson
Mike & Carol Williamson
Gary & Lynda Wingo
Bob Woodworth
Majorie Wolfe
Rosalie Wooten
Randy Wooten
Steve & Betty Wutke

Thank you everyone! We continue to receive donations and hope to reach my goal of $250,000.

KATY TRAIL

I just finished riding the Katy Trail, which is a historic trail of the route of Lewis and Clark. I encountered a lot of rain. This is the only part of the ride where I am on a crushed limestone trail and the rain made it very sloppy and slowed me down. My bike was covered with a white limestone mud and dust.

I saw Daniel Boone and his wife Rebecca's tombstones near Marthasville.

I stayed at a cool bed & breakfast in Augusta and the residents are excited because this summer, the professional biking tour (Tour of Missouri) will be riding through their town.

Made it through another state as I finished Missouri today. I will be crossing the Mississippi and Illinois rivers on the Grafton Ferry, which will take me into Illinois. I have now ridden 3100 miles.

Take care and talk again next week,

Larry

Two Story Bathroom - When the Snow Is So High It Blocks The First Story

Hotel in Jeffrey City - Nothing But The Best For Larry

Elk Cossing Sweetwater River - Wyoming

Togwotee Pass

Views from Yellowstone

Entrance to Yellowstone

Old Faithful - Yellowstone

Entering Wyoming

Snow in Beaverhead Mountains - Montana

Ghost Town - Nevada City

Chief Joseph Pass Continental Divide

Trapper Peak - Montana, South of Missoula

St. Mary's Mission Historic Church - Montana

St. Mary's Mission - Montana

Springfield News-Leader Article on Larry

Message from Vicki:

The Springfield News-Leader will be featuring an article on Larry's ride. I believe it will be in this Sunday's edition June 24. If not this Sunday, then the next.

BACK IN THE MIDWEST

Hello everyone,

On the second night that Charlie, Mike, Tom, John, and I were camping in Pueblo, a storm came in with a wind like you would not believe. It blew over some of our tents, so we packed up and took shelter in a hotel room.

We had planned on riding from Eads to Tribune; however, Vicki discovered that the Ride Across Kansas was starting from Tribune with 800 riders on the day that we would be leaving. So we decided to ride to Leoti and spend the night. The guys left from Leoti, and so once again I am on my own.

I had a rest day in the quaint town of Lindsborg, Kansas. The first settlers of this town were from Sweden, and the Swedish ancestry and cultures have been preserved there. The signs, food, and names of the residents are all Swedish. There are many Swedish Dala Horses (which are carved wood horses brightly painted) sitting on the sidewalk.

I have now traveled 2600 miles. I made it through Colorado and Kansas and am now in Missouri. It is good to be back in the Midwest in familiar territory and out of the mountains. The weather is now hot, windy, and I am dealing with the rain. The wildlife I am now seeing is pheasant and quail. I will be traveling the Katy Trail so I am now off the TransAm Route.

Talk again next week.

IN COLORADO WITH GREAT COMPANY

Hello everyone,

I left Wyoming and am now in Colorado.

I spent one night at the Hot Sulphur Springs Resort & Spa, which is one of the nation's oldest and largest natural hot mineral springs spa. The springs are located at 7,600 feet elevation and have been in operation continually for the past 140 years. The resort adjoins National Forest land and the Colorado River.

My brother, Charlie, my cousin, Mike O'Reilly, John Mihalevich, and Tom Prater met me in Frisco and are riding with me all week. It has been an adventure with these guys and it has been great to have the company. We are having some fun.

Rode through Royal Gorge and it is always impressive to see the Royal Gorge Bridge. Hanging 1,053 feet above Colorado's Arkansas River, the bridge is the world's highest suspension bridge and is a legendary feat of engineering. It is over 1,260 feet long and 18 feet wide. The original cost to build was $350,000 and with today's cost estimated at 15 million. It has each of the state flags on the bridge. We camped at Royal Gorge KOA.

Tonight and tomorrow we are camping at the beautiful Lake Pueblo State Park. It has plains to the east, and to the west, The Sangre de Cristo, Pikes Peak and Greenhorn mountain ranges provide a scenic alpine backdrop. The lake's irregular, 60 plus mile shoreline is rimed with limstone cliffs. At an elevation of 4,900 feet it has a mild climate.

The weather is now much more pleasant. We had a couple of thunderstorms, and at one point, I had to find shelter and the closest thing I could find was a road grader. I climbed inside and waited out the storm for about an hour. The other guys had to find shelter along the side of the road in a ditch and also in a trailer.

Crossed over Hoosier Pass, which is the highest elevation pass of the trip. Had a blowout, but no problems, I was able to get it fixed. I have ridden about 550 miles in the last nine days, since the last rest stop in Lander. Tomorrow is a rest day, so no riding for me tomorrow.

Hope all is well with everyone. Things are going great and I am now getting close the the halfway point of the ride.

Talk next week,

Larry