Sunday, July 29, 2012 - Happy Birthday Walt!

A Day Off in Eminence, MO

 As with each day off, we started the day with a big breakfast. It was important to nourish the kids before they started the long drive home to Chicago. It was an enjoyable morning, but we said our goodbyes and sadly saw them depart.  

A surprise rain shower filled the morning as we relaxed the rest of the day. In the afternoon, we had our family devotions.  Then, we ventured back down to the river bank and watched the canoes cruise by in front of us. We received word that the kids made it safely home. After dinner we had s surprise birthday pie for Walt, to include singing Happy Birthday!

 It's the Birthday Boy!

 Crawldad hiding under a rock in the river. The water was very clear.

Shuttles for the tubes and tubers.

Saturday, July 28, 2012- A Day with the Kids

Houston, MO to Eminence, MO (44 Miles)

What a fun day! Although the kids got to the motel at 12:30am, Josh and John were good sports to get going in the morning by 6:00am. It was 63 degrees when we left but by 10:30am it was 90 degrees.  

The ride was another up one side and down the other to include some pretty vistas. As ice cream is a good breakfast food, we stopped at the gas station convenience store for the cool treat in Summersville, MO! There was a Missouri Park Ranger stopped for gas, who ask us about our trip. He warned us of the narrow and busy roads as we approached Eminence. Today was suppose to be an extremely busy tourist day in the area as there will be some 4,000 canoes put on the river. Canoe, kayak, and tube floats are obviously big business in the area of the Ozark national Scenic Riverways.

The boys seemed to enjoy the rollercoaster roads and would sprint ahead with their racing bikes. Josh and John were trying to see who went the fastest down some of the bigger hills. I think John won with a top speed of 47 mph with Josh at a close second at 45 mph. Then, they would stop occasionally for the old guy to catch up. As I had warned them, we had some dog chases, both big and little dogs. (It is all part of the experience.) Thankfully, no one was hurt. Plus, we had a motorist yell at us to “Get Off The Road!” I am not sure where they wanted us to go, as there was no shoulder to ride on. (I guess it is all part of the experience.)

In Alley Spring, MO we stopped to check out an old corn/wheat grinding mill built next to the natural spring.  Plus, we stopped on a bridge to watch people launching some of the canoes in the river. It has been so dry in the area and the river was so low, they were pushing their canoes part of the way. The ride was over so quickly, but we enjoyed each other’s company the rest of the day at the Eminence Canoe, Cabin and Campground in Eminence, MO.

Amy became part of the SAG team for the day and added her humor and wit to the mix. But, of course we all wanted to see the big shiny engagement ring on Amy’s finger. It was beautiful! We are very happy for Amy and John. At the end of the day, we found our way to the Jacks Fork River and watched some of the canoes and tubes arrive after a day on the water. We certainly enjoyed everyone’s company and didn’t want to see the day come to an end.

 John & Josh stopped to wait on the old man.

 Views of the Ozark Mtns

 The old Mill next to the Natural Spring

 The ladies are haning out at the campsite.

 Some of the Rafters on the river.

Cooling our toes off a little.

Friday, July 27, 2012 - Amish Encounter

Marshfield, MO to Houston, MO (68 Miles)

 As the sun was coming over the horizon, I was 10 miles outside Marshfield. It was in the 60’s and I put my jacket on for a few miles. But, as the run continued to show it’s face, I had to shed the coat.  I really enjoy the first couple hours of the day as the air was fresh, crisp, and the birds are singing.

 After spotting a couple of deer beside the road, I noticed a warning sign to watch for horse and buggies for the next 4 miles. Hmmm, must be some Amish in the area. Sure enough, I started to see homes with no electric wires running to the house, work horses in the pasture, and wash on the clothes line. While I was stop at a cross road for a little break, a horse drawn wagon came up beside me with a young Amish fellow on board. Emmanuel and I chatted for a little spell. He was headed to a neighbors to paint the chicken coop. He had a beard (which I think means he is married) and was barefoot. I asked the name of his horse. Emmanuel said with a smile, “His name is Dandy and he is a dandy.”  Of course he had many questions about my trip. It was a fun visit and then we each went our way.

Today was more downhill followed by immediate uphill, but I enjoyed it. Road quality stayed very nice. People continued to be very courteous about getting over. Once when I stopped for a breather in the shade, a van came to a stop to ask if I was OK. They were cyclists too and know that things can breakdown. I thanked them and thought how nice it was that they offered to help. As I would top some of the hills, there were views of the valleys full of trees, occasional barns and a smattering of cattle. It was quite pretty.

It had not quite hit 100 degrees by the time I rolled into Houston, Missouri for the day. So, I would say it is time for some ice cream. Not seeing a local spot for the tasty treat, I settled for an ice cream sandwich from the Shell Station. It was still good and I could cool off in the A/C. No campgrounds to be had in this town of 2,082 people. So, we stayed at the Lazy L Motel. Having been recently renovated, it was very nice. With company coming tonight, it works better this way. Josh and John are going to ride with me tomorrow to Eminence and Amy will join the SAG team. So, it should be fun!

 Amish House, do you see the little girl on the front porch?

 Emmanuel going to paint the chicken coop

 OK, I say everyone should vote for Bubba



Scenes of the valley

Thursday, July 26, 2012-More Rollercoaster Roads

Everton, MO to Marshfield, MO (57 Miles) (2,948 Total to date)

Well, I tried to sneak out without getting the dogs excited at the hunting farm and you can guess how well that worked. They did not bark for very long and I warned Bill that I was leaving before sun up. It's all good...except for the ride to the main road. Running Springs Farm is 1/2 mile off the route on a "dreaded" stone road.

I have to say that even though there is no shoulder to ride on, the roads are very smooth and many are freshly paved in the past few months. Plus, the drivers have been very courteous to me and waiting to pass until there is a clear sight distance. Concerning sight distance, the rollercoaster road continues. You climb one side and can not see how big of a down side you will have until you crest the top. Then you are excited to see the down is a 30+ mph hill, but there is an equal up hill once you reach the bottom. So, all the horror stories seem to be true, except I find the challenge to be enjoyable in some odd way!

Speaking of odd, Missouri names the state routes with letters instead of numbers. For example today, I was on State Routes A, Z, K, V, BB, CC, E, J, and W. It is like alphabet soup. I don't know, but I guess it works for them but it is just different.

At about 30 miles on State Route BB, I topped one of many hills to find a car pulled over to the side. There were three people standing around the flat tire on the small VW. John was on the phone with AAA and had asked for assistance. After getting off the phone, John asked if I knew anything about cars. I said I have changed tires before. John was trying to change the tire while Daughter Kim and wife/mother Salina looked on. John had a big 3-foot pipe on the end of a four-way tire iron and said he could not break it free. Well, I am not sure what happened, but I took the 3 foot pipe off the end and put all I had into turning the tire iron. To my amazement, the first lug broke free, then the second, and so on until they were all loose. The group was so excited. I finished helping them put on the spare and they cancelled the request with AAA. John wanted to buy me breakfast, but I told him, I wanted to get along while it was not so hot. They were intrigued by my trip and asked a lot of questions. They were so thankful, and the discussion came to my comment that is was nothing but Divine intervention that I came along when I did and was able to help them.

Further down the road, I stopped and ice cream sandwich and chocolate milk in Fair Grove, MO. Outside the store was cyclist John from the Philadelphia, PA area. He had lots of questions for me on what I had faced in Kansas and Colorado. But, he also was sharing events of his past legs to include more horror stories about the Ozark Mountain hill ride. He was making plans to meet up with his girl friend in Colorado and was asking about my past timeline. I enjoyed our visit.

After more riding up and down the hills (which I enjoyed), the stop for the day was at the Fountain Plaza Mobile Home/ RV Park in Marshfield. It was nothing special, but it had RV hookup essentials. We ventured into town, stopped at Walmart and found a Camping World close by. It was a quiet evening to include a slight drop in temperature. Tomorrow we are looking forward to the visit from the kids in Houston, MO!

 Up and Down

 Stranded Motorists, John, Kim and Salina

John from PA.

It is hard to capture the UP and DOWN in a picture.

Wed., July 25, 2012-Show me your stuff Missouri

Pittsburg, KS to Everton, MO (66 Miles)

Well, you guessed it, I left before sun up and was excited to travel the last 7 miles in Kansas. Whew! I made it, then it was into Missouri. Nearly every cyclists that I met prior to entering the state, complains of the rollercoaster roads through the Ozark Mountains. So, I was starting to let the horror stories make me nervous. It did not take long to start to notice the road rise then fall, but nothing serious today.

Observations about the new state include, more paved side roads as opposed to Colorado and Kansas where every side road is stone and dirt. Kim and I both agreed that is seems the new state line brought more green plants, plus there is actually a little water in the various creeks (unlike the previous two states.)
Last Friday, I met Einon from Boston and he was telling me that I will be seeing his former traveling partner in a couple day. Well, Albert showed up on the trail today. He is also from the Boston area and making the TransAm trip. Apparently the pair had left on July 2nd and he was stuggling to keep up with the grueling 100 mile a day pace of Einon (which I understand). So, Albert is going at the more manageable 60-70 mile per day pace. Albert is moving to California and figured he would just bike there instead of going via some other transportation.

The balance of the ride was uneventful and rather enjoyable.
Running Springs Farm was the pit stop for this day. In the fall and winter months, the farm is a hunting lodge. Bill was a great guy and among his many stories, he explained that he has 300 acres for hunting. There are numerous dogs on the farm that are used for hunting. He lives in a very nice house on premise and has a second building which is the lodge. It has some really neat decor for hunters complete with stuffed pheasants, fox, quail, etc. There is absolutely no other options to stay in Everton. So, we enjoyed the air conditioned lodge which had two bedrooms, bathroom, kitchen, dining room and family room (with satellite TV).

 Missouri at sunrise..Yeah!

 Where else can you find a shady quiet place to take a break. Also, look at these odd grave markers.

 The beginning of the rollercoaster road.

 Albert is a good guy!!

 The entrance to our stay for the night.

An image of the interior of the lodge.

Another image of the Running Springs Farm



Tuesday, July 24, 2012 - Detour Blues!

Chanute, KS to Pittsburg, KS (61 Miles)

On the road by 5:35am, and it was in the 70's already. Shortly out of town, I heard a strange sound in the dim light and looked to my right to see a fox running out of the brush and away from the road. In my rear view mirror, I noticed a couple of bike headlights about a mile back. (It must have been the Brian and Stephanie from yesterday). Well, we will hook up later when one or the other stops for a break. As I made the first turn directed by the map, there was a detour 6 miles ahead warning. Nearly all other roads heading this direction are stone and the next turn off is a state highway, which is probably very busy. Kim planned to take the state highway. So, I figure, there is always a way around the detour, right? So, I turned. Soon, I realized that Brian and Stephanie must have opted for the state highway as their headlight did not follow me.

It was a 7 mile, quiet, smooth ride to the road closed, bridge out area. I road up to it and saw about a 1/3 mile span of impassable terrain with a lot of huge cranes in place to replace the bridge over the Neosho River. As I sat there with my sad face of defeat, there appeared to be three options: 1) Carry my bike over the rugged terrain and risk making the construction crew mad or getting hit by a crane, 2) ride back west the same 7 miles, turn south 4-5 miles and ride east again the 7 miles on the state highway, 3) ride west 1 mile, then south on a stone road for what appears to be 4 miles to the state highway then continue East. What to do? What to do? I picked door number 3. So, off I went at a blistering 6 mph pace on the stone road. I am not sure if anyone has tried this on a touring bike, but they are really not made for riding on a stone road. It was not much fun and the couple cars that did pass created a huge cloud of lingering dust! Well, the estimated 4 miles turned out to be almost 6 miles to the state highway. But, I made it and I had to rinse the dust off the water bottles. So, I was rolling again at a great pace and the wind seemed to be helping slightly again today, with a SW direction. The negative thing was the absence of a shoulder on the state highway. It was not terribly busy and the motorists were all courteous to get over. The Adventure Cycling Maps gave enough of an overview so I could pick up the prescribed trail again about 25 miles down the road in Girard, KS. In Girard, there was another bridge out detour which did not affect my route, but I know Kim was to go that way. I hope she lets the GPS pick an alternate route. I found out later, that they tried my "go around trick" instead of following the detour signs and they had to drive on some stone roads!  Bummer!

Shortly before lunch, we all made it safely to the Pittburg, Kansas city RV park. As the Black Beauty was not shifting so well, I took her to the Vet. Tailwind Cyclists bike shop examining the patient and offered the bad news. The chain should have been changed about 500 miles ago and it has damaged the rear cassette. Bummer! Roger was willing to work on the patient and get it finished today. So, it was an expensive fix, but we are good to go as I approach the Ozark Mountains in Missouri. We found a laundry and cleaned cloths. It was another Hot day over 100 degrees and it is starting to wear on the team members. But, tomorrow we will enter Missouri and will have conquered Kansas! Yeah!

Riding on Stone Roads.. Hey Kids, "Don't try this at home."

 Why does this guy have dinosaur skeleton statues in his yard?

Hey, Trinity Lutheran church is having VBS with the same theme and on the same week that our home church is having VBS. The little kiddies were playing outside. 

Monday, July 23, 2012 - A Birthday Celebrated!

Off in Chanute, KS (0 Miles)

As with all off days, I cooked a big breakfast outside in the shade, before the sun beat us up too bad.

On the campground bulletin board, there was a sign for Nu Wa Corporation tours at 9:45am. So, we drove a short distance to the factory and asked about the tour. Ed was happy to give the four of us a very detailed tour of the plant. They make high end Hitchhiker brand fifth-wheel campers. They were very beautiful and the tour was very interesting. Kim and I are now contemplating selling the house and living in one of these beauties while traveling the country.

Well, it was nearly lunchtime so we headed uptown to enjoy at a local restaurant. Opie's seemed to fit the bill. It was good food with some great service. After lunch, Kim and Vera did some shopping in the local establishments while Tim headed to the local Espresso Bar to hook to the web. We have been having some real issues finding places to stay in Kansas and Missouri. So, he spent some time trying to line things up for the coming week. We especially want to have our "ducks in a row" for the coming weekend, as Josh, Amy and John are coming to visit from Chicago.

After exploring downtown Chanute, we obtained a historical house tour brochure from the Bureau of Tourism. While Kim ordered our driver and read the descriptions of the houses, we toured the town. There are some really wonderful houses that were built with oil and gas money in the late 1800's.

As the day was drawing to a close, we had some birthday cake, to include singing and blowing out candles. While finishing up our treats, we noticed a couple of cyclists ride into the campground. Of course, I went out to talk to them. They too are TransAm riders, so I invited them into the camper to cool off and have some birthday cake and milk. It was fun to talk to them. They were from San Diego and plan to move to Florida with this trip as an intermediary adventure.

It was a busy time and Kim seemed to enjoy the day.

 Birthday Lunch at Opie's

 An example of the nice historic houses in Chanute.

 Look at the birthday girl, isn't she cute!

Stephanie, Me and Brian (Eastbounders like me)

Sunday, July 22, 2012 - Good Day in the Saddle

Eureka, KS to Chanute, KS (64 miles)

"Up with the sun, gone with the wind..." I am starting to sound like a Bob Seger song. The sunrise was gorgeous again today. I still love the fresh crisp morning air, if only it would stay that way all day. But as you know, the sun starts to heat things up. About 9:00am each day, the sun has caused the air to warm and the wind to blow. Today, I am thankful to report, the wind was over my left should. Although not quite a tailwind, I will take it. It was a pleasant ride, to include a sighting of a wild turkey (not the drink), a humming bird, and a deer. There was a mature field of grain sorghum also known as Milo. I have learned that farmers on the hot, dry plains from Texas to South Dakota grow and use grain sorghum like Corn Belt farmers use corn. Overall, it was a good day on the road.
I made it to the campsite in great time to beat the 100 degree heat and I even ate lunch with the family.

Santa Fe Safari Campground is run by the city of Chanute. Even providing electric and water at each paved spot, there is no charge for the first 48 hours. You mean Free? Yep! Cool! We explored the town in the afternoon and they even have a Walmart.

We ate dinner and had our family devotions. It was a good day in Kansas.
As tomorrow is Kim's Birthday, we are taking the day off in Chanute.

Patient Update: Vera is much improved and feeling better each day. My Dad was released from the hospital today and although he is better there is more medical procedures in his future. We praise God for the improvement, but please continue to pray for him.

 Field of Milo

 Lake Toronto

Train Display in a park in Chanute

Saturday, July 21, 2012- The Terrain Starts Rolling

Newton, KS to Eureka, KS (70 Miles)

 Yes, the crazy guy is up before the sunrise and riding at daybreak again. They predict 100 degrees again today and I have 70 miles to ride. The wind was not too bad but now the road is starting to rise and fall again. So, it takes more energy to climb and the heat takes it’s share of energy away from you. I stopped at one point to take a picture of an interesting stone wall running along someone’s driveway, when 6 buck deer came running in front of the house and across the stone wall. Now, that was pretty cool! I was able to snap a couple pictures.

The crop fields have diminished in number and now we are back to cattle grazing off the land. Another observation includes the litter along the roads. Of those unscrupulous people who toss their beverage containers out the window of their vehicle, the majority seem to drink Coors Light, with Bud Light coming in at a close second.

Eureka, Kansas (population 2,914) is your typical small town, with a quaint uptown area. We camped in an old Mobile Home park which the owner has converted 10 spots to be RV hookups. There are no restrooms or showers, but it is only for one night. So, it was OK. Kim said the owner was an old gentleman who had to walk out and tell them exactly where to park on the stoned spot. He was very clear that we owed $20. "Now, you can give him a twenty dollar bill, 2-tens, or 4-fives, but no credit cards." Later he took his wife out to Dairy Queen. So, do you suppose he puts that income on his income tax return, or just takes his wife out to dinner whenever a guest stays in the park?

 Typical country side, bales of hay, and an oil well.

 Bucks on the run!

 Prairie Chicken Capital of the World...Now that is something to be proud of!!

Another milestone, crossing I-35.

Friday, July 20, 2012 - Another Good Day on the Trail

Hutchinson, KS to Newton, KS (59 Miles) 

Up again with the sun, I rode back north from Hutchinson to catch the TransAm path. With more and more trees appearing and the corn and bean crops in the fields, I could can easily have thought to be riding in Ohio. There was a deer sighting and an Westbound cyclist. Einon was the first cyclist I had encountered in a number of days. He was from Boston, had road to Yorktown, Virginia and was now on the TransAm trail. The crazy man was trying to make Larned by day’s end, which is more than a 100 mile day. Einon said another fellow had started with him but was now a couple days behind him.
 
The balance of the day included more fields of crops until I got to Newton, Kansas. Riding down Main Street, Karen’s Kitchen caught my eye with a sign for ice cream. I stopped for a cool treat and found Karen to have a very nice little café. She was very pleasant and sat down to talk to me. She enjoys having cyclist stop by her place, plus she took my picture and hung it on the wall with other cyclists. What a great lady! I will make sure to recommend her place to other cyclists.
 
Harvey County East Lake Park was the stop for the night. Unlike some of our other Kansas camp spots, it was like a real campground, with picnic tables, showers, real flush toilets, and a view of the lake. But the temperature was still at 100 degrees today, so we did not move around too much in the afternoon.

 Cool Mailbox.

 The first I have saw an Official Adventure Cyclinng Road sign marking the TransAm bicycle Trail.

 Einon from Boston trying to make 100+ miles today, in the heat...crazy man!

 Karen likes having cyclist stop at her restaurant in Newton. She is a really nice person!

 Calling All Cyclists...stop at Karen's Kitchen in Newton, KS, as she will treat you right!

I am riding along on a blacktop road with my cycling gear on to include a helmet in 100+ degree weather and I see this scene. Sometimes I wish I was a cow!!!



Thursday, July 19, 2012- Pounding some salt

Off In Hutchinson, KS (0 Miles) 

Preparation of a big breakfast was in order today. After eating, clean-up and showers, we ventured into Hutchinson. As Vera’s congestion was not improving, our first stop was at the Hutchinson Medical Clinic. They were very nice and got Vera in pretty quickly. After examination, the doctor said that the allergy symptoms lead to an infection. So, some antibiotics and other medication were ordered.

Next, we visited the Salt Mine Museum. The admission took us in an elevator 650 feet below the surface to see the inside of a salt mine. There were many displays, equipment, and videos set up to explain the process. We also road a little train, plus an electric tram through other parts of the mine with more explanation. They said they have enough salt in this mine alone to last another 2,300 years. It was very fascinating and the constant 68 degree temperature was much more enjoyable than the 100 degree day on the surface.  

After they let us out of the mine, we walked around in the Hutchinson Mall, which had many stores that were closed, and ate lunch at a restaurant. The last stop was to drive to an Amish Community (Yoder) south of Hutchinson. It was not much to look at, so we headed back to the campers.  

 Ready to go underground

 Underground...Wow that is a chunk of salt!

Apparently famous in Kansas, these are fence posts cut from stone.

Wednesday, July 18, 2012- Another Hot Day in Kansas

Larned, KS to Hutchinson, KS (83 Miles)

The sunrise start began in the 70 degree range. The wind was out of the Southwest, so there was some slight help on the bike, when the wind would blow. As there are more trees showing up, there are patchy areas of only minor wind currents. Due to the relatively flat elevation and slight wind, my average MPH increased a little today. But with the longer ride and the higher temperatures, I was whipped at the end.

There were not many highlights to report today. No touring cyclists have been encountered in a number of days. I did see a hawk today...same one?  I wonder? Once leaving Larned, there was a warning on my ACA map that says no services on route for 58 Miles. There were not even abandoned towns today. Good thing I took extra water, but I drank every drop by the end of the day. Except for those using irrigation, the corn fields in this area are drying up, near dead. It is really sad!  In Nickerson, I stopped for an ice cream bar and a chocolate milk. It felt good to take advantage of their air conditioning while I sat down to eat the cold treat. Then it was back into the heat and on the road again. A short distance outside Nickerson, I rode past a pen of zebras...that is odd. They were hanging in the shade. The traffic was very light, until I got closer to Hutchinson. Even though Hutchinson is 10 miles off the route, it is a bigger city and we thought it would be a good place to take a day off. By the time, I had reached the campsite, the temperature was 103 degrees at 12:30PM.

Melody Acres in South Hutchinson, KS will be our pit stop for a day off. Hutchinson has a 40,787 population and we did a little exploring today. Tomorrow we might do some touristy things, plus we have convinced Vera to visit a medical clinic to see about her chest congestion which has lingered for a number of days. We pray it is nothing serious!

 The Quivira National Wildlife Refuge was along the route today and this is a picture of the Big Salt Marsh which is part of the Wildlife Refuge.

 Some sad looking corn. Although they really need rain, it is probably too late for this field.

 Central Kansas is somewhat famous for stone fence posts. Well, I saw a couple today.

There was a lot of smoke coming from an area just north of Hutchinson, and the fire department was just arriving on the scene. I avoided the area. Everything is extremely dry!