Day 28 - Farmington, Missouri to Ellington, Missouri

Sunday, May 22,2016 61.5 miles(99.0 km)

The morning started with a early wake up and get things packed in the car for the ride back to Farmington.  Got to Farmington with no problem and quickly unloaded.  Patty and I said our goodbyes and I was off.  The ride out of Farmington was much nicer than the ride in, the weather was near prefect. 

The first town I came to was Pilot Knob, a site of a Civil War battle.  I stopped by the state historic site at Fort Davidson for a short walk around.

Fort Davidson Berm

Canon

Pilot Knob

The route then went north on State Highway 21, which was quite busy, fortunately it has nice wide shoulders to ride on.  Then the route followed State Highway N which was much less busy but did not have a shoulder either.  The route today was hilly but none of the hills were that steep and it made for good riding.  The route was through areas of farmland and also forested areas.

Missouri Countryside

My next stop was Johnson Shut-Ins State Park.  The park was the site of massive devastation in December 2005 when a power company dam gave way and 1.3 billion gallons of water washed through the park. Large boulders were brought down the hillsides and deposited in the park.   Fortunately no one was killed as a result of the massive flash flood.  The park has since been restored.

River At Johnson Shut-Ins

Boulder Moved 1.5 Miles During Dam Break

Boulder Field

After leaving the state park I crossed multiple forks of the Black River.  A very clear running river.

Black River

I stopped in Centerville for a late lunch at the 21 Diner.  They had a Sunday fried chicken special, chicken, mashed potatoes, gravy, green beans, Texas toast, it was excellent especially for the whopping $5.25 it cost :-).

From Centerville to Ellington is generally downhill however there were a few hills to climb but again none that were very steep.

I am starting see some different wildflowers from those that I previously had seen.

Yellow Wildflower

Blue Wildflowers

Tonight I am staying at a cyclists' hostel in Ellington.  It is pretty basic but it definitely will serve its purpose.  Hot shower, air conditioning and a dry place to sleep.

Overall a great first day back on the road.