Utah Road Run with the Atomic Shovel: Day 3

Posted byKaran AndreaPosted inUncategorized

Day 3

St. Louis, MO to Joplin, MO

Today. Today was the kind of day that riding is all about for me. This doesn’t mean it was perfect.
When I tried to start the bike this morning, the starter button wouldn’t work. I figured something in the ignition might still be soaked from the pressure washing the bike took yesterday. No matter. Pulled out a screwdriver, bridged the solenoid posts and she cranked right over. Yes!
And of course, the weather absolutely sucked yet again. Rain again this morning for the first 100 miles. Not the wrathful stuff of the last two days – more like a steady, relentless drizzle. Like the last tears of a 2-year-old after an epic tantrum. They just won’t stop. But once they did stop… Wind. COLD wind. I had 20-30 mph winds – often a head wind that made acceleration and holding speed rough – but sometimes a cross wind, which made holding a line with that crate of a bike a little sketchy as well.
REGARDLESS…. I got to ride portions of Route 66 today! ROUTE 66 baby!!! The Mother Road. The mystical, mythological, magical road to beat all roads. I have wanted to do Route 66 from end to end (as much as it is currently possible) for as long as I can remember. So tracing just portions of it today was so exciting. I did not have time to stop and take pictures, but the taste I got has inspired me to do the entire road, end to end. It has moved to the top of my list.
Since it was drizzling this morning, and i was in no hurry to leave, I took a stroll to the Arch and took some photos. Opposite the arch was an old, government-looking building with a statue in front. I walked over to see what it was, and to get another shot of the arch. Turns out it was an old courthouse. The courthouse where the Dred Scott trial was held. I am embarrassed to say I had to read the plaque to recall the significance of the trial. The trial rendered the devastating ruling that African Americans were not U.S. citizens. It was appealed all the way to the Supreme Court, which upheld the lower court’s ruling.
So my day was bracketed by history – the shameful renunciation of freedom, and the exuberant freedom of the road. THIS is why I wanted to do this trip. I wanted to bump into things that made me feel, made me think. They aren’t all good. They aren’t all bad. But they all inspire me to do better, be better, appreciate everything I have, and love the people around me.

Published by Karan Andrea

I ride motorcycles, I live motorcycles, and I write about motorcycles. Both of my blogs are written for motorcyclists: atomicshovel.blog tells the never-ending story of my 1974 Harley-Davidson FLH, which I have named the Atomic Shovel. My other blog coachk.home.blog is written for riders of all skill levels, but is primarily aimed toward the rider who is transitioning from the riding range where they learned basic skills, to the open road. This blog address the most common questions I see in the online groups and forums: dealing with anxiety - yes, that is the number one question, navigating traffic, parking, holding your bike on an incline, just to mention a few. Much of what I write is simply drawn from my own experiences - successes, failures, do-overs. Nothing in either blog should be construed as the absolute one and only approach; rather, look at them as a starting point for your own discovery process.

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