Quest West - A Ride Across America

We haven't exactly been keeping up with the blog since we flew back to New England, but it's still got all our great entries from the summer. Remember, if you want to read the blog in chronological order, you need to start reading the entries from the bottom of the webpage (and the first 28 days can be found in the June and July Archives to the left). If you're interested in just checking out our pictures from the ride, click the "PHOTOS" link to the left (then click "view slideshow" and "browse all albums")!

You're still checking the blog? Good, cause we still got more stuff for you. Click the PHOTOS link to the left to see a new roll of film. But before you do, give us your best caption for this pic of Austin. Our last few days in San Fran - some of the most memorable - were spent cavorting with with old friends (Tracy, Hannah, Laura, Seth, Dave, Jason, Hove, Saori, and Angela) and meeting new ones (Nicole, Brie, Lauren, Steve-O).

We may have told you about our last day of riding, but you should keep checking the blog for more posts and pictures as we enjoy some down time in San Francisco.

Coast to Coast Complete
San Francisco, CA
We stuck around Sacramento this morning in order to spend as much time as possible with Laura and Amanda (who wouldn't want to). Unfortunately, our late start left us unable to join our friend Josh for a BBQ dinner in Oakland (totally his fault though - it was a generous invitation that was extended entirely too late). We caught the last ferry out of Vallejo, and pulled into Fisherman's Wharf around 9pm. The last couple miles of our ride was a surprisingly flat stint to Deirdre's appartment in the Mission District of San Francisco. After a quick shower, we threw on some of Deirdre's boyfriend's clothes and hit the town to meet up with Tracy, Dave, and Jason - friends from Williams - as well as Jason, Jon's roommate at medical school, and Laura who drove down from Sacramento to hang out for another night of fun.
Song of the Day: Going to California by Led Zeppelin (if you know the lyrics, switch "ass" for "heart" and it's even more appropriate).

SacTown
Sacramento, CA
We knew today was our only chance to see Austin's sister, Deirdre, in Sacramento before she left at 8pm for a flight to Vietnam, so we got another early start. A quick, hard push over Echo Pass early in the morning put us over the Sierra Nevada Range and started us on a 7,000 foot downhill ride to Sacramento, filled with riding along a mountain stream, orchards, and an uptight highway patrolman that angrily kicked Jon off the freeway. We had completed 100 miles by 4pm and Austin was able to spend some quality time with his sister while Jon caught up with Laura, a friend of his from Denver with whom he had also coached and played volleyball. The four of us were taken out to a great sushi dinner by Deirdre just before she took off for the airport. Then, another of Jon's friends, Amanda, came down from Reno to hang out for an evening of darts, late night snacking, and chipmunk hunting.
Song of the Day: Cali Cali by the Notorious B.I.G.

They Say When That Lake Shines, It Really Shines
South Lake Tahoe, CALIFORNIA!!!
We took off early out of Fallon to fight some headwinds on our way to Carson City. We grabbed lunch at Stew's, where Stew's Brews along with Icy Hot and Ibuprofen helped power us over Spooner Pass (picture coming, Marshall), a really tough 2,500 foot climb that was made worth it because of the spectacular (and shiny) sunset over Lake Tahoe as we descended the other side. We rode along the lake for about 10 miles before approaching the state line. Just as we were about to cross into California, we realized we would be passing our last chance to gamble in Nevada, so we stopped for just a couple hands of blackjack at MontBleu (formerly Cesar's). A couple hands turned into a couple shoes (and a bunch of free drinks), but as a pair we ended up winning money (but let's just say Austin was the one doing the tipping).
Song of the Day: Hotel California by the Eagles

Just thought we'd let you know that we made it to San Francisco tonight (Saturday). We pushed real hard the last four days - over 400 miles - and we're ready to celebrate. Stay tuned for updates, including gambling at Lake Tahoe, partying in Sacramento, and making it to Fisherman's Wharf.

Record Day
Fallon, NV
After fixing another flat tire on Austin's bike, Austin took off to beat the heat. Jon, on the other hand, was so cold - our coldest nights by far have been in Nevada - that even with every layer of clothing he owned, he needed to wait until the sun came up over the mountains to start riding. We met up just before lunch, though, only to realize that if we were going to make it to the bike shop in Fallon before 5 to buy a new pump, Jon was going to have to speed ahead. After a grueling four hour sprint over salt flats, by sand dunes, and under the hot sun, he got there to find out the shop was out of busines. Awesome. The one cool thing about the ride was that Navy fighter jets and helicopters were flying over us all day. We saw some doing their best Maveric/Iceman impressions as they chased each other over the mountains and into the vallyes we were riding through, one did an unauthorized flyby over Jon's head, and we also saw some flying in tight formations.
Song of the Day: California Dreaming by the Mamas and Papas

There are new pictures posted online - see the PHOTOS link to the left. We thought we'd give you a little preview, though, by offering this shot up for another caption contest. We really liked your responses (not yours, Chris), keep up the good work.

Trouble for/in Austin
Austin, NV
Our Eureka campground host was kind enough to take Austin's tire to a gas station to pump it up, even though they didn't have the right adapter, so we were able to get rolling early. We only had two big climbs on the day, and we would finish with a tough climb up to Austin Summit. Ironically, Austin would not be able to summit Austin Summit on his bike. Three miles before the top, his chain broke and fell off his bike and he was forced to walk up the hill. Oh, and he got another flat tire, too, which we were only able to inflate with some more McGyver magic. At least once he got over the top, he was able to coast to camp, unlike Tony with his blow outs. We actually ended up camping in the town park right next to the pool and had a pretty relaxing evening, capped off with breakfast for dinner.
Song of the Day: Against the Wind by Bob Seger

Tony's Horseshoe Has Worn Out
Eureka, NV
We had a huge day with no services, again - that seems to be the trend in Nevada. On one of our four climbs, Austin was run off the road by an over-zealous, megaphone-using highway patrolman. One officer warned him nicely, but the second guy waited until the last second to get on the horn and bellow "Wide load coming through." As Austin pulled over, his tires slipped on the soft gravel shoulder and down he went, breaking our only pump and destroying his pride. We had to hope we wouldn't get any flat tires before we could buy a new pump - that lasted about two hours, before something punctured Austin's back tire.
Song of the Day: Falling Down by Vertical Horizon

Not only is this our first foray into putting pictures into posts, but we thought we'd also introduce a caption contest (prize TBA - probably no prize). Hit the comment button to give us your best New Yorker caption.

Riders Excited for a Tent Night After the Silver Jack Inn
Ely, NV
About a week ago, we ran into an Austrian man who told us that Nevada has the most mountain ranges of any state. For the past two days we've been seeing exactly what he means, as we ride up one range, down into the valley, up the next range, and back down into another valley until we get to camp. Today's early morning ride was filled with wildlife - a wolf, a scorpion, a herd of elk (in the distance), and as many rabbits as they get their reputation for. Another day without services means there's not much else to report, although it was an easy day of riding because of a generous tailwind.
Song of the day: Rock You Like a Hurricane by the Scorpions (Wind of Change was already taken)

By the Numbers for the Silver Jack Inn
Baker, NEVADA!!!
79.44 - Miles travelled without any services to the Silver Jack Inn
74 - Height of Austin, in inches
73 - Height of the shower, in inches
25 - Hours in the day (Pacific Time Zone, Baby!)
3 - Channels on TV
2 - Crazy people outside our room holding electrified bug swatters that looked like small tennis raquets that they just swung around randomly until they "zapped" a nearby bug, to "get revenge for the other night down by the lake"
1 - Mouse spotted in our room
4:30 - Time (a.m.) that we set our alarm to get the hell out
(1) - Surprisingly good dinner we had at their restaurant

Utah not as Cool without Tony
Milford, UT
After watching a huge storm pass through Cedar City with Tony, we finally said our goodbyes and thank yous for a spectacular three days of riding and four nights of luxury. We rode out of town and must have kept his lucky weather horseshoe because we saw storms on the plains all around us, but never got more than a few drops. The ride to Milford was entirely uneventful compared to the last three days, but we were allowed to stay in the town park nestled between mountain ranges, where we had a good view of both sunset and sunrise. (that's right, sunrise).
Song of the day: Bye Bye Bye by *NSync

A new roll of film is available for your viewing pleasure. Just click the Photos link to the left to check it out. It'll take you from just before we crossed the Mississippi through most of Colorado.

At home, when everything's coming our way, we're real happy campers; on the road, when everything's coming our way, we're in the wrong lane.
At home, when we hit the road, we can do 60m.p.h. easy; in the Southwest, when we hit the road, the road hits us back harder.
At home, when we walk the line, we stay away from the grass; on the road, when we ride the line, we also stay away from the grass.
In the hospital, when obese patients get thin, spirits are high; on the road, when patience gets thin, spirits are consumed.
At home, when we break wind people move away from our rear ends; on the road, if it's windy and we break wind, people pile up behind our rear ends.

So Close, Yet So Far
Cedar City, UT
Our morning out of the Lake was a cold and wet one, although we got started just after the big storm had passed through and were able to stay pretty dry. A mile and a half in, we passed the spot where we had walked to dinner last night after being told it was only "a half mile down the road." 19 miles in we hit a summit of 10,460ft, and while Jon was huffing and puffing because he had caught a cold overnight, Tony was cruising up the slope, showing no signs of altitude sickness, fatigue, or even age. We had great views of Cedar Breaks (more hoodoo formations tucked away in a lush mountain forest like a hidden city) and Cedar City way down in the valley below, which was our destination for the night - it seemed as if the 20-mile downhill stretch couldn't even take an hour. We were wrong. Our MacGyver skills aren't TV worthy just yet, as Tony's front tire needed another patch. Then, as we descended, he had to check his speed by braking and unfortunately heated the rear rim so much that his back tube exploded...twice. We were forced to leave him by the side of the road 10 miles from town.
Song of Day: Over the Hills and Far Way by Led Zeppelin
Oh, we went back up to get Tony with the rental car he had waiting at the hotel, in case you were worried. Unfortunately, he could only enjoy the 10-mile downhill from the car, although he had certainly earned it on the bike.

Tony Treated to Another Amazing Day
Panguitch Lake, UT
After a few miles of riding, we hopped off the bikes to take the "free" shuttle into Bryce Canyon that came with our $10 admission fee. We walked along the Rim Trail and had spectacular views of the Hoodoos, natural formations caused by errosion of the layered cliff walls that are sometimes compared to chess pieces. The colors were spectacular, we often saw natural rock arches, and even some boulders that appeared to be balanced precariously on top of much thinner bases. From Bryce, we rode through the Red Canyon - with more incredible views of rock formations and a couple of rock arches over the road - on a smooth bike path without having to worry about any traffic. From the town of Panguich, where we ate lunch at Hogi Yogi and Austin needed to change a worn down tire, we started climbing up to Panguitch Lake. On one of the few little downhills, Tony's front tire blew out. With a couple of MacGyver-like fixes, we got him rolling again so we could get to the lake with some time to fish before dinner.
Song of the Day: America the Beautiful by Katherine Lee Bates (A Wellesley High School/College graduate)

Tony's Toughest Trek
Tropic, UT
We returned to Hell's Backbone Grill for a great, hearty breakfast, but unfortunately they were out of their Swiss Char. Our first 15 miles with Tony were some of the most spectacular of the trip, as we rode down The Hogsback, a narrow strech of road, up on a ridge, with canyons dropping off on either side. The maps urged us to ride defensively, but luckily all we had to avoid was a group of touring millionaires in their fancy sports cars zooming by. We would later hear that one of them - the one supposedly in a million dollar Ferrari - had flipped over and completely ruined the car. We ate lunch in the Grand Staircase - Escalante National Monument, appropriately named for its layered geography. The day ended with some tough climbs through Utah's indescribably beautiful landscape - we had to convince Tony that every day was not this gorgeous.
Song of the Day: Higher Ground by Stevie Wonder

2898.9 - Total miles on the trip.
498.9 - Miles this week.
50 - New top speed (Jon - 2X).
12 - Longest continuous descent (in miles).
3 - Continents commented from.
2 - Flat tires in our first 2,603 miles.
2 - Flat tires in the next 6 miles.
2 - Flat tires the next day.
2 - Flat tires Tony got on his ride up to Boulder.
1 - Nibble on the line.
0 - Fish caught.

Welcome to Utah, Tony
Boulder, UT
A tough morning of climbing in the rain led us over Boulder Mountain and down to the town of Boulder, where we met up with Tony, Jon's dad. He treated us to an awesome dinner at the Hell's Backbone Grill and luxurious rooms in a mountain lodge. Just as we had had two flats yesterday (which we forgot to mention), he got two flats just driving out to meet us without even getting on a bike - first, his taxi's tire got a flat, which he had to change because the driver was so out of breath from just opening his car door, and second, his rental bike had a leaky rear tire. But we patched everything up, spent some time in the hot tub and got a good night's sleep for our ride tomorrow.
Song of the day: Flat Tire (is that a song?)

Fruitty Fruita
Fruita, UT
Leaving Hite requred a 52 mile ride without services, and by the time we got a Stan's World Famous Shaken we were running on empty (especially Austin). Luckily, we met some of the nicest vacationers ever. First we chatted with Dean Walker, an orthopedic surgeon who offered to buy us lunch because he was so impressed by what we were doing. Then, at our campground in Fruita a guy named Micheal Marek chatted us up and even gave us a few of his company's energy bars and mixed us a Gatorade type drink that has less sugar. Lastly, the next morning, a couple named Eric and Gabriella offered to cook us breakfast - a mix of eggs, sausage, cheese, and chilli all served over some nacho chips. Oh, and one really cool thing about the town of Fruita, a former orchard town - go figure, was that you could eat as many peaches as you wanted while in the orchard or take as many away for $1/pound.
Song of the day: Good People by Jack Johnson

Long Day in the Hot Sun
Hite Campground, Lake Powell, Glen Canyon, UT
We rolled out of Blanding early to start a long day with only one water stop about halfway in. We took a break early in the morning to hike for about a mile to some ancient Anasazi cliff dwellings - pretty spectacular, and worth the hike. We saw more Anasazi ruins along the way to the Natural Bridges National Monument, which contains three stone bridges carved by running water and other erosive forces. We hiked down below one of them to get some cool pictures that should be posted soon. Our day ended with 50 miles through a really cool canyon, down to Lake Powell.
Song of the Day: Dig Down Deep by Marc Cohn

Goodbye Colorful Colorado
Blanding, UTAH!!!
After posting from Dolores, we met a guy named Greg, who pointed us towards a great brewery/restaurant and offered to let us sleep in his backyard, which sloped down to the Dolores River, for a growler of beer. We slept under the stars and next to his two dogs Utah and Bo. The next morning, as we rolled out of town, the geology around us changed dramatically as we rolled towards Utah. We didn't get very far very quickly, though, as we each got a flat tire within 6 miles of each other. Blanding's name is very fitting, and that's all there is to say about that.
Song of the day: Flat Tire (is that the name of a song?)

Dear Faithful Readers,
Sorry we haven't been able to update in a while - it's been due to the barrenness of the Utah desert, not our misfortune. We made it into Utah, across a 120 mile stretch with no services, and to Boulder, where we met up with Tony, Jon's dad (aka our second most frequent blogger), who will ride with us for the next three days. If you've been reading the comments, you'll know to donate to our causes by Thursday, because Tony is also planning on matching donations given during his ride.

Check out the "PHOTOS" link to the left to see our latest roll of film. It's got pics as far back as Virginia. We've got another roll done and will be sending it back soon. And if Utah is anywhere as beautiful as Colorado, we should have a bunch more in a short while. Oh, and this time you shouldn't have to sign in!

Southwestern Colorado Continues to Amaze
Dolores, CO
We tried to get up early to start our big climb out of Telluride and over the Lizard Head Pass, but we were still really "tired" from our night out, and didn't get started until about 7:30 (we know, we know, it's totally absurd that either of us would think of 7:30 as late, but we'll be back to normal soon enough - when sleeping in doesn't mean we're guaranteed heat exhaustion later in the day). After the climb, we had another enjoyable descent that we made even better with a couple of hours spent lazing along the riverside and trying to fish - this time Jon actually got a nibble.
Theme song of the day: Rollin' Rollin' Rollin' (City Slickers Version...not the Wal-Mart version).

The Fishing Line that Broke the Biker's Rack
Telluride ("to-hell-you-ride"), CO
Our morning started splendidly with headwinds and climbs. To add to the fun, Jon's rack broke (it's only the second most important piece of equipment after our bikes themselves). Luckily, he brokedown only one mile from a bikeshop in Ridgway that had a replacement. We cruised over the Dallas Divide at about 4 m.p.h. and then had a spectacular 12 mile downhill stretch with red rock, big mountains, and wildflowers to enjoy. To top it all off, we stopped for an hour to fish in the San Miguel River, though the fish were biting as much as the ducks the night before. With our legs refreshed from the cold mountain water, we charged up the valley to Telluride, and it immediately became apparent why it's such a popular vacation spot. They've got a great main street that still has an Old West feel, good restaurants (we found that expensive asian restaurant you mentioned, Ken. Thanks.), a free gondola that took us over the mountain to a town literally called "Mountain Village" where a concert was wrapping up, and fun bars with great beer (anything else about the craic might not be suitable for publication, Austin).
Theme song for the day: Let the Good Times Roll by the Cars.

Recent Study Shows Beds More Comfortable than Sleeping Pads
Montrose, CO
Riding out of Gunnison along the Blue Mesa Reservoir was a spectacular way to start our morning. We were able to make great time to Montrose (where the McDonald's sign only has one arc) with tailwinds and long downhills (although they were well-earned after a couple climbs). With all our spare time we tuned up our bikes, shopped, checked email, and Jon even bought himself a collapsable fly-fishing rod. Luckily for us, there also happened to be a free fly fishing clinic at the town duck pond that evening, so we stuck around for a few hours (sadly, the ducks weren't biting...and our plum sauce went to waste). As we tried to ride out of down another big t-storm was brewing, so we built up some courage, psyched ourselves up, and checked into the closest hotel (that's four out of five nights, if you're scoring at home...if not, try flowers). Although the plum sauce went bad, we weren't going to let our food go to waste - it's OK to cook with a camping stove in a hotel room, right?
Song of the day: Shelter from the Storm by Bob Dylan

Check out the link to the left to see our new route, then read below to see how the first two days of riding it went.

11,312 - Highest elevation reached on trip.
2400 - Total miles travelled on trip.
506.52 - Miles travelled this week.
120 - Highest thermometer reading seen.
25 - Lowest odd-numbered interstate crossed.
10 - Longest continuous climb on trip.
10 - Longest distance travelled without pedalling.
8 - Consecutive victories by an American in the Tour de France.
6 - States' sides of the road soiled by us.
3 - Time zones entered on trip.
3 - Mountain Ranges hit on trip.
2 - Kountry Kitchens eaten at on trip.

Pedalists' Pee Pours to Pacific
Gunnison, CO
We got an early start this morning because we knew we'd be going over our highest pass on the trip, Monarch Pass, which, as Tony gave away, is over 11,000 feet and happens to mark the Continental Divide. A great breakfast at the West End in Salida (rhymes with saliva), some bike repair, and we were rolling. The ten mile climb felt endless (there was a slight headwind, to boot), but it certainly wasn't the steepest terrain we've seen, so that was nice. On our way up we could see an enormous black cloud rolling and rumbling towards us, so we shot down the hill before it hit the summit. On our way down we looked back to see some incredible lightning flashes and were told that a hail storm was pelting the top of the pass. We waited out the storm at a restaurant down below, thankful to have completed the descent on dry roads. When the storm finally stopped over us, we continued the downhill ride to Gunnison. Unfortunately another impressive storm was brewing down in the valley. At first, it was quite a show to watch, but then it started moving over us. Lightning and thunder seemed to come at the same time and from all directions, so we quickly sought shelter. Wet and tired, we treated ourselves to dinner at the Double Dragon Chinese food restaurant, where sadly, there were no references to the video game, and a night at the Days Inn.
Theme song for the day: Rocky Mountain High (cheesy, we know, but so appropriate) by John Denver (who may or may not be full of it).

Our Eyes Love CO, But Our Legs Miss KS
Howard, CO
We started our long journey on Highway 50 out of Pueblo with thirty miles of tailwind assisted flats to Canon City (pronounced canyon because there should be a tilde on the "n"). After that, the hills started...and by hills, we mean the Rockies. We took an 8 mile detour to see the Royal Gorge Bridge, the world's highest suspension bridge, which is over the Royal Gorge and Arkansas River (1,053 ft). The bridge and gorge were spectacular, but the other attractions that our $21 ticket bought us were a little absurd - like the fake gun fight and the guy singing and "playing" the guitar, whose right hand was a good six inches from the strings. The rest of the day was spent rolling upstream along the Arkansas and waving to the countless whitewater rafters floating downstream and enjoying the incredible scenery around us. We finished in Howard, where a sign reads "Howard, Colorado: Home of 1201 nice people and a few old soreheads".
Theme song: On the Road Again by Willie Nelson

Sleeping in at the Sleep Inn
Pueblo, CO
Our first day off was filled with a morning of sleeping in, a dip in the pool, some basic bike repair, stocking up on supplies, lunch at Sonic (again), and a matinee showing of Clerks II. Greg and Katie shuttled us around in Greg's about-to-explode (although just serviced) Jeep. Anyone with experience in insurance fraud should contact him with ideas.
Theme Song: Hanging Around by the Counting Crows.

Mountains in Sight
Pueblo, CO
Great riding today. The storms from last night shifted the wind patterns greatly in our favor, as a stiff wind blew out of the east all day. We were able to coast pretty much all the way into Pueblo, one of the biggest cities we've seen since the start (pop. 100,000). We checked into the Sleep Inn, that Jon's friends Greg and Katie had booked for us, because they were driving down from Denver to take us out for the evening. We had a great meal at a Texas Roadhouse with them, where peanut shells covered the ground, real rodeo competitors were eating after the Colorado State Fair, the rib meat just fell off the bone, and the made-to-order margaritas were the best thing we'd had to drink in a long time.
Theme song: Hello City by the Bare Naked Ladies.

Cyclists Cross into Colorful Colorado
Haswell, COLORADO
We got up behind schedule and fought head winds all morning as a result. With some clever drafting techniques, however, we were able to up our average speed by several miles per hour. Although we had entered Colorado, there were no mountains in sight; eastern Colorado is just as flat - if not flatter - than most of Kansas. Still, we both found it more picturesque. When we saw another Kountry Kitchen Restaurant, which we assume is unaffiliated with the Kentucky kounter part "Kountry Kitchen Restaurant" that we had stopped in a while back (sight of the first "lunchtime conversation"), we were a little worried we were biking in kircles. We rolled into the city park of Haswell just in time to set up camp to watch several lightning storms surround us - definitely some of the most impressive lightning either of us had ever seen.
Theme song for the day: Magic Carpet Ride by Steppenwolf, for the three mile stretch of road we took into Ordway that was newly paved, a novel experience for the day. Skiers, think freshly groomed snow.

F&@$ing Hot and Windy
Tribune, KS
We crossed into the Mountain Time Zone today, so we had another 25 hour day - which we took full advantage of, riding into camp around 9:00pm just as the sun set, putting into silhouette anything that stood out over the plains. The winds were "like a blowtorch" according to one man and "God awful" according to a woman today. We spent most of the afternoon in the Leoti (pronounced "Lee-o-ta" for some reason, kinda like how the last state we were in is called Missura) waiting for the winds and the heat to die down. In the library Austin was working next to a young man working on his resume. He was able to read this from his "Experiences" section: "2003 Best DJ for Complete Music, 2001 Basketball Captain, a job in which he was required to do daily cattle checks and operate heavy equipment." Whatever he must have been applying for must only exist in Kansas. We left Leoti just after dinner at Charlie's Mexican Restaurant whose sign read "Charlie's Mexican Restaurant - American Food." We camped again in the town park, where they graciously let us camp under a pavilion and use the showers.
A special thanks the anonymous poster of a few days back who suggested the Winds of Change by the Scorpians as a theme song. Today's song of the day would be Dust in the Wind by Kansas, of course.

We thought we'd post a quick Shout-Out to all our overseas readers (Ireland, France, and Spain). We love the international recognition you guys give us and are thinking of you too. If anyone else is following from another country, chime in - our comments page is always open.
Slainte, a bientot, ciao.

*At home, we say hi to Jon's dear old man; on the road, we wave hi to old men on their John Deere's.
*At home, we work nine to five and sometimes put in overtime; out here, we work out nine to five and sometimes put in overtime.
*At home, when we get saddled with a lot of work, it's a real pain in the ass; on the road, when we do a lot of work in the saddle, it's a real pain in the ass.
*In New York, the streets go from one to two hundred something; in the towns we go through, the streets go "First, Middle, Last"
*At home, we worry about the rising cost of gas; in the tent, we worry about the cost of rising gas.

Meteorology Lessons
Dighton, KS
We woke up in Larned's city park, where a police officer had recommended we camp by a covered pavilion and duck pond. While the ducks were quiet at night and we actually slept pretty well, they were going at it in the morning...they didn't have epididymitis! Nothing new about the ride (straight, flat, hot - 120 by one thermometer, sunny, windy), but we did enjoy a new lunchtime conversation:
Guy (with tattoos, piercings, shaved head, and goatee): How you guys doin' out there?
Us (spandex, sweating): It's real hot, but not too windy.
Guy: This weather has been strange. Ain't no wind.
Us: Any chance this keeps up?
Guy (looks around, leans in, lowers voice): We got three seasons here in Kansas: F@*!ing hot and windy, F@*!ing cold and windy, and F@*!ing wet and windy.
We spent most of the afternoon avoiding the first season at the library, but then were forced to roll west when we saw a thunderstorm approaching. Dighton, another very hospitable town, let us camp near their pool and skate park. Although the sign clearly said no BMX biking, Jon read that as "tour bikes welcome," when it really meant, "You WILL fall if you ride your bike in the skate park, but at least you'll provide some entertainment for the locals."