Day 37 / August 5, 2015

The constant thunder and lightning woke us up often throughout the night, but the 6am alarm kept us awake.  There was a brief pause from the rain when we woke up, so we rushed to get out and get a few miles in before the storm continued.  After a quick breakfast, we were ready to head out.  Chris asked if I was "ready to bite the bullet?"  As he asked that, a loud crack of thunder roared above us.  We began cycling just before a comical amount of rain began to dump out onto us.  It was like a scene out of an overly dramatic movie; if you were watching this from your home, you'd have groaned aloud because you thought the film crew went overboard on the rain as it was hardly a believable amount.  We were trying to go on, but the wind began to push us across the road, so we pulled into the parking lot of an abandoned RV business and hid out under the awning.  We had to wait almost 2 hours before we were able to go back out.  So much for the early start.

After the storm for the first 15 miles, we had a dry remainder of the trip.  We stopped in the town of Toronto so that Chris could mail some things home.  While in the post office, he met an older woman that said she often hosted cyclists on the trail.  When meeting hosts, you'll usually hear about people that you haven't met, but you feel like you have.  There are many cyclist journals in restaurants, hostels, and general stores along the trail, so you often see the same names pop up.  Some people will just sign their name, others will leave an inspirational comment, and a few people will draw sketches.  The woman began talking about a group of 4 guys from Florida that stayed with her at the beginning of July.  She said several times how much testosterone was bouncing off the walls when she had them over.  Chris thought that these guys fit the description of a group that we see a lot in the journals called "the poo tang clan."  They always leave wacky cartoons and mysterious sketches that have intrigued us.  He was a bit embarrassed to ask, but he was pretty confident that it was them.  I walked into the post office at this point and was able to see the excited smile come across her face as she said, "Yes! They were the poo tang clan!"  I'll never forget the image of an older woman explaining how the guys came up with their group name.  It apparently came from a combination of a lot of bowel movements and drinking a lot of tang.  She also mentioned that they traveled with a French horn and other musical instruments.  I have no idea who these guys are, but I wish we would have crossed paths with them.

Tomorrow, we will be biking 76 miles to Newton, Kansas and will be 10 days away from finishing our last biking day on this trip.  Realizing that gave me a mixed reaction of excitement and anxiety.  I am excited to see what my next step will be, but I'm anxious that I don't know where to begin.  I always say that the uncertainty is part of the fun.  I stand by that, but I do still like to have an idea about what my future holds.  At this point, all I know is that we will be arriving in Pueblo, Colorado 8/16 and I will be flying a few days later to Houston, Texas for a trip with my girlfriend.  I'll be back in NYC by 8/24 and have no idea what will be happening after that.  I guess we will have to wait and see.  Whatever I end up doing, I'm not going to settle for anything.

Day 38 / August 6, 2015

We're currently in Newton, KS staying at our third WarmShowers host.  We had been hearing about the Newton bike shop hostel since day 10, but when I called today to reserve two cots, I was greeted by a voicemail saying that the bike shop and hostel would be closed until the 11th.  That's ok- we are lucky to be staying with a wonderful family that took us (and two other bikers) in.  The best part about the new arrangement is that the fellow bikers are going west!  We have finally met people that are going in the same direction as us. This is the first time all trip that we've been able to talk to people on the trail and reference towns and talk about parts of the riding that we've all experienced in the same direction.  The bikers are a married couple en route to Seattle, where they are moving to.  They're riding on a tandem, which I can't get past.  I love my girlfriend very much, but I couldn't imagine us riding a tandem bike across a park, let alone the country.  I know she'll agree with me when she reads this, so I'm not afraid to admit that.

While sitting at the dinner table, I began looking around at the art work on the walls.  The primary artists were the children of the family.  There was a post-it on a pillar that caught my eye; it was a simple handwritten message that read, "Life doesn't get easier.  You get better."  I stared at it while passing the spaghetti because I was struck by the simplicity and truth.  Today, we had our longest mileage of the trip (76 miles).  We both agreed that it was one of our easier days, though.  We have been tested many times on the road.  We've been frustrated, overheated, tired, and sore, but we've continued on.  We've grown and gotten stronger with each mile.  I think that we will be showing up in Colorado better than when we left Virginia.

Day 39 / August 7, 2015

I am sitting comfortably in a recliner in the guest house of the Mayor of Nickerson, Kansas as I write this.  I guess you can say we're staying in the Gracie Mansion of the Midwest.  When I told my family where I was unexpectedly spending the night, they all had the same response: "Why am I not surprised?"  I kind of expected that response; things usually have a way of working out for me.  

My senior year of college, I lived off campus with three friends in a house on the Long Island Sound.  When Hurricane Sandy hit our town in Connecticut, our house was rocked.  The flood line settled along the door knob of the front door.  Our university began setting students up with on campus students that had the space, dormitory lounges, and anywhere they could fit people.  My roommates and I didn't know what we should do, but then I received a call from the Dean.  I got to know the Dean fairly well over my four years there, but I was still surprised and (initially) disappointed to see the number pop up on my phone.  When I picked up, I had no idea what the topic of conversation would be.  I began coming up with excuses in my head for things I hadn't even done, but her call was of a different nature; she was wondering if my roommates and I would want to stay with the President of the university while our house was being drained and renovated.  My roommates and I took maybe 30 seconds to deliberate before I said, "Absolutely."  We lived with the President for several months and ended up building an incredible relationship with him; we still go out to dinner together every few months.  I don't think I'll be coming back to the Midwest to do the same with the Mayor of Nickerson, but who knows.

When we arrived in Nickerson, we weren't sure where we were going to be staying.  We would have been able to camp in the park, but the disgusting heat didn't make that option seem too great.  It was fairly early when we got here, so we decided to hangout at a pizzeria.  

After our second pie (they weren't that big...), a small giant sized man named Bo started talking to us from a few tables away.  He said that he was also a traveler and that he was from Oklahoma.  Bo had been training in Nickerson for the past week to become a minister.  We talked about our trips and he asked where we'd be staying, which we answered with shrugs.  He ran out to his truck and came back with a few numbers of people in the town that he had worked with, which included the Mayor and the pastor in town.  He asked if we could pray together and he held our hands while saying a blessing over us.  I was impressed by how quickly he was able to craft a great prayer tailored to us right off the top of his head.  After finishing, he went to his table to resume eating and I stepped outside to call the number that I thought belonged to the Mayor.

I was greeted on the phone by an older man who didn't seem surprised by the nature of my call.  I explained our situation and asked if there were any options for bikers in the town.  He told me that I should talk to the First Lady (ok- he didn't call her that, but he should have) and passed the phone to his wife.  She didn't ask any questions and gave us directions to their home.  When we arrived, she was just finishing up giving a piano lesson to a student who "clearly hasn't practiced all summer."  The Mayor and the First Lady were exceptionally nice and accommodating.  They've actually hosted bikers on the Trans America since the inaugural year in 1976.  I'd like to write more about our stay, but I'll have to make an addendum after the trip; we are waking up at 5am and I need my sleep.  The heat is supposed to be brutal tomorrow, so we are hoping to beat it to our next town.

Day 40 / August 8, 2015

We fought the urge to snooze the 5am alarm and began to get ready for the day.  It still takes us a while to gather our belongings and eat, so we needed the extra time.  The First Lady of Nickerson was already up and preparing breakfast, so we sat with the Mayor and watched Sportcenter.  We had pancakes, peaches, and eggs and were ready to start out on our 60 miles by 6:15am.

There's something special about rolling through a neighborhood as the sun rises.  The cool air, morning fog, and quiet streets help create a positive attitude that carries through the whole day.  We weaved through the corn fields and arrived in Larned, KS by 10:30am.  Crossing the train tracks into town, we were surrounded by huge grain silos.  The smell was reminiscent of the bourbon town, Bardstown.  While scanning the businesses we passed by, we saw more boarded up windows than not.  Tumbleweed wasn't blowing around, but the winds were filled with excess grains from the silos.  We found a diner that we thought would be a good spot, but they were closing up.  They gave us some biscuits on the house, which we really appreciated.  It was only 10:40am at this point, but the heat was already intensifying.  We continued our search for a hideout and came across a boutique/home decor/cafe combo store.  I was able to have a few espressos and read while Chris was able to nap on one of the couches, so it was perfect.  After a few hours, we left in search of food. We had forgotten that we left so early because of a heat wave and were greeted by the most intense heat and thickest air of the trip.  Camping was no longer an option, so we found the cheapest motel that the town had to offer.  Our neighbors are a bit more... weathered? than we've seen, but there's an AC, shower, beds, and a TV.  We've been joining all of the single ladies watching ABC family's incredible Saturday movie line up (Parent Trap, Matilda, and Mean Girls), so I think we're a little happy that the weather forced us into the motel.

Tomorrow we have a bit over 60 miles to get to Ness City.  Our friends on the tandem bike texted us that there's an ice cream shop that gives discounts to bikers, so we have our eyes on the ice cream. 

Day 41 / August 9, 2015

As we were getting ready to leave the comforts of our budget motel this morning, Chris asked me if I wanted to be a "Breakfast Defector."  If you haven't seen the commercials (I doubt that's possible), he meant go to Taco Bell.  The meal wasn't bad, but I'm really tired of fast food.  I plan on having pizza for my first meal when I get back to make up for Southern and Midwestern pizza, but I'm going on a fruit and vegetable binge after that.

The 60+ miles to Ness City felt very long today.  I'm not sure if it was our breakfast or what, but we both couldn't wait for the riding to be done.  About 13 miles in, we made our last turn on the trail for the rest of the trip.  We will be following this one road to Pueblo, CO for the next 275 miles.  Our friends on the tandem texted us saying to prepare for a boring ride, but I'm ok with that.  We're in the home stretch and boring is welcomed.

Near the city limits of Ness City, there was a sign for a bank in the town, which was listed as an attraction and nicknamed "Skyscraper of the Plains."  I wasn't disappointed when I saw the skyscraper; it was about 4 stories and smaller than my fairly short apartment building back home.  Walking the streets of Ness City, I began to understand why they'd advertise the bank; "Modern day ghost town" may not draw as much attention.  The town reminded me a bit of the stereotypical western town portrayed in movies.  The only thing I'd say missing was a saloon with those swinging doors, but it's possible I just didn't look hard enough.  The only open food option for dinner was a pizzeria, so we settled for one (hopefully) last experience with Midwestern pizza.  The pizza wasn't too bad, but it was a little gross that every single table had garbage and dishes left behind from previous customers.  After dinner, we just waked back to our motel and called it a night.  There was a sign outside the motel listing the amenities and "clean rooms" was on it.  I wouldn't have questioned the rooms, but seeing that made me a little uneasy.  A motel using cleanliness as a selling point isn't a good look.

We move on for 50something miles to Scott City tomorrow.  We're down to a hand's worth of days left of biking; we're officially in the home stretch.

Day 42 / August 10, 2015

About a half hour ago, I was laying on a futon in our WarmShowers host's apartment starting to write this post. Chris walked up behind me and nonchalantly asked, "Blizzard number two?"  I laughed, but he didn't.  I shrugged, said "why not?" and followed him to Dairy Queen for the second time today.  "Why not?" is the whole mentality I've had for this trip.  I sometimes have flashbacks to when Chris first suggested this idea of biking across the country.  They're not like traumatic flashbacks or anything, but once in a while when I'm biking on a single lane highway in the middle of Kansas, I can't help but think back about how I got here.

A few months ago, Chris, our friend Kyle, and I were eating at an ihop.  Chris was grinning and told us about this idea that he had about us riding our bikes across the country.  I just sat there quietly as Kyle exclaimed what a good idea that was.  After thinking about it for a few seconds, I looked up at the ceiling and said, "Well, I'd have to quit my job."  Kyle shook his head and told me that I was thinking about it all wrong.  I replied that I was pretty positive I was thinking about it correctly and logically.  I hadn't ruled out the trip, but I had things to take care of before I could just pack up and leave.   I had already been trying to come up with plans to focus on my writing and photography, and I felt like a trip like this would benefit that.  Sure, I genuinely think the only times I've ever ridden a bike prior to that point were in beach towns and for less than a mile at a time, but I figured it couldn't be too bad.  I thought about the trip a lot before actually committing to it, but I knew I was doing it once Chris brought it up.  My entire reasoning was: "Why not?"  I bought a bike, quit my job, and am in Scott City, Kansas right now.  The kicker?  Kyle didn't end up coming after saying I was thinking about it all wrong.

We had a monotonous ride of about 55 miles today.  We're down to four days of riding left and I think we're both thankful for that.  I'm ready for the next adventure, as are my back and surgically repaired ankle.  Tomorrow will be our second time zone shift as we enter Mountain Time Zone.  I'm not sure what town we're heading to; I just have my eyes on Colorado. 

Day 43 / August 11, 2015

We had a relatively short day planned and were gaining an hour by crossing onto Mountain Time,  so we had no problem sleeping in while it rained this morning.  After the weather relaxed and we had some disappointing food, we were ready to leave Scott City.  

Before we hit the road, a few trucks carrying wind turbine blades passed through.  Obviously industrial wind turbines are massive, but seeing one blade pass by put it in perspective for me.  It looked like the size of a small plane.  Our host last night is actually a wind turbine technician.  Chris had commented that he was surprised that we hadn't seen many since we're in Kansas, but our host said that we'd be passing more today.  We did, which I was thankful for- the wind turbines broke up the repetitive scenes of Kansas flatlands.  Riding through Kansas is kind of like when old budget movies would reuse the same background over and over and it's just an endless loop.  I'm not complaining because we've really enjoyed Kansas, but it does get boring.

Each state that we've crossed has definitely had its own character.  Passing by cyclists on this trail, you'll tend to discuss the character of each state and, as I've mentioned before, the warnings.  Virginia has the Appalachians, Kentucky has the dogs, Illinois- well, you're not really in Illinois long enough for it to have much notoriety, Missouri has the Ozarks, and Kansas has the wind.  Every east bound person we've met has cursed Kansas because of the head winds.  I might be jinxing us here, but we've had incredible tail winds pretty much all the way through Kansas.  Sometimes it'll be blowing in our faces, but overall, it's helped us out.  

We're set up in a park in Tribune, KS tonight.  This place is kind of an enigma.  The one strip of stores in town seemed fairly outdated and a bit rundown.  Similarly to Ness City, it felt like a stereotypical old western town.  There was a grocery store, though, which is only about the fourth one we've seen since the end of June.  Riding down the street, we noticed that there were hidden speakers everywhere playing XM radio's 60s on 6 station.   We couldn't figure out what kind of town Tribune is.  When we got to the park, a mother and daughter were playing tennis.  Several of the neighbors have been driving around here in golf carts, but I don't think there's a course near by.  This place confuses me, but I guess it doesn't matter.  This time zone shift also has me a bit mixed up, so I think it's time to call it a night.  We have about 60 miles tomorrow to our next town, which is in Colorado.