'splorin

I decided I didn't want to ride around Edwardsville wednesday night, so I headed towards Alton instead. I left straight from work, and promptly got stopped by a train for 6 minutes. Joy. Car exhaust and hot pavement. All of the hopper cars on the train were brand new and shiny, so it made me smile to see that some graffiti artists had already tagged one of the cars. It was a decent headwind from the north, so the ride to Alton on the levee wore me down pretty quick. Here's the Lewis and Clark Memorial Tower, under construction as it has been for the past few years.
The city of Hartford just received $1 million from the state of Illinois to finish the tower. Then visitors will be able to go up a whopping 150' to overlook the confluence of the Mississippi and Missouri rivers to the west, and the beautiful refineries of Hartford and Roxana to the east.

After much grinding and gnashing on the levee, I finally made it to Alton. I had three steep climbs in mind, and planned to do each of them twice. Planned. After the first circuit, I decided once was enough.

First I went up third street heading east. (My compass gets messed up when I go to Alton because although I think I'm heading north, I'm going more west around the riverbend.)

I looped around and then went up the bricked climb on 4th street, heading west. This one is tiered, with the second tier a little more demoralizing than the first.

The view from the top is pretty nice.

The third climb was up State St going north. I was pooped and it was steep.

Then I rolled through Alton and on towards Bethalto on some backroads. It was quite pleasant.

Look! A baby interstate!

I hate trying to post multiple photos. I had several other things to say, but the frustration in getting my photos to load has taken away all joy that occured on this ride. Instead I sit here exasperated in a puddle of self-pity and loathing, wishing I were Amish and had never tried to embrace technology. Then I could have a cool beard and make good food, and I would also know how to raise a barn good and proper.

I'm done.