adventure
midwest
motorcycle
Man of Constant Sorrow
1:31:00 AM
I suppose my riding habits are going to change a little bit. Now that I can ride any day of the week year round, it's going to be hard not to want to do just that. However, the lane splitting and the idiot drivers in LA are going to push me into being a little more selective. One thing I will really miss about Saint Louis is the ability to avoid traffic, or just the lack of traffic in general.
On another note, I mapped the Angeles National Forest and route 2 from our door step, which is just 16 miles. Angels Crest is supposed to be a dream ride. Aside from the traffic in the cities, I am pretty excited to have access to some of the most scenic and enjoyable rides in the world. I hear route
Image lifted from http://jacobteixeira.wordpress.com/
I am glad I got a few really good rides in Southern Missouri before moving. Since we kept getting the random warm days in the midwest, I thought it best to take advantage of riding in late December and killing a leftover vacation day. I managed to talk these dudes into taking a Monday off and doing the full Bluff Road route to Ste. Genevieve, on to Farmington Mo. Probably the windiest exhausting rides I have ever been on. Those open farm roads on the levees aren't so forgiving with 30 mph sidewinds.
Disclaimer: Forgive the inconsistent quality of the photos below. I was going to bring my DSLR, but the forecast called for rain, so this is all iphone.
This is a great scenic Missouri route that runs along the limestone bluffs and isn't too far from St. Louis. I was disappointed that I didn't have my DSLR with me, as I began seeing all of the abandoned buildings, pretty open landscapes, and heartland americana culture.
One of highlights of the route that really made me regret not having brought a real camera, was this abandoned mining tower that we came across.
I don't know the story of this thing, or how old it was, but it was super creepy and awesome. It would have to be quite old, judging by this tree that is eating scrap that has fallen from the structure.
Everything in and around the building was covered in chalky limestone dust and eventually so were we. It was pretty surreal looking, and I had promised myself that I would make it back with a good camera. I however do not see that happening this year.
After we climbed the hill and got close enough to trespass, we noticed boulders had been beating the hell out of this structure. This door that had once been barricaded had since been demolished by this boulder.
Wesley caught this shot of me testing how reliable this structure was going to be, while being electrocuted. Notice the hair. Turns out it was reliable enough to go inside and explore.
Once inside it was obvious that we could easily head up 4 stories to the bridge that led to the mining cave. It seemed like a really great way to die, but we decided to save that for the next trip.
What a beautiful forgotten structure that is in the process of being reclaimed by mother nature. These pictures are a little heavy on the dramatic processing, in real life this thing is solid white and coated in chalk. It's a surreal feeling, almost like being on a staged film set.
From here we went forth to the ferry into Missouir, but it was shut down. Our reroute took us the Chester, the birth place of Pop Eye the Sailor Man. It was here that a police officer pulled us over to compliment my Triumph, and then tell us what roads have the best twisties and which ones are his favorite to speed on with his bike. Nice dude.
He then advised us to go down under the bridge, past the Pop Eye museum and there will be a prison that had been established in 1878. He told me to go down and be sure to photograph it. I didn't get real far before the guard tower was threatening us and made us leave.
Take note that when I took the photograph below, I was being yelled at and really had no idea how amazing this sign is and how it looks as if a 3 year old had composed it.
Stopping to admire trains in motion durring a day trip is an essential part of the day trip.
Hopefully many more adventures like this to come once my bike and I are reunited in California. If you do like these photos and want more, please follow me on instagram too. Thanks for stopping by.
Posts
0 comments