Ozark Mountain Daredevils - Day 4 - June 13, 2025

 We began the day in the rain. Yes, the rain.

When you ride in the rain, the concern is not just the reduced co-efficient of friction between the tires and the asphalt, but the ability to see. Seeing the roadway is a big issue. Accordingly, when riding in the rain, we tend to drive slower. 

We were riding down a two-lane road, with Magellan at point, Ironbutt behind, me in the rocking chair (third), and Buttercup at the tail. 

We can see that a white semi coming up behind us is very agitated and wants to get around us. Accordingly, when we encountered a straightaway, the white semi pulled out into the other/left lane to pass all four of us. It was quite a distance to pass all four of us, and the white semi was not accelerating like a race car.

It was a curiosity, until a truck came around the bend in the other direction - at highway speed. The other semi flashed its lights and honked its horn, which caused me (and Buttercup) to slow in the event the white semi wanted to pull into the right lane to avoid the collision. We could see the disaster developing. But the white semi didn't slow or attempt to come right: he tried to speed around Magellan - and he was not going to make it. 

My concern was that if the white semi decided to kill Magellan or Ironbutt, he could have come into the right lane, colliding with them and avoiding the head-on impact with the other semi. The white semi would have saved himself, but would have clobbered one of the goombahs. But the white semi chose to go straight in an attempt to get around Magellan. 

In a split second, the oncoming truck moved to the right, onto the shoulder and the trucks passed each other at highways speeds: yes, the oncoming truck moved to the shoulder off the roadway, with the white semi in the left lane. It was a very close call. And if that decision had not been made/if the ongoing driver did not take evasive action, there would have been a head-on collision and a double fatality. No wonder people hate truckers. That was a lot of excitement for the day. All I can say is that both drivers will have a fitful sleep tonight.

On to more pleasant pursuits.

This is rain gear:

The term "waterproof" is a fiction

We stopped for lunch in Warsaw, Missouri at a restaurant which was funky, and reminded me of a hippie establishment.

On leaving Warsaw, Magellan took us on a detailed tour of this one block town, circumnavigating the downtown area at least three times. His navigation credentials are again under review.

We stopped for the night in Lebanon, Missouri: I have no idea where that is. But in Googling Lebanon, I found that we are on Route 66: a trip that Magellan, Buttercup and I took several years ago.

Lebanon is a popular stop on Route 66 as it has a number of old Route 66 structures.

Founded on the site of the Wyota Indian village, Lebanon began developing around the time Laclede County was established in 1849. In the late 1920s, Route 66 was born and followed the same path the Indians had marked, running through Lebanon’s south side. Archways proclaiming “Lebanon – Drive In – Our Town, Your Town” were placed over roads leading into town off of the "Mother Road." 

Route 66 served Lebanon and Laclede County from 1926 until December 4, 1957. Now I-44 follows roughly the same path as Route 66. So there.

We rode 243 miles today, for a trip total of 649 miles - still less than day one of the Alaska trip.

Tomorrow, it is back to Arkansas.