Marshfield to Houston, MO - July 24

We did all of our riding before noon, getting into Houston with 64 miles. When we arrived, mom was already in a hotel room that she had picked out, so we've been lounging in the air-conditioned room all afternoon.

We ate pizza at 10:30 in a small convenience store along the way where the clerk recounted all the other cyclists he has seen this summer, including some we've also seen, such as the two families riding six tandems.

Mom is going to be driving along with us tomorrow, but then will be driving back to Mountain View, Ark., in the evening. That means that we won't have a veritable restaurant van following us and will also go back to carrying our own packs.

Tonight, I went through all the things I'll be sending back with mom, including my warm clothes and the camp stove. It's been so hot that we haven't felt like cooking and it is just more convenient -- and not that much more expensive-- to just buy food along the way.

Tomorrow we'll be going through the most memorable hills of the Ozarks, with the goal of making it to Ellington. In 1987, this was the stretch where mom almost gave out and I waited along the side of the road for what could have been two hours until she and dad caught up.