Art and History

We awake at our heavenly B&B and almost don't want to leave. The French Open is on and we dawdle over it, and our 2-course breakfast, knowing there will be nothing like it for the rest of the trip. No kidding. In Missouri it seems, Sunday is God's day to rest. Monday is for everybody else: nothing will be open between Rocheport and Jefferson City (our destination). Knowing this, our hosts have packed us a lovely lunch to tide us over, and helpfully point out the way.

Today our ride will be along the river, with bluffs to the north...

And the Missouri to the south. 

As we follow the Katy, we scout for petroglyphs we've been told can be found on the bluffs, and get our first history lesson: be alert! Here is what we're looking for:

And this is where they're supposed to be:

How did Lewis and Clark ever spot these things? We scour the bluffs, and are able to detect the "Nike Swoosh." 

L has particularly sharp eyes and sees some others. Taking my eyes off the "Swoosh" puts me back at square one. I'm not good at petroglyphs.

We pedal onward, stopping at a sign for a scenic overlook. 

There's only one way to get to an overlook, and not everybody is up for it. We leave our bikes in the care of  "The No Shame Crew," and clamber up in our stiff bike shoes.

The view is lovely.

The way down only slightly treacherous.

As we pedal on, we see our hosts were right: there is no place for lunch in spite of the advertising ("Open All Year").

But art never takes a holiday, and the detour is almost worth it; in NYC people would pay good money to see this:

And while we're at it, here's one I'll just call Boathenge:

When you're an artist, you work with the tools at hand.

And today will be about art - and history: the Capitol Building in Jefferson City houses a mural by Thomas Hart Benton. We've made that our goal.

To get there, we need to cross the Missouri River via the Jefferson City Bridge. It is buzzing with traffic, but we are guided to a truly amazing piece of infrastructure to get us across: this ramp. 

I have seen ramps like this in Minnesota; but this one is so wide that passing is easy even at the corners (riders of the GWB will appreciate this). Theoretically, we could ride two by two.

We can see the Capitol building in the distance.

Once in Jefferson City, it's a healthy uphill hike.

A good workout for any Capitol building employees, if they happen to cycle. We park our bikes around back.

And go in search of the mural.

Thomas Hart Benton is a Missouri native son, and he painted this mural during the 30s with the WPA. The sheer scope of it boggles the mind. 

Both Missouri myth and history mix in this work of High Americana.

Frankie and Johnny:

(Actually Frankie and Allen Britt http://www.murderbygaslight.com/2010/03/he-done-her-wrong.html)

Jesse James:

Huck Finn

All of whom were Missourians. But wait a minute - what's this? It doesn't look good...

We try to suss it out, and finally ask some employees, who enlighten us to Missouri's extremely violent past. There was a Mormon massacre (1838) where 17 Mormons - including children - were murdered in cold blood (this inset is a tarring and feathering).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haun's_Mill_massacre

And during the Civil War, Missouri was a hotbed of violence. Choosing neither side, it sent troops to both sides (recipe for disaster). Missouri's citizens were often caught in between the Union forces and the Bushwackers - confederate guerillas - with fatal results. This is a history I won't forget. I'm also impressed by the knowledge of these civil servants, and a bit abashed that I am nowhere near as well-versed in the history of my home state of NY.

Before leaving the Capitol building, we visit the hall of busts of famous Missourians and are astounded by how many famous ones there are: Charlie Parker, Josephine Baker, Betty Grable, Walt Disney, Robert Heinlein - of course Harry Truman - and many more. Who knew? Check it out: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hall_of_Famous_Missourians

We are thrilled and fascinated by all of this. But on a practical level, it has not escaped our attention that we passed a bike shop en route to the Capitol.  

And that's good because by now our clunkers have started clunking for real: KD's chain is slipping badly, and mine is beginning to do the same. Like Velo Cycle Sport, Redwheel* is well stocked.

Just as important, they're open. As we hobble in, they greet warmly as part of the cycling community. They patch us up and won't take any money. What great guys! They point the route to our hotel, the Capitol Suites.

Its corporate interior lacks any of the charm of the Yates B&B.

But we're happy to have made it. We too are well stocked.

Our bikes have their own conference room (they have much to discuss). Showered and relaxed, we head off on foot to dinner at the Madison Cafe.

Our itinerary says there will be no lunch places along tomorrow's route, so we order sandwiches from the Grand Cafe in preparation. Being prepared turns out to be a smart idea, because the next day starts off with a bang.

* Redwheel Bike Shop http://www.redwheelbikeshop.com