STATS
Miles: 68.99
Calories: 4,734
Top speed:35.6
Average speed:9.5
A stop at McDonald’s for breakfast. I have noted the McDonald’s in no bargain. When we find these local diners a huge omelet, coffee, and hash browns is generally $6 to $7 with tip $9-ish. My bill at McD’s is generally close to $8 for 2 eggs, 2 greasy hash browns and coffee, and the food can’t compare.
Leaving McD’s we took the “scenic route” meaning we turned the wrong way and added a couple of miles to our morning. Back on track we were off to Eureka (not the one in California).
More wind and gusts today and some rollers (more like inclines). We are not into ” flat as a board” terrain quite yet, but soon.
Should I mention the wind, again? Note the leaning power polls!!
I was surprised to learn that Kansas has quite the output of oil and gas. These “oil donkeys” are small compared to the ones Texas. We stopped at an isolated gas station so I buy a bag of peanuts as I was out of snacks. The owner and another fellow were “shooting the bull”. They explained that Kansas is a top producer of gas and oil…who knew?
And, I can’t take you through Kansas without a picture of corn. Corn fields are everywhere!
When we left the gas station, we again, whet the wrong way. About 3 miles down the road, having fought tough winds we realized our mistake. It had taken 15-20 mins to ride those 3 miles against the wind. On our way back, I timed it, it took 6 mins with a tailwind!!
The rest of the way to Eureka we pushed against a side wind of 26 mph with gusts at 33mph even the birds were struggling. One event was hysterical. A red-winged blackbird flapped hard against the wind about 5 feet above me. He must have been there for 30 seconds fighting furiously. Finally, he cried “UNCLE”. He swooped down landing in the middle of the road and walked across. It was as if he was saying, “Ahh the heck with it…I’m WALKING”.
Here he is across the road:
We were now entering the grass plains of Kansas. It was explained by a local fellow that the thousands of acres can not be used for farming as there is a rock layer of flint that lies about 18 inches or less below the surface, but its perfect for grazing.
We arrived in Eureka about 5:30pm, tired, and wiped out from the heat in the mid-80’s I spotted a store for soft-serve and had not one cup but two. Camping was in the city park. The park was well cared for and we found a picnic shelter that we could set up under. The shower were cold but after riding nearly 60 miles, one “just deals with it” to get the salt, grit, and sunscreen off. After showering and setting up camp it was nearly 7:30pm. My hotspot worked so I spent the next hour grading student papers. Dusk approached quickly but fortunately the strong wind kept the bug away. The magical fire-flies were out; it is easy to become mesmerized by them as they dance in the fading light. Let’s just say, I got little sleep! The last time I checked my clock it was 1:20am and we got up at 5:30am.
…I’ll keep you posted.
The Long and Winding Road - TransAmerica 