Oct 18 – La Mama Loca y Lo Demás

I put Golden City in my rear view mirror early and headed into a day of climbing and descending rollercoaster hills. I had been warned, but it was tougher than I anticipated. You basically use two gears – your lowest and your highest. It’s beautiful though – hilly farmland and woods with houses interspersed. Drivers have been polite, as the curvy roads and hills mean they often have to wait to pass me. No road rage so far! Around lunchtime I rode into Ash Grove and was pleased to find Mama Loca’s Cafe and Cantina open for business. It is a comfy and spacious cafe – the lunch special, tortilla soup and chicken quesadilla hit the spot. I met the chef/owner Dolores and her husband (forgot to get his name), who was tending bar. We had a pleasant conversation about cycling, Missouri, and the challenges of operating a restaurant. Nice folks!

Then I was off. I had hoped to make it to Marshfield where I would get a hotel, but the topography (ie – &%$#@ hills) and the fact that it is getting dark earlier changed my plans. I arrived in Fairgrove late in the afternoon and went to seek out the Fairgrove Historical Society, where the word was I could camp. It was a large grassy area with lots of picnic tables right off of Main Street where there was a big pavilion, a museum and a central building. There was a farmers market just wrapping up as I pulled in – I picked up some fresh bread and cookies and the nice guy also threw in some apples for me. One of the vendors was also part of the historical society and she gave me the thumbs up to camp. She also left the men’s restroom open, where there was…..drumroll…..a hot shower! Yes! Definitely one of the best and most needed showers that I have taken in a long time. I set up my tent in a secluded part of the park away from the road and then set off to check out the Historic Main Street to see what was happening. I wasn’t too hungry after my Mama Loca lunch, but maybe something light. There was a coffee shop that was closed and two restaurants selling pizza one right across the street from the other. Don’t know about that business plan…. It was 7:15 and both restaurants closed at 7:30. Hmm. Well, I wasn’t in the mood for pizza anyway. Yeah, Main Street was not happening. I had noticed a Subway up on the highway, so I picked up a sub, got a beer from the convenience store and made it back to my tent just as a light rain started. I settled in and finished the western novel (not really my genre it turns out) – but a good light read.