 Pleasurable riding, south to Alton  A big tow |
 Block house party Alton main street |
30/7/2011 Grafton to Alton, 27km, 1.5hrs, 18.75 av
Sleeping like a log and not to hung over I headed to the bar here at the Ruebel for brekky. I had to checkout by 1200hrs so packed things up and retrieved the bike from the banquet room, it to had seen a bit of luxury in Grafton.
There was a charity ride come poker run arriving in town, so I caught up with Dawn at the Hawg Pit bar. There was a great crowd there including a few bods we saw last night.
A couple of hundred Harleys arrived, not to many helmets in sight, but some brilliant machines. It was a bit of an emotional moment seeing all the bikes turn up escorted by two police guys on their Harleys. It was another Mississippii etching for me.
A few Jap bikes were amongst the entourage. A classic Honda 350 trail bike was in the line up. So powerful in their day. I have spent a bit of time on one in the past, it bought back memories of adrenalin rushes following a twist on right hand grip.
There was a band playing ,the lead guitarist was brilliant , with a voice like John Mellanchamp. The place was in full swing. The bike guys and girls were all good people and everyone was super friendly.
I had a yarn with the local police woman, real natural kind of girl who was obviously well liked in town. She said they have part time cops in town, which is an interesting concept. My main purpose of talking to her was to say what a neat town she had to keep sorted, crime was low she said.
I have been told by so many people to avoid East St Louis, all the road signs are gone and the police have barricaded many street ends so the rif of the raf cant escape during chases. It’s a gang related issue.
I met a guy who is an engineer on a river boat, he went on to tell me the tow boat he is on has twin engines totalling 6,150HP. He has given me the number of his boss to see if I can get a ride on on of the tows, would be good, although both agreeing that liabilty issues abound here too.
The locks are no longer necessary south of St. Louis. There are some on tributaries like the Ohio into the MR south of here though.
I left the bar about 1630 and headed for Alton, 12 miles, a great cycle track links the two towns. Squirrels were everwhere on the trail sections. Flighty liittle things. Buzzards were on the edge of the river bank where it came close to the road.
Arriving in Alton at 1900hrs, I am now sitting in a street with bods everywhere, there is a block party happening, where they block off town and have a band playing.
I parked up at a camp table that was in the street, met a nice couple who looked after things while I headed to a bar to rehydrate, the bar guys girl was at the bar , we started yakking, she was at college, this kind of stuff is so natural for me now. We yarned and laughed, after about 5 sprites which her boyfriend shouted me, to which I donated a dollar to their common cause I headed back to the bike to relieve the people I had just lumbered with a bit of care but fittingly no responsibility.
These guys are Jimmy Buffet cover experts. As usual one is never short of bods to talk to. Tony is coming into the party to join me and pick me up. It was a great night, Tony introduced me to heaps of bods, he being a local. I even had a great all be it short yarn with the Mayor of Godfrey, another small town just down the river.
Following the final number from the band we grabbed a few more swarnaramas and yakked till the place got fairly empty
We headed back to Tonys truck, put the bike in the back and proceeded to his place.
Tonys daughter Janie and her friend Maddie were with us. Neat kids. I set up in Tonys camper van.
Sleeping like a log and not to hung over I headed to the bar here at the Ruebel for brekky. I had to checkout by 1200hrs so packed things up and retrieved the bike from the banquet room, it to had seen a bit of luxury in Grafton.
There was a charity ride come poker run arriving in town, so I caught up with Dawn at the Hawg Pit bar. There was a great crowd there including a few bods we saw last night.
A couple of hundred Harleys arrived, not to many helmets in sight, but some brilliant machines. It was a bit of an emotional moment seeing all the bikes turn up escorted by two police guys on their Harleys. It was another Mississippii etching for me.
A few Jap bikes were amongst the entourage. A classic Honda 350 trail bike was in the line up. So powerful in their day. I have spent a bit of time on one in the past, it bought back memories of adrenalin rushes following a twist on right hand grip.
There was a band playing ,the lead guitarist was brilliant , with a voice like John Mellanchamp. The place was in full swing. The bike guys and girls were all good people and everyone was super friendly.
I had a yarn with the local police woman, real natural kind of girl who was obviously well liked in town. She said they have part time cops in town, which is an interesting concept. My main purpose of talking to her was to say what a neat town she had to keep sorted, crime was low she said.
I have been told by so many people to avoid East St Louis, all the road signs are gone and the police have barricaded many street ends so the rif of the raf cant escape during chases. It’s a gang related issue.
I met a guy who is an engineer on a river boat, he went on to tell me the tow boat he is on has twin engines totalling 6,150HP. He has given me the number of his boss to see if I can get a ride on on of the tows, would be good, although both agreeing that liabilty issues abound here too.
The locks are no longer necessary south of St. Louis. There are some on tributaries like the Ohio into the MR south of here though.
I left the bar about 1630 and headed for Alton, 12 miles, a great cycle track links the two towns. Squirrels were everwhere on the trail sections. Flighty liittle things. Buzzards were on the edge of the river bank where it came close to the road.
Arriving in Alton at 1900hrs, I am now sitting in a street with bods everywhere, there is a block party happening, where they block off town and have a band playing.
I parked up at a camp table that was in the street, met a nice couple who looked after things while I headed to a bar to rehydrate, the bar guys girl was at the bar , we started yakking, she was at college, this kind of stuff is so natural for me now. We yarned and laughed, after about 5 sprites which her boyfriend shouted me, to which I donated a dollar to their common cause I headed back to the bike to relieve the people I had just lumbered with a bit of care but fittingly no responsibility.
These guys are Jimmy Buffet cover experts. As usual one is never short of bods to talk to. Tony is coming into the party to join me and pick me up. It was a great night, Tony introduced me to heaps of bods, he being a local. I even had a great all be it short yarn with the Mayor of Godfrey, another small town just down the river.
Following the final number from the band we grabbed a few more swarnaramas and yakked till the place got fairly empty
We headed back to Tonys truck, put the bike in the back and proceeded to his place.
Tonys daughter Janie and her friend Maddie were with us. Neat kids. I set up in Tonys camper van.
