Hartsburg to Hermann, MO

56.5 miles. It was a beautiful Spring day and the forecast was good for all day, so we dawdled down the trail today to let our legs rest and enjoy some of the sights we missed yesterday in our haste to finish before the predicted severe thunderstorms hit. It was a great day - we saw lots of birds, including cardinals bluebirds and even a few orioles (yes, they look just like the logo on the Baltimore baseball team's uniforms). Large portions of the trail run through habitat conservation areas and wetlands, areas teeming with wildlife - particularly birds. I regret that I don't know more about the different varieties - this place would be a bird watcher's dream.

There were also a lot of tree limbs on the trail today since there finally was a thunderstorm late last night. Most of these were small enough that we were able to roll over them without problem, but we spent a lot of time dodging the larger ones that potentially could puncture a tire or jam in the spokes. And there were two whole trees down blocking the path. Both of these required us to dismount, disconnect the trailer and panniers and carry them as wells the tandem over the mess. One of these trees was a large maple with multiple main branches. When we had finally staggered over it we both were very tired but still managed to have a good laugh.

We are staying in Hermann tonight, a town settled by German immigrants. Unlike the ridiculous extent to which Lindsborg, KS has gone to hype its Swedish heritage ("do you want an order of Ollie and Olga Fries to go with that?"), Hermann gives one the impression of classical elegance. Yes, I admit this is Missouri and my perspective may possibly be dulled by seeing so many decrepit towns so far. But Hermann has many beautiful brick buildings, stately churches and lovely old homes. There are several wineries nearby and an unbelievable number of B&Bs. No wonder it is a favorite 'weekend getaway' destination for people from the St. Louis area (you can ride a passenger train to and from).