Day 26 Sept 22

 



Good Riding weather no jacket was needed for the morning and with a quick stop we managed to avoid getting wet when a thundershower passed over us.  


Todays ride was short but interesting stops along the way meaning it was full day although we covered only 50 miles to Granite City IL.  So the Lewis and Clark bike route is completed and surprising to me a little early. As far as the ride goes today there were no problems.  There were some roads that could have been better but even that really amount to me whining and I have been told not to whine.  We crossed the Mississippi at Alton on Hwy 67 they are repairing that bridge.  Dianne and I are thinking about riding out and looking at the chain of Rocks bridge before but it is not certain.


The first stop was at the Lewis and Clark historic site on the IL side of the river.  It like most of the historic sites run by the national park service great.  One of the exhibits was of the Keel boat shown as a full size model.  They cut it in half length wise to show how it was loaded.  A couple things became clear to me.  I did not comprehend how big it was till I saw it up close.  Also the amount of gear they carried was also very impressive.  Given the fact that they had to tow the boat upstream most of it is a job I would not want to do.  


The next stop was Cahokia Mounds also known as Monk’s Mounds.  We have seen it before but Dianne likes the site a lot so as we were in the area she wanted to stop.  Lucky for us there was guided tour just starting our and joined in.  The mound is on the World heritage site listing and is well worth stopping at many times.  In 1000 AD it was home to 10,000-20,000 people meaning it was one of the largest cities in the world at that time.  No one is sure why it depopulated in the 1400 but there are many theories to justify it, climate change due to the little ice age, over use of land, social unrest, drought conditions and foreign invaders.  Again this is must see and they are building a new interpretive center and when that is done we have to come back.  


Other points.

  • One of new credit cards arrived this morning so I am closer to normal today.  Although still disappointed I was so dumb.
  • Monks Mound is the biggest earthen mound in the country.  It’s base covers 14.5 acres
  • The wall surrounding the mound was 2.5miles long.  It was not for defense but also for social division 
  • Did not count at all today as the ride was short and started and ended on busy streets
  • Did see one old 1940 or 30s pick up truck that was cool
  • lots of barges backed up at chain of rock lock
  • Mississippi River is really low this year for the first time ever I could the rapids and rocks that the chain of Rocks lock was built to avoid
  • It is hard to remember that America once had a large French population that settled parts before the English Arrived.    but there is a French side of Saint Charles that looks a like the french quarter in New Orleans.
  • Not that from the top of the mound you can the arch in St. Louis if you look closely.















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