Abilene to Topeka, KS

I can't come up with enough positive adjectives for today's ride.  This has to be one of the great days in the cross country trip.  Northeastern Kansas is beautiful.  We traveled on back country roads with very little traffic.  The Flint Hills are home to many cattle ranches as there's too much rock in the soil for plowing.  Everything was green and the roads went up and down (rollers) for most of the day.  The headwind (what else) was 5-10 mph and wasn't a significant factor in the ride.  It was, however, a long day, 107 miles and I had to find shelter for half an hour when a thunderstorm rolled through.  Tracy had given her Thunderstorm 101 lecture last night, so I knew what to do when I saw the lightening flashes.  It had started to rain and I took shelter with Heinz in a roadside construction hut until the thunder and rain stopped and the sun came out again.

In Dover, KS, is the Sommerset Cafe.  In 2008, Norma Grubb (yes, that was her name) won Good Morning America's Best Pie in America contest with her banana cream pie.  I got to meet Norma back in 2009 and sample some of her pie - excellent!  Norma has since passed away but the cafe and pies using her recipes are still there.  I was happier than a baby goat to stop and eat pie at mile marker 92.  Two pieces of rhubarb pie and a cup of coffee were greatly relished before finishing the last fifteen easy miles into Topeka.

7:15; 107 miles; 4165' climb; 5,030 Calories.

Lots of pictures

Abilene, KS - Rest Day

It's a lovely day in Abilene, Kansas, sunny and warm.

Rest day - what to do?  Clean bicycle - check.  Eat breakfast - check.  Take a nap - check.  Now what?

I know, I'll go for a bicycle ride.  In 2009, I missed the Greyhound Museum in Abilene, so off to the dogs.  Did you think it was a bus museum?  It turns out the National Greyhound Association is headquartered in Kansas and there are many breeding kennels located in the state.

After my visit to the museum, I pedaled around town taking in the sights.  There are many beautiful homes in Abilene - I was told they were built with cattle money from when Abilene was an important rail head for Texas longhorns driven up the Chisholm Trail for shipment back east.  The old, downtown is fairly deserted, typical of many small towns.  All of the chain stores and fast food places are located outside of town near the highway - very sad.

This is Ginger.

 Painting a very nice duplex.

McPherson to Abilene, KS

Memorial Day.  Take a moment to remember those who gave their lives in defense of our freedoms.

The past few rides have been pretty simple, turn right out of the hotel, ride XX miles, turn right into the next hotel.  Hard to get lost.  Today's ride was more complex, it included a turn left 22 miles after the start!  We left McPherson on US 56E and turned north on SR 15N into Abilene.  The wind was NW, 10-15 mph, so we had a helping wind for 22 miles and a head wind for 40 miles.  Frankly, it was a beautiful day in the neighborhood.  Lots of green, big farms, good road, and light traffic.  The pictures tell the tale.  Trees now line the road and the fields are a lovely green color.

4:05; 64 miles; 862' climb; 2,971 Calories

Abilene was one of the important rail heads as they pushed the tracks west.  It was once called the wildest town in the US.  Birthplace of Dwight David Eisenhower, Abilene is home to the Eisenhower library and museum.  It's appropriate that we arrived here on Memorial Day.

Tomorrow is a rest day.  Rain is forecast so I may not go for a ride.  The bike is clean, maybe I'll do laundry...and take a nap or two.

 Our German riders, Heinz and Brian.

Longhorns.

State road 15N, the Eisenhower Memorial Highway.

 Harry complained of hot foot.

 Broken dreams.

 Jan, CrossRoads staff and iron lady.

Brian.

Lovely farmhouse.  I could live here.  Room for the horse, too.

 The John Deere dealership in Abilene.

 General Dwight David Eisenhower.

This house isn't too bad either.

Mike S has a phobia of heights, especially high bridges.  We have come up with a solution.  What do you think?

Great Bend to McPherson, KS

Joanne left the ride today due to a medical issue, not serious, preventing her from continuing.  We will miss her and wish her a speedy recovery.

Lovely day in the neighborhood.  Warm, sunny, tailwind.  We all left the hotel together!  Short day, 64 miles, in by noon.  There was a Dairy Queen at the SAG and I grabbed a chocolate milk shake before continuing down the road with Willie and Dan.

Gradually, almost imperceptibly, we have moved off the flat, treeless plain onto a more varied landscape with more trees among the wheat fields.  I love Kansas

McPherson, KS was named for a Civil War general.  Four railroads were built into McPherson making it an important RR hub.  The first American basketball team to compete in the modern Olympic Games (1936) consisted of players from McPherson who defeated the Canadian team for the gold metal; score was 19-8.

3:30; 65 miles; 496' climb; 3,685 Calories.

 

Tony