Jeffrey let me out of my plastic bag to join friends – and Ride supporters – Kay and Terri at breakfast.  They came out early to see us!

Kelsey checked us out of the hotel.  Zoom in to see that she’s wearing a Ride sticker in solidarity!  Andrew, the hotel manager, had circulated to the staff our blog address.

Outside, a group of visitors from near Marseille asked Jeffrey about the Ride.  He explained in French.  Two of the women asked to sit on the Sprint 26.  Jeffrey was happy to oblige, and pushed one of them on a ride in the hotel driveway.  The gentleman in the white shirt said France and the U.S. are places of liberty for refugees.  Jeffrey agreed.  But it takes work to keep them so!

The Gateway Arch, a symbol of St. Louis as the place where the American West began, where all were welcome.  Some politicians, some people, would close this gate to refugees.

The courthouse where in 1846, the slave Dred Scott first claimed he had been emancipated when his master took him from Missouri (a slave state) into places where slavery was illegal.  His claim was denied, ultimately by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Pat, a former nursing assistant, rolled alongside us for a while.  Out of love, she obeys God’s command to welcome the stranger, including homeless people in her St. Louis neighborhood.  She has friendly neighbors.  A woman called to Jeffrey, “You are my favorite person ever!”  A man called out a warning that there was broken glass in the street; Jeffrey steered around it.

A statue of General Franz Sigel in a city park.  Sigel was one of many Germans who fled to the U.S. after the failed republican revolution of 1848.  The inscription refers to “the heroism of the German-American patriots of St. Louis and vicinity in the civil war of 1961 to 1865”.  President Lincoln famously said, “In regard to the Germans … I deem them no better than other people, nor any worse.  It is not my nature … to make their lives more bitter … but rather would I do all in my power to raise the yoke, than to add anything that would tend to crush them.”  As Jeffrey examined the statue, a passer-by said, “I like your flag” (on the Sprint 26).

Valarie & Jeffery stopped to chat at the edge of the Washington Univesity campus.  Their daughter is preparing for law school at Ohio State.  They agree that asylum applicants need legal counsel to give effect to their right to apply for refuge in the U.S.  Maybe their daughter will be part of the solution.

A couple of minutes later, Asia—en route to pick up her 8-month-old and caught on campus in the downpour—joined Jeffrey and me under a tree until a cloudburst let up.  Jeffrey introduced us.  Asia donated all the cash she had in her pocket to Human Rights First.

Jeffrey likes the name of this burg: “City of Town and Country”.  We rode through many such places near St. Louis: pretty and prosperous.

As we pedaled up a steep hill, runner Laura, a 3rd year RN student at Truman State, called out to us.  Soon we were joined by Laura’s friend Amy, who is studying arts and education at UMissou in St. Louis.  We had a wide-ranging talk about work, politics and culture, with some detours into things like the fine quality of St. Louis tapwater.  These professional women are concerned about the possible spread of Missouri “concealed carry” guns to univesity campuses.  Jeffrey mentioned the old saw that when one holds a hammer, everything looks like a nail.  Perhaps when one carries a pistol, everyone looks like an enemy.  And maybe, when one listens to hateful talk, everyone who is labeled “other” seems worthy of hatred.  We will write more on this soon.

This yard in Ellisville is surrounded by U.S. flags, including small ones (not shown) densely lining the curb.  The lawn sign says, “Hillary for Prison”.

We climbed hills that rose for as long as 2 miles at a stretch.  Our new low gears let us keep rolling, albeit as slowly as 3 mph.  On some of the downhills, we topped 30 mph before Jeffrey braked a little.

We’re in cave country!  These big limestone caverns in Pacific, Missouri, topped by tall trees, are not fenced off so must be nothing special.