Day 19- Dodge City, KS > Great Bend, KS (86 miles)

 May 25

The route:

I needed more perspective on where the heck we were, so see below...I looked up where Dodge City is in Kansas and could not bring myself to post it. We have a bunch of Kansas left!

Today was the end of a long week of riding, and we have logged 566 miles this week...fairly flat at 13,000 ft of ascent over 7 days. The ride today was a good one...long on distance, pretty good winds, and good roads. It is amazing how fast the miles click by when all you have to do each day is ride your bike to the next hotel...We rode with some of the other folks on the trip at different points today, and I'll try to introduce some of these folks on the blog as we continue east. At the risk of hurting feelings from my Kansas friends, we have a new motto for the state: "If I am having fun, I am not in Kansas." While this might sound childish, the wind is dangerous and relentless in this place...if I were a dust bowl, I'd try to operate here. Ok, you guys are sending me some awesome song lyrics, and I get a kick out of them. Yes, On the Road Again will surface at some point. Also, you must listen to Pay no Rent by Turnpike Troubadours and read about the genesis for the song...unreal, poignant, and made me smile, though grimly - thanks Chuck!

We checked into the hotel in Great Bend and were given tornado protocol immediately...hmm Kansas is unique! Raff and I will sleep with our helmets on tonight. Seriously, the storms crank up tonight, but they will be east of us.

Quote for the day..."There is no such joy in the tavern as upon the road thereto." Cormac McCarthy (again). Generally true, but after our ride yesterday, there was significant joy at the tavern.

Some photos from the day:

This is a bike that is being ridden by Steve, who is a fascinating guy that has been across the country before and done many other impressive/bizarre/cool tings. His bike must weigh 35 lbs and has the classic Brooks saddle; Steve raises a state flag for every new state, and I am convinced he is actually converting his bike into a sail boat for Kansas.

You don't see this coming through Griffin on our tracks...

We went through Midway today, and you can see that we are precisely between SF and NYC...we chose to go right.

There was a museum in this town that smelled like my Grandmother's house. See the barbed wire exhibit - truly informative if you're into barbed wire fences; there was probably a book about it here also.

I took a picture of this bike since we are...well, you know.

There was a huge silo at one of our rest stops, and I like to act like a child with my phone sometimes...

In Pawnee Rock, there was a place where you climb a flight of stairs and see a bunch of real estate...beautiful views and to see the grain blowing in the wind was really neat - it looks like the ocean.

Tomorrow will be a lighter day riding 64 miles to McPherson, KS. Talk to you then...