Meet Molly Daniel

In August 2022, Molly Daniel celebrated her 66th birthday by riding 66 miles on Route 66! She rode solo (with her husband providing “sag support”), beginning in Litchfield Illinois and followed the roadbed of the original Route 66. She crossed the Old Chain of Rocks Bridge and followed the Mississippi Greenway (Riverfront Trail) south to the downtown St. Louis riverfront beneath the Gateway Arch. 

“This was a goal 13 years in the making. I was inspired by a friend of mine who had done a similar thing on his birthday. It was a perfect way to spend the day—in a place of history, enjoying nature and quiet reflection. I loved that so much of the route followed the Mississippi River. I stopped at the Mary Meachum Freedom Crossing to admire the beautiful mural there and to learn about this history of the site. It was a pretty dramatic ending to finish the ride beneath the Gateway Arch! Setting the goal to ride 66 miles on my 66th birthday was transformational. Like many goals, the journey is just as important as the destination. It got me back on a bicycle and has kept me active. I highly recommend celebrating a birthday this way!”