Ride Report: ALR Director’s Challenge May 2023
Busy month with just a bit of riding
May was my final month of service as pastor at First Christian Church in Dexter. It was a busy time of preparing for the transition, packing up my office, and saying my goodbyes. As a result, I was only able to get in one short ride for the American Legion Riders Director’s Challenge. That ride got me three monuments and fifteen points. Not much, but at least I got some points on the board.
One of the things I have most enjoyed about the Director’s Challenge is the opportunity to discover pieces of history I had never encountered before. This month I learned that Union general and eventual president, Ulysses S. Grant, first commanded troops here in southeast Missouri. He had recently been promoted to Brigadier General when he was tasked with leading troops from Cairo to confront a Confederate battery in the Battle of Belmont on the Missouri side of the river.
The final stop of the ride was the Veterans Memorial in East Prairie. The last time I rode a bike in town it was on a pedal powered tandem with my wife as we participated in the annual Tour de Corn ride. A 1200cc boxer twin makes for a much different experience.
May 2023 Stops:
- Charleston: Mississippi County War Memorial
- Mississippi County: Battle of Belmont memorial
- East Prairie: Veterans Memorial
