Date: August 23, 2005
Route: Rest Day
Distance: 0
Ride Time: 0
Elevation Climbed: 0
Weather: 70s and 80s
Log
This was our first rest day and Daniel showered me with attention and was ready to do whatever I wished. Melanie and I got up at our usual 6am … creatures of habit, I guess. I hustled to the guest laundry in the hotel to get my clothes going. Then I went downstairs to get caught up on my journal. Bill also keeps a journal on line and we had dueling computers. Daniel came down to breakfast ready to work. After we ate, I delivered my bicycle and the supplies and he started to work. He was joined by several other riders and, from the looks of it, everyone had a pretty good time.
Melanie and I changed into “city” clothes and hopped into the Daniel’s pickup to be tourists. Our first stop was at the post office where we both sent boxes home of unessential stuff. Then we headed for the arch. I had only seen pictures of the Gateway Arch and my first sight of it from the freeway was thrilling. My wonder only increased as we got closer. It is so delicate and gracious … I walked under and around it to see it change in the light and perspective. Daniel decided to sit in the park while Melanie took the ride to the top. He mumbled something about being too claustrophobic for him but that went right over my head. It turns out that there are several 5-person capsules that ascend the arch. It is like being inside an egg, and, being claustrophobic myself, I grabbed Melanie’s hand and concentrated on breathing deeply. It took 4 minutes, I’m told, to journey the 630’ to the top. The view was magnificent!
We had a sandwich in St. Charles and returned to the hotel with a stop at Walmart on the way. I took a nap (after all, this IS a rest day) and then the three of us went out for a relaxed, delicious meal in a restaurant in St. Charles overlooking the cobblestoned streets.
It was so wonderful to spend time with Daniel! There are not many people who would drive 10 hours just for a one-day visit. Melanie and I had so much fun we tried, and will keep on trying, to get him to visit us again in Memphis . That would only be a 6 hour drive from Louisville .
