Day 47-Daniel Boone Country

Miles Completed Today: 74
Total Miles Completed: 3125
Miles To Go: 675*
(*According to the maps we have 675 miles to go, so that's why it bumped up 100 miles
from yesterday. The total was supposed to be 3700, but it looks like it will be closer to 3800)

Berea, KY (pronounced buh-ree-uh) is home to Berea College, the first interracial, coeducational college in the South, founded in 1855 on a picturesque 140 acre campus dotted with massive oak trees. Students pay no tuition, but are required to work during the entire four years in the community or at the school. Pat and Sean did not want to leave the setting, but like Daniel Boone, the most famous local, they blazed the trails of eastern Kentucky despite the perils. Instead of bears, Indians, and other hazardous wildlife though, they will battle cars, humidity, craft selling artists, and bicycle chasing dogs.

Hills were spotted on the horizon in the distance this morning, meaning Appalachia is near. Today's route will twist and turn out of Berea on Route 21 and other country roads eventually leading to Buckhorn, KY, seventy-four miles away.

Today's Internet courtesy of Berea College in Berea, KY.

Day 46-It's Not Just An Adventure, It's A Job

Miles Completed Today: 74
Total Miles Completed: 3051
Miles To Go: 649

The lazy, hazy days of Summer continue today, and the air is so thick with humidity you could probably scoop a handful worth and squeeze out a few drops of water. Dew covered the van this morning and made us think it drizzled at night. Visibility is so poor, it's not even possible to see what the weather will be like for more than five minutes. But they persevered and hit the road at 10:40 this morning headed from Springfield, KY to Harrodsburg, KY on Route 152. Harrodsburg was the first established settlement east of the Applachains in 1774. From Harrodsburg they wound through more Bluegrass countryside to Berea, today's destination.

We are in the heart of blugrass country now dotted with lush, green horse farms, tobacco fields, and cool stone fences. Sean's Dad got us a great hotel room in Lexington for the night and we are soaking up the air conditioning, showers, and swimming pool. Thank you!

Day 45-Lincoln Bike Logs

Miles Completed Today: 71
Total Miles Completed: 2977
Miles To Go: 723

Only in Kentucky can you park in the Pilot Truck Stop and wake up next door to "Shag Nasty"! When we opened the van door this morning our neighbor was this fine, custom, Chevy Siverado cruiser. Needless to say, the guys were quite impressed and insisted that we include it in today's photo. "Shag" was sound asleep in the back seat after an obviously late Saturday night of music, so we never got to see him in the morning, but our imaginations will run wild. What a contrast; Amish, horse-drawn carriages in the daylight, and "1988 Texas Ride's" at night!

The trail today curls around central Kentucky from Sonora to Springfield on Routes 84, 61, 470, and about five others passing by Lincoln's birthplace and his early homestead. Yes, Lincoln was born in Kentucky.

Today's Internet (finally) courtesy of Panera Bread in Elizabethtown, KY.

Day 44-The Bluegrass Desert?!

Miles Completed Today: 46
Total Miles Completed: 2906
Miles To Go: 794

The steam bath sleep night was no fun and all the biking gear was soaked in the morning, so we headed to a laundromat to wash and dry everything. (It needed it before the rain anyway, but the SAG never says "no" to laundry runs when the guys ask for them. In fact, they are stongly encouraged daily!) Since the thick humid air continued today, and it was a late start due to the laundry, the guys rode from Rough River to, where else of course, Sonora, KY! It's hard to believe Sonora is in the Blugress region, but that's a new one on us, so from now on when we hear Sonora, we'll have to clarify, "Do you mean the desert or the Bluegrass town?"

Day 43-Kentucky Bluegrass

Miles Completed Today: 71
Total Miles Completed: 2860
Miles To Go: 940

True Southern Hospitality is what you would call Sebree's First Baptist Church hosting for cyclists. It was nice surprise, and the guys will remember it for a long time to come. Today, they'll be riding into Kentcky Bluegrass as they go from Sebree to Rough River State Park.

Update: A late start, i.e. 11:30 AM, means a late finish, and in the summer thunderstorms tend form in the afternoons when it's hot. Today was no exception and rain showers slowed the duo throughout the day and they were only one mile away from the Rough River State Recreation Area when they had to seek refuge. After waiting it out and drying out, they ran into Chris on a "rescue mission". Once they realized they were so close to the campground, they decided to ride the last mile on the bikes, but once they got halfway there, the skies opened up and dumped buckets of rain on them and they rolled into camp soaked like wet rags. After showering though, the deluge continued with everyone in the van. Rain blew through the ceiling fan and started dripping inside, so it had to be closed along with the windows, which made for a humid steam bath and rough sleeping conditions for the night.

Internet access is getting limited here, but we'll try to get updated soon.

Day 42-Crossing The Ohio River

Miles Completed Today: 80
Total Miles Completed: 2789
Miles To Go: 911

Galconda State Recreation Area on the Ohio River was a nice camping spot, and was even better since we were the only campers there. We awoke to three wild turkeys and a turtle, but the turkeys took off before we get them in a photo. The turtle made it though. Sean and Pat rode north out of town and headed east to Elizabethtown where we stopped for lunch on the river, literally on the Ohio river. Next was a short ferry ride across the Ohio River and into Kentucky, the last state before Virginia, the finale state. We planned to stay in Dixon, KY, but once we arrived and realized that they had no accommodations, the guys decided to go a little further to Sebree. What stroke of luck! The First Baptist Church in Sebree provided housing to cyclists, and the pastor and his wife, Bob and Violet Hardison, cooked us a great meal and lodging for the night in the church's activity center. They were wonderful hosts and were a welcome surprise.

Day 41-Slipping Through Illinois

Miles Completed Today: 66
Total Miles Completed: 2709
Miles To Go: 991

Only three states remain on the tour: Illinois, Kentucky, and Virginia. Sean & Pat will quickly dispatch with most of Illinios today heading south out of Murphysboro on Route 127, cutting east by Carbondale, and then zig-zagging on country roads eventually riding Routes 147, 145, and 146 to Eddyville, IL and the Golconda State Recreation Area on the Ohio River.

Today's Internet courtesy of the Sallie Logan Public Library in Murphysboro, IL.

Day 40-An End To The Mizzouri

Miles Completed Today: 78
Total Miles Completed: 2643
Miles To Go: 1057

Relaxing yesterday in St. Louis refreshed Sean & Pat as we visited the Arch and downtown, hit a shopping mall, saw a movie, reloaded at Costco, and generally took it easy. At the Jefferson National Memorial (the Arch) we biked around, saw the Lewis & Clark statue (including Lewis' dog, Seaman who made the journey with them) and toured the museum. Unfortunately, that Harry Potter addiction took its toll again and they stayed up reading until 2:00 AM under his spell. After a morning laundry stop, they headed east from Farmington, MO at 11:30 AM to Chester, Ill. on Routes OO, F, B, P, N, Z, H, and 51. The abysmal road signs and shoulder-free Missouri roads will not be missed! Once across the mighty Mississippi, we cruised southeast on the levee toward Rockwood and then cut east to Murphysboro, Ill., where we spent the night at Murphysboro State Park.

Day 39-Going For Gold

Miles Completed Today: 88
Total Miles Completed: 2565
Miles To Go: 1135

Pat & Sean got up early today at 6:00AM in hopes of breaking the century mark today to make up for lost time yesterday, and to get us to the closest point from St. Louis, where we plan to take the day off tomorrow. They'll head east on Route 106 from Eminence, MO, cut north at Ellington, MO, and then follow routes 21/72 and N to Farmington, and then a few country roads to River Aux Vases, MO, a few miles short of the Mississippi River.

Update: No century mark today, but eighty-eight miles through the Ozarks is close enough. The guys finished riding in Farmington, MO and we drove an hour up to St. Louis and checked in to a hotel for the night and a well deserved break day tomorrow. Judging from the picture of a road sign we passed today, you can see why it's so easy to get lost in Missouri.

Day 38-Riding The Ozarks To Summersville

Miles Completed Today: 43 (but rode 56!)
Total Miles Completed: 2477
Miles To Go: 1223

We will head out today on Route 17 heading east to Summersville.

Update: Another rocky start today out of Houston as the guys took the wrong route and headed south instead of east out of town, so they got to pedal an extra thirteen miles and meet some true "country folk" on their dirt road detour back to the main route. Must have been that late night Harry Potter reading that threw them off.

The path wound through more of the Ozarks and included a stretch through the Ozark National Scenic Riverways which include Alley Spring, the site of an old grain mill. Although still functional, the mill ceased operation around the turn of the century. It was located and powered by Alley Spring, which still pumps out eighty million gallons of crystal clear, sixty degree water every year. Water from the spring joins the nearby Jacks Fork River creating a haven for rafting and canoeing enthusiasts. Five miles east lies the town of Eminence, where we camped for the night aside the Jacks Fork.

Day 37-Houston On The Horizon

Miles Completed Today: 38
Total Miles Completed: 2434
Miles To Go: 1266

A morning thunderstorm held the team captive in Hartville until 1:00 PM so they were able to have yet another meal at LJD's cafe, their third in a row after dinner and breakfast. But the food was so good they really didn't mind. The "guest" in today's photo is Larry, the captain and "chef" at LJD's. His custom cooking rig was made from a large milk vessel and his former boat trailer, so BBQ, brisket, and chicken grill is mobile for big events up to 150 people.

Word of mouth we have heard for a couple of states now was that the Houston Motel in Houston was a must for bikers, so the guys decided on riding just the 38 miles to Houston, MO for the day. On the way though, they cooled off at Dog Bluff, just outside of town, and did some swimming and cliff jumping in to the Big Piney River. Then, since the latest Harry Potter book was going to be released on June 21st, they went to Wal-Mart, got some face painting, played Harry Potter trivia, and stayed up until midnight to buy their first editions.

Today's Internet courtesy of The Houston Motel, Houston, MO.

Day 36-Is That A Tailwind?

Miles Completed Today: 71
Total Miles Completed: 2406
Miles To Go: 1294

Ash Grove, MO is a picturesque small town with a main street about two hundred yards long. Unfortunately, it appears to be dying a slow death as more than half of the stores are closed. A few miles north of Ash Grove on Route V (that's V as in VW; some roads in the Show Me State are lettered instead of numbered) on the way to Walnut Grove is the old homestead of Nathanial Boone, the youngest son of Daniel Boone. Pat & Sean passed by it around 11:00 AM this morning en route to Hartville, MO riding their first good tailwind of the journey. They'll be taking roads that don't even qualify to get printed on most atlases.

Update: Sean and Pat made it to Hartville around six o'clock but had to wait on the SAG because he was busy buying fireworks in a store! After arriving, the team camped in Hartville's city park for the night.

Today's Internet courtesy of the Meyer Library at Missouri State University.

Day 35-An Ash Grove On The Way To The Ozarks

Miles Completed Today: 80
Total Miles Completed: 2335
Miles To Go: 1365

"Mr. Six Pack" who thought he would beat the heat riding shirtless yesterday failed to heed the SAG's warning and ended up with a nice sunburn pattern on his back. He's back to wearing a shirt today, and they're on the road to Ash Grove, MO, just on the western fringe of the Ozark Mountains. They call them mountains here, but we westerners know they're really only hills. Since the cycling maps stopped including elevation profiles once we left Colorado, the guys aren't concerned about them. Humidity continues to plague them and they constantly stop for water and A/C breaks to stay fresh. It's only supposed to be 90 today, and a little lower on Thursday and Friday as a front pushes through from the north.

Today's Internet courtesy of the Pittsburg, KS Public Library.

Update: A five hour delay at the bike shop in Pittsburg dragged the guys down, but they insisted on getting to Ash Grove, MO instead of stopping in Golden City, MO. Sooooo, they ended up finishing the last few miles in the dark countryside of Missouri where dogs chase in the dark, bug sounds drown out all others, and smelly cow odors permeate the night air. Pat had an opportunity to try his new can of "Halt" dog repellant, but outran the varmints with Sean. Lesson learned.

The road from Golden City to Ash Grove was so remote, the SAG passed only two or three cars. Abandoned houses and dead or dying towns were the norm, and an old gas station with gas for $1.12 a gallon told how long ago it closed.

Day 34-Heading For The Border

Miles Completed Today: 84
Total Miles Completed: 2255
Miles To Go: 1445

Toronto Lake ordinarily would probably be a very nice place to stay, but it was a rough place for us given the high water remaining after the recent flooding and the mosquito squadrons that liked using us for targets. We survived the humid night and headed out at 9:30 AM for Girard, KS on Route 105 and then Route 39. It's an 84-mile trek, so today will be a a tough one.

The landscape no longer looks like Kansas as it is lush green, water is everywhere, and signs abound that, if we didn't know otherwise, would indicate we're in the South. We'll miss the friendly "waves" of the rural Kansas drivers who give a simple nod of a few fingers from the steering wheel as they pass on the road, but more adventures await us in Missouri.

Today's Internet courtesy of the Chanute, KS Public Library.
(Octave Chanute, the city's namesake was an engineer who built the first bridge across the Missouri River, designed the Kansas City stockyards, and was heavily involved in the railroads. He was friends with the Wright Brothers, and strongly encouraged them in their aerospace developments. Chanute Air Force base is named after him in Illinois.)

Update: Sean and Pat arrived in Girard, KS close to 7:30 PM after a long ride, including a slight detour due to the flooding from a few weeks ago. Fortunately, the Girard Municipal Pool was open until 9:00 PM, so we took full advantage of it. It was even sweeter since they told us cyclists were free! Kansas has been the most "cycler friendly" state in terms of friendliness and facilities, and we doubt they will be surpassed in the four remaining states.

Day 33-RR Crossing, Look Out For The Cars!

Miles Completed Today: 57
Total Miles Completed: 2171
Miles To Go: 1529

We made it to Cassoday, KS, the Prairie Chicken Capital Of The World, around 7:00 PM and hit the only open place in town, the gas station/convenience store/snack shop, and soaked up the A/C until they closed at eight o'clock. Then it was off to the Cassoday City Park for the night. We have been very fortunate that Kansas seems to welcome the bikers who camp in the city parks, and we have stayed in one every night in Kansas. We'll see if our luck holds out tonight, probably in Toronto, yes, Toronto, KS. After that, we, uh, well, I'm gonna go ahead and say it, we won't be in Kansas anymore! Sorry, I had to do it.

The big topic at the gas station was a railroad collision with a tractor trailer that was carrying cattle just out of town. Fortunately, no one was hurt, but one of the locals, who was the driver will be taking a lot of ribbing for that one. Several cows perished.

Today's Internet courtesy of the Eureka, KS Public Library.

Day 32-Cassoday Express

Miles Completed Today: 84
Total Miles Completed: 2114
Miles To Go: 1586

Crossing the 2,000 mile mark yesterday passed without any fanfare mainly because we didn't realize it until today, so tonight we'll have a special "bike2K" dinner celebration in Cassoday, KS, today's destination. The guys want to take a day off somewhere, maybe St. Louis, MO, so they are kicking up the miles now. Plus, we ran the numbers again and saw there wasn't a lot of margin for finishing the ride before school starts in August. Humidity is now becoming a factor, and yesteday was the first day of warm temperatures AND humidity, so they now see what it feels like--a little different than dry, Arizona heat. Pat noticed that he was already soaked today before rolling out of Nickerson, KS at 9:30 AM.

Day 31-Roadkill, Toadkill, & Wrong Turns

Miles Completed Today: 84
Total Miles Completed: 2030
Miles To Go: 1670

Sean and Pat rolled out of Rush Center, KS this morning at 11:00 AM after waiting around for a restaurant to open for breakfast. Then they proceeded to ride smartly out of town on the wrong road for thirty miles to Great Bend, KS before realizing their mistake. (Kevin, thank you for the comment.) Lucky for them it was in the right direction and they will not lose much time as a result; credibility, yes, but time, no. The roads today are covered with little toads about the size of a walnut, and, of course, half of them are "toadkill". It must be the season.

Update: Call it the luck of the Irish, but Sean and Pat's taking of the wrong route worked to their advantage as part of the correct route was washed out by the recent heavy rains near the Quivira National Wildlife Reserve. They would have had to ford their second creek of the trip had they gone that way. We ran into the "California Team" yesterday and they did have to cross the washed out section. The SAG had to detour about twenty five miles, so fording the creek was the right decision.

Slowly but surely over the last two days the endless wheat fields have given way to mostly corn fields and much more tree growth. The humidity has definitely picked up as we make our way to the Mississippi River valley. We get daily thunderstorms but have been fortunate enough to dodge most of them. They do drop the teperature though, which is a nice respite.

Today's Internet courtesy of the Larned, KS Public Library.

Day 30-What? Cool Weather In July?

Miles Completed Today: 64
Total Miles Completed: 1946
Miles To Go: 1754

We got a few inches of rain dumped on us last night in Dighton, KS by a big thunderstorm, but we were fine in the van and the bikes stayed dry under a big ramada in the park. Fortunately, it's very cool today, about 70 and cloudy, so the bikers are enjoying nice riding weather on Route 96 headed to Rush Center, KS. The winds are still blowing, but they're getting used to it.

Update: We made it to Rush Center, but since it was so sparse, we drove five miles north to La Crosse for dinner and better camping options. While we were the only people eating at Gambino's pizza and deli on a Friday night, we asked the manager where everyone was, and she replied "at the rodeo". It was only fifteen minutes down the road to McCracken, KS, so we headed over that way and caught a little more Kansas culture. The rodeo was great entertainment, especially the "non-traditional" events like the muffin stuffin (kids trying to wrestle sheep), wild horse race (three-man teams try to saddle and race wild horses), and another event where little kids try to pull a ribbon off three wild calves--pure pandemonium!

Today's Internet courtesy of the Ness City, KS Public Library.

Day 29-Great Scott, Are They Halfway?

Miles Completed Today: 71
Total Miles Completed: 1882
Miles To Go: 1818

Scott City, Kansas is roughly the halfway point on this 3,700 mile cross country journey, and the guys ought to be there by noon today. The weather is cooperating this morning as the sky is partly cloudy and the temperature is about seventy degrees in Tribune, KS, but most of all, those winds have not kicked in yet. However, they are again expected to blow in the afternoon, so we'll decide in Scott City, 47 miles away, whether or not to keep going.

Update: On to Dighton, KS, another 24 miles.....

We made it to Dighton, set up camp, and then headed over to the Lane County Fair just outside of town. Well, it was only about four blocks, but that's outside of town in Dighton, which has a population of about twelve hundred. Some rodeo events, rides, game booths, and food made up the fair, so we tried some BBQ and brisket sandwiches for dinner.

In response to the anonymous comment inquiring about what goes on at night after the daily rides, some photos are posted to see. Sometimes it's not pretty.

Day 28-No Relief For The Weary

Miles Completed Today: 58
Total Miles Completed: 1811
Miles To Go: 1889

Today's forecast is for 10-15 mph south-southeast winds with gusts up to 40 mph in the afternoon, so Pat & Sean will be making another slow grind today. At 12:30 though the gusts already feel like 30 mph and are shaking the SAG wagon from side to side. The goal today is Tribune, KS about sixty miles away, but we'll just have to see what happens. Leaving Eads, CO at 10:00 AM the duo headed east on Route 96 continuing the journey across the Great Plains. Now that we're here, we think we realized why they're called Plains. We always thought it was because they were flat and stretched forever, but now we think maybe it's because they are just plain. There is not much to see, just fields, grasses, some cows here and there, and an occasional rabbit, although Chris did spot two wild jackelopes yesterday!

Update: We're in Kansas! Tribune, KS to be exact. And there's a tornado watch a few miles west of here, but it's almost sunset and things are settling down so there's little likelihood of a real tornado. But if there is, we've already been offered shelter by one of the locals.

We met Victor Weinreber in the park where we are camping tonight. If you thought Sean and Pat were ambitious, Victor is on the early leg of a 3-year round-the-world bike trip. Victor's travails are chronicled on the crazyguyonabike website: http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/?o=QzzM&doc_id=1158&v=87

Day 27-You Don't Spit Into The Wind.....

Miles Completed Today: 58
Total Miles Completed: 1753
Miles To Go: 1947

....especially on a day like today when it's right in your face. Starting early at 6:00 AM was a good idea, but Mother Nature had other things in mind: headwinds, crosswinds, anything but a tail wind. It was tough going from Sugar City, CO to Haswell, CO as the thirty-six miles took more than five hours to complete. The Plains are wide open and one can see forever in all directions, but no trees and no hills means the winds just blow unimpeded and wreak havoc on bicyclers. The guys will try to grind out the last twenty-one miles to Eads, CO by late afternoon.

During a break in Haswell, CO the local gas station manager told us all about the bumper crop of wheat this year, which was helped by all the snowstorms this past winter. Wheat was piled up everywhere and we got our first up close and personal experience with wheat. Very interesting. Maybe in a few months the price of cereal will and bread will drop....?

Today's Internet courtesy of the Eads, CO Public Library
(down in the basment of the Country Courthouse, two doors down from the tornado shelter!)

Day 26-Hitting The Plains

Miles Completed Today: 60
Total Miles Completed: 1695
Miles To Go: 2005

We had a nice visit with the Hardman's in Colorado Springs, enjoyed cereal for the first time in weeks, waited for Sean's new cell phone to arrive courtesy of FedEx, and then we headed back to Pueblo to continue the ride. In Pueblo we stopped at a bike shop to pick up some more spare tubes and tires since there is virtually nothing for the next three hundred miles in the way of bike shops. They continued the ride from central Pueblo starting at 2:00 PM and will ride to Sugar City, CO about sixty miles away on Route 96. They would like to go further, but with the late start and nothing for fifty miles past Sugar City, there's not much choice.

Today's Internet courtesy of the Pueblo Public Library. (P.S. We erred in today's photo and thought it was day 25, but it's actually day 26. That's what those fingers are all about for those still wondering. We know who you are.)

Update: We stayed at a small "city" park in Sugar City as it was nearly dark when the guys arrived, and the next town was twenty miles away.

Day 25-Down To Pueblo

Miles Completed Today: 84
Total Miles Completed: 1635
Miles To Go: 2065

Pat & Sean hit the road early today at 8:00 AM so we can be in Pueblo by 5:00 PM, and then drive up to Colorado Springs to visit the Hardman's. They had their final climb of the west in the morning, about 1,500 feet before enjoying a forty mile incline down into Pueblo. From here until Kentucky or Virginia, the climbs will simply be "hills" compared to the western mountains. The weather is noticeably different on the eastern slope of the Rockies as the air is a little "thicker" from the higher humidity---a little taste of what's to come.

Today's Internet courtesy of the Pueblo Public Library.