Johnson Shut Ins State Park, Missouri

We had two good days. Yesterday we did 90 miles, and today we did 76 miles. Today was through the Ozarks, which were probably the steepest grades we have seen so far. The hills were 20% along route 106. Fortunately they were generally a mile at most uphill. However, after doing 15 or 20 of those, your legs are begging for mercy! The Ozarks are also some of the most beautiful terrain we have seen so far. The views are stunning, the forests lush and verdant.

We met more bicyclists along the road. We again ran into our friend Volker from Germany, who we started he trip with. We also met a cyclist from Annapolis MD, who was riding west.

We ended the day at Johnson Shut Ins State Park. We are camping here, spmething Connor was pretty excited to do. No the name does not imply a lost aunt or other relative that is a 'shut in.'. In fact the name is derived from the fact that the water is 'shut in' by the natural geology of the region.
Tomorrow we should enter Illinois and finish at the Mississippi River! We are both very excited, because that means that the next day is our very coveted rest day. We are hoping to rest in Marion, IL, which perhaps has the best slogan we've encountered so far "the hub of the universe!" Hopefully it will not be too busy however to relax!