250 miles for Taco Johns? I know what your are thinking. Why spend half a day and 7 gallons of gas to eat at Taco Johns, Why? The short answer, for the same reason I ate the middle of a chocolate cake for supper, because I can (it doesn't hurt that my girls are on extended travel). This whole affair is wrought with questions. First why in the world would I chose to eat at Taco Johns? Because the nearest Taco Tico is a 500+ mile round trip and I didn't decide to go out for lunch until 11:30 a.m. I know, I know I still didn't answer your question, why Taco Johns or Taco Tico for that matter?As a young impressionable child I would go with my aunt, uncle, cousins and a van load of people to Taco Tico in Columbia, MO (long since gone) we would get a trays of tacos stacked a foot high, really. Later Taco Johns became more accessible and satiated my craving. To this day I have a couple of brain cells buried way down deep in the noodle that do nothing but chant one of two things: "We want Taco Tico" or "We want Taco Johns"..."We want Taco Johns"..."We want Taco Johns"..."We want Taco Johns"..."We want Taco Johns" over and over and over...
The ride. It has been a few years since I last traveled up Missouri Highway 79, and that was in the car chasing trains, so I had forgotten how straight and flat it is up to Louisiana. I saw lots of biker types (Harley's, Metric cruisers) but not much else on two wheels. The only time I leaned the bike was to avoid the vast amount of roadkill. There are better, more enjoyable roads to travel but I was hungry. I crossed the Mississippi River at Louisiana and had another flat and straight 30 miles up 54 to Pittsfield, Il. I arrived at the Shell gas station/Taco Johns at 1 p.m.
I had 2 tacos, a burrito and a diet Coke. I thought about getting a bag of taco's for supper but in my rush to leave home I didn't put my sidecases on the bike, and as much as I like Taco Johns I didn't want to leave my cameras in Pittsfield. Leaving I took Illinois 106 northwest through Hull to I-72 and crossed the Mississippi into Hannibal, MO so that I could ride the more motorcycle friendly part of MO 79. The ride south from Hannibal wasn't as pleasing as I remembered. The road was fairly rough with lots of tar snakes. I did stop at one of the scenic overlooks to snap a photo.
Taco Johns was perfect, or as perfect as it can get. It felt good to put a few miles on the bike in one sitting, most of my riding these days consist of my 50-a-day commute, but the path I choose was less than perfect.
I think I will do lunch at Taco Tico next time. St Louis, MO to Louisville, KY isn't to far for lunch, it it?
GAW
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