Day 1

Wednesday, September 3, 2003

Nashville to Alton, Missouri

393 Miles

We said we were going to make this trip, come Hell or high water. Hell can wait 'til another day but did we ever see high water. Rain, rain rain! We left Nashville at 8:30 am in a downpour. We drove through White Bluff, Charlotte, Erin and Dover in the rain. Once we hit Kentucky, the rain became intermittent. It remained that way until 5:28 pm when we hit clear blue skies in Poplar Bluff, Missouri.

Landmarks crossed during the day included the Tennessee, Ohio and Mississippi Rivers, Land Between the Lakes and the Mark Twain National Wilderness.

Bill met a guy named Larry in Alton, Missouri, who used to own a Harley Sportster. His old lady got it in the divorce. According to Larry, she's in prison now. He wonders what happened to the bike. That's a lot of living for a 20 year old.

We were told to call Daisy Simpson in Alton in order to rent a cottage. While not actually a cottage, it is a three bedroom house, with two full baths cable TV and a complete kitchen - all for $40 a night.

More tomorrow.