Fredericktown, MO to Van Buren, MO Thu 6/25/2015

     Headed south on US 67 to get to US 65 West.  I like the 12' to 15' paved shoulders.  Much safer even though more traffic.  Five miles out of Fredericktown had my first flat tire.  Tube valve stem tore.

A sheriff stopped and asked if I needed help. He said they got a call from a motorist who said a bicyclist was broke down on the side of the road and was rubbing his leg as if he were injured.  I don't remember the injured part because it was only the tire that was giving me pain .

All fixed and ready to reassemble.

CJ Herbert stopped to offer help.  He drove me south away from my destination to US 60.  He is a real outdoorsman.  He lives back in the Ozarks in a cabin with no electricity, no gas, and he lives off the land.  Heats his cabin with one candle.  Quite an interesting person and a big help to me.

The back of CJ's van with his Chihuahua Guard dog, Phoebe

This is Big Spring. The worlds largest single springhead.

This is the beginning of this river

So there's water has come from as far as 100 miles underground  

This is Andrew. It works at the Motel I was staying in.  He drove me to the grocery store so I could pick up a few things. He then asked me if I wanted to go see big Spring, about 5 miles away.  He was very anxious to show it to me and I was greatly rewarded with how beautiful it was.

Another view of Big Spring