I spent most of the day today lost, going the wrong way, or trying to find the right direction. I just wasn't in the mood for riding, and my original route -- following the Mississippi along the Missouri-Illinois border -- was thwarted by road construction and confusing signage just outside of Hannibal. Frustrated and annoyed, I turned inland.

The only place I found the Mississippi

By the time I'd passed the fifteen millionth roadside billboard for Meramac Caverns, I'd already made up my mind to stop. Remembering the Spam Museum and my newfound philosophy that roadside kitsch cures all ills, I figured that looking at underground rocks might do me some good.

Let me tell you, this tour was wonderful. I was worried at first when told that it would run about 90 minutes -- I felt guilty for stopping for so long when there were miles to cover -- but fortunately I talked myself out of that guilt. I won't spoil the nuances of the tour; suffice it to say that it was well worth the time (and reasonable cost). The tour guide had a wonderful dry sense of humor; the pathways were well laid out so that it wasn't claustrophobic at all; and the rock formations, gorgeous enough on their own, were highlighted with sequences of colored lights. I left with renewed senses of both calm and vigor.

Onyx Mountain, a huge stalagmite.

Formations in the Wine Room.

The Stage Curtain, a 70-million-year-old dripstone wall.

And so it was with a lighter heart that I arrived in Arkansas. Everyone in northern Arkansas has this wonderful almost-Southern accent (my favorite: the guy in the hotel lobby who asked me "gal, what the HEY-ULL happened to your HEY-AIR?"). I finished the day with Cajun grilled catfish, corn on the cob, and AmberBock on draft while listening to funky country music.

Crossing into Arkansas.

374 miles today; 3469 miles total.

Next Day --> June 15: Mountain Home, AR - Mena, AR