Branson, MO to West Plains, MO 106.2 miles
Yesterday's rest day was very relaxing. After a leisurely morning, Susan, Leslie and I headed out to beautiful Table Rock Lake, where I rented a boat for the afternoon. It was an absolutely perfect day, mid 70's, not a cloud in the sky and light winds. I had a great time with the girls and shared a lot of laughs.
Today's ride was long(106 miles) and very challenging. From the moment we left the Hilton Hotel, until we reached our hotel in West Plains, MO, it was nonstop hills. In fact, the total climbing elevation of 9265' was our greatest to date. Soon after we left, we encountered very dense fog, which caused serious safety concerns because my glasses kept fogging up and the narrow, hilly and twisting road provided no shoulder to ride on. Fortunately, it lasted only about 10 miles. Despite the challenging terrain, the beautiful scenery we had on Wednesday's ride remained with us all day. Needless to say, I will sleep very well tonight.