Tour de COhio

June 20th - Jefferson City, MO to Augusta (Klondike Park), MO

Day 16 - June 20th, 2005

  • Big snapping turtle east of Mokane
  • Tug along Big Mo at Portland
  • 2 flats (rear) Dave and Dave
  • River Witch Saloon, Augusta, MO
  • Dusty the DJ
  • Little Man w/Brown's cap
  • Also a trail rider (local)
  • Average 59.28 miles per day!

DP

  As Goot mentioned, the River Witch Saloon was a great place. Original circa 1800s building, survived the flood of '93 and probably many others.

  The river used to run right by it in Augusta, MO, but now the course is controlled by man.

  The wall behind the bar has a giant painted mural of a river scene, complete with a paddle wheel river boat. The scene was taken from an actual early 1900s photograph, which he also had hanging on a wall, very interesting right down to the little brothers sitting on the steps of one of the town buildings. These little towns are, for the most part, like ghost towns with one or two actual places of business. Augusta, on the other hand, where you go up the hill on Republic(?), I think, has a little more to it – but everything is closed (almost) on Monday, and that's what day it is. So it was bologna and bagels for Bo and I and a Big Ass Cheeseburger or two for Big Goot – the ol' microwave special – but no matter – it hit the spot and so did the lager at the saloon and camp. Now everyone is in their tent but me (of course) and the night is winding down. 10:30 p.m. is the time (or so), a fire flickers to my right as I sit at a picnic table listening to a gentle breeze in the trees, under a full moon with nothing to do but remember this and soak it all in. I'm enjoying every second of this trip (even when it's tough), and I truly do hate to see it end – yet I do miss certain things back home (and people), but like any vacation, I know it will be too short. I've really grown use to this traveling by bike thing and plan to do more of it! Probably shorter trips so I can devote my time to the Deathrays (one of the things and people that I miss). Oh, yeah! I'm spreading the word of Deathrays.net to anyone who shows the slightest interest in anything musical – the latest I met today at the River Witch, a one Dusty Durst, an evening DJ or current DJ, actually, for, I believe, college radio or something. He liked to talk and play or pull at his Colonel Sanders' white tuft of hair growing below his lower lip area, which reminds me – he likes Frank Zappa big time.

  Well, I'm finally getting tired and my hand is also (from writing). So I will soak in some more of the lovely evening and call it a night.

DG

Early morning start in Jefferson City, MO.
Early morning start in Jefferson City, MO. More early morning in Jefferson City, MO
More early morning in Jefferson City, MO. Missouri state capitol in the morning.
Missouri state capitol in the morning.
Crossing the Missouri River from Jefferson City, MO, early in the morning.
Crossing the Missouri River from Jefferson City, MO, early in the morning.

Trail denizen. Trail denizen.
Large female snapping turtle Snapping turtle close-up.
Snapping turtle close-up.
Mysteries of Standing Rock trail sign.
Mysteries of Standing Rock trail sign. Standing Rock.
Standing Rock. Missouri River barge and tug.
Missouri River barge and tug.
River barge near Portland, MO.
River barge near Portland, MO.
Tug and barge moving up river.
Tug and barge moving up river. Dave G in the River Witch Saloon, Augusta, MO.
Dave G in the River Witch Saloon, Augusta, MO. Gary in the River Witch Saloon.
Gary in the River Witch Saloon.
The dudes in the River Witch Saloon.
The dudes in the River Witch Saloon. Outside the River Witch Saloon, Augusta, MO.
Outside the River Witch Saloon, Augusta, MO. Johann's of Augusta.
Johann's of Augusta.
House in Augusta, MO.
House in Augusta, MO. Good eating at Johann's.
Good eating at Johann's.