Thank you Kansas for Public Pools, but where da milkshakes at?
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My sleeping pad on a rubber bench sounded like a siren blasting in a closet. It was so obnoxious to the point where I forced myself to sleep on my back, and I’ve never been able to do that in my life. Thankfully, morning came around, and so did the sunrise beyond the baseball diamonds. The colors were magnificent, and I watched the horizon until I heard the rustling of bikers behind me awaking from their slumber. I ate my oatmeal, packed my gear, and headed to the small town of Buhler. As we rolled through town, the dudes were looking for a cafe, and I was looking for some coffee. I noticed a coffeeshop, but their hours said they opened at 8:30 AM. At this point it was just barely 7 AM, but of course someone inside noticed my despair and invited me in. She kindly allowed me to wait inside with bathrooms and wifi while the coffee brewed. Damn, this coffee was so much better than convenience stores. Never pass a shop that is designated for making coffee, that’s what I learned. The owner and a few other employees arrived for business, and we got to chatting about the cyclists from all around the world who come through their small town. These small towns with people who accept us must have a blast meeting such interesting people. The kind owner had a little bag of granola packaged up for me for the trip, and then we of course had to try their turtle pecan cookies. Delicious. Very grateful for this little shop, because today we had 80 miles to cover with a 58 mile stretch of zero services.
We started later than normal, but we weren’t in any rush. We had a town about 18 miles away before our long stretch, so we opted to stop and load up there. The riding to this town was optimal once again. Cool, overcast weather and flat roads. We broke up into groups of two, but would eventually return into the group of four. Everyone rides their ride, but ultimately your a team and the main focus is the group. We rolled on low traffic roads through these flats in Kansas with miles and miles of grain or corn. There’s such a beauty in Kansas that many, including myself, didn’t know existed. Where can you see for miles on end in any direction with zero cars and trees?
Plenty of places in the Mid West.
We made our way into town, and stopped at the local grocer. Some of these old school grocery stores are my absolute favorite. One cashier, one young bagger, cheap groceries, and friendly people. I grabbed some food, and packed it away for lunch. Soon enough we were back on the road having at least 4.5 hours of biking time ahead of us.
We hit the open road, and holy guacamole was it beautiful. Pictures will speak for me. Along the way there would always be a sole tree that we loved to stop for pictures of. We also admired the old wooden abandoned houses left behind, and wonder what building those from scratch must have been like. We also passed through Quivira National Wildlife Refuge, which basically is land untouched by farmers. It’s what Kansas would look like without corn, soybeans, and grain. It had such a different feel, but beautiful in its own way. We decided this would be a neat place to break for lunch, but some benches and less humidity would have helped. I whipped up some PB+Js, and washed it down with Chex Mix. I think at this point we were feeling a wee bit tired, but that was nothing Patrick’s 80’s album couldn’t fix. We were singing down the road to Neil Diamond and dancing to the Jitterbug. We were having a blast. The longer we sat on the saddle, the more our butts got sore. We made sure to break enough, but 58 miles without services tested us. Eventually we began to pace line, and that helped disperse wind resistance from the followers. Lucky for us, a gentle rain released over us. Enough to help cool the air and yourself down, but not soak you. The rain’s approval rating was high within the group. During a short break, we noticed another cyclist in the distance. We another 5 or 6 miles we slowly gained speed on him, only to realized it was the Alex, the Belgium! With ten flat miles to go, a friend back in the group, and a water tower in the distance, I felt a second wind. We passed our first major cattle operation, something of which I expect to see much more of in western Kansas.
We happily rolled into Larned, And congratulated each other for accomplishing today’s ride. We have been talking about strawberry milkshakes now for three days, so when the local informed us Sonic was the only ice cream place in town, we settled. I ordered a classic medium strawberry milkshake, and was surprised to find the whipped cream on top was actually delicious. The rest of the crew and I sat there shaking hands congratulating each other and enjoying the rewards of a honest day’s work. Next on the list, real food. We had heard of a decent Mexican place in town, so obviously we had to check it out. We arrived, and were happy we did. I believe I ate my weight in chips and salsa, but when you put food in front of me it’s likely gone instantly. I went with the chicken burrito for dinner , which was smothered in cheese and enchilada sauce. Did the job, but I wish there were more veggies in the burrito. Still, a hot meal that I didn’t have to cook is always worthwhile.
With bloated stomachs, we rolled to the city park on a brick road with old homes. All that shaking and bouncing gave me cramps. When we arrived to our beautiful park, it was hard to miss the best part of it all. A public POOL. I quickly broke down my bike, grabbed some shorts, and went straight there. The lifeguards informed me that bikers can enter for free; F YEAH. With the tan line of a farmer, I quickly undressed and performed an elegant backflip off the diving board. The shock of cold rushed through my body, but after a month on the road, an ice bath probably wasn’t the worst thing for me. The showers in the locker room were next on my agenda, and I literally sat on the floor and let the steaming water massage my neck and back. I thought to myself how this stuff is taken for granted, and how most things in like are. This trip really puts into perspective how lucky I am to have what I have and be free to do what I want. I never say I deserve this, but I will say I’ve earned it.
After a couple phone calls back home, I set up my sleeping pad and bag on the picnic benches underneath the pavilion. I could sense tonight I would sleep like a baby. Fresh shower, cool air, clean clothes, and full tummy. I’ll never forget these moments, sleeping under a pavilion with four complete badasses. I will keep taking each day for what it is, and enjoy the ride forever.
img_1507-1
My sleeping pad on a rubber bench sounded like a siren blasting in a closet. It was so obnoxious to the point where I forced myself to sleep on my back, and I’ve never been able to do that in my life. Thankfully, morning came around, and so did the sunrise beyond the baseball diamonds. The colors were magnificent, and I watched the horizon until I heard the rustling of bikers behind me awaking from their slumber. I ate my oatmeal, packed my gear, and headed to the small town of Buhler. As we rolled through town, the dudes were looking for a cafe, and I was looking for some coffee. I noticed a coffeeshop, but their hours said they opened at 8:30 AM. At this point it was just barely 7 AM, but of course someone inside noticed my despair and invited me in. She kindly allowed me to wait inside with bathrooms and wifi while the coffee brewed. Damn, this coffee was so much better than convenience stores. Never pass a shop that is designated for making coffee, that’s what I learned. The owner and a few other employees arrived for business, and we got to chatting about the cyclists from all around the world who come through their small town. These small towns with people who accept us must have a blast meeting such interesting people. The kind owner had a little bag of granola packaged up for me for the trip, and then we of course had to try their turtle pecan cookies. Delicious. Very grateful for this little shop, because today we had 80 miles to cover with a 58 mile stretch of zero services.
We started later than normal, but we weren’t in any rush. We had a town about 18 miles away before our long stretch, so we opted to stop and load up there. The riding to this town was optimal once again. Cool, overcast weather and flat roads. We broke up into groups of two, but would eventually return into the group of four. Everyone rides their ride, but ultimately your a team and the main focus is the group. We rolled on low traffic roads through these flats in Kansas with miles and miles of grain or corn. There’s such a beauty in Kansas that many, including myself, didn’t know existed. Where can you see for miles on end in any direction with zero cars and trees?
Plenty of places in the Mid West.
We made our way into town, and stopped at the local grocer. Some of these old school grocery stores are my absolute favorite. One cashier, one young bagger, cheap groceries, and friendly people. I grabbed some food, and packed it away for lunch. Soon enough we were back on the road having at least 4.5 hours of biking time ahead of us.
We hit the open road, and holy guacamole was it beautiful. Pictures will speak for me. Along the way there would always be a sole tree that we loved to stop for pictures of. We also admired the old wooden abandoned houses left behind, and wonder what building those from scratch must have been like. We also passed through Quivira National Wildlife Refuge, which basically is land untouched by farmers. It’s what Kansas would look like without corn, soybeans, and grain. It had such a different feel, but beautiful in its own way. We decided this would be a neat place to break for lunch, but some benches and less humidity would have helped. I whipped up some PB+Js, and washed it down with Chex Mix. I think at this point we were feeling a wee bit tired, but that was nothing Patrick’s 80’s album couldn’t fix. We were singing down the road to Neil Diamond and dancing to the Jitterbug. We were having a blast. The longer we sat on the saddle, the more our butts got sore. We made sure to break enough, but 58 miles without services tested us. Eventually we began to pace line, and that helped disperse wind resistance from the followers. Lucky for us, a gentle rain released over us. Enough to help cool the air and yourself down, but not soak you. The rain’s approval rating was high within the group. During a short break, we noticed another cyclist in the distance. We another 5 or 6 miles we slowly gained speed on him, only to realized it was the Alex, the Belgium! With ten flat miles to go, a friend back in the group, and a water tower in the distance, I felt a second wind. We passed our first major cattle operation, something of which I expect to see much more of in western Kansas.
We happily rolled into Larned, And congratulated each other for accomplishing today’s ride. We have been talking about strawberry milkshakes now for three days, so when the local informed us Sonic was the only ice cream place in town, we settled. I ordered a classic medium strawberry milkshake, and was surprised to find the whipped cream on top was actually delicious. The rest of the crew and I sat there shaking hands congratulating each other and enjoying the rewards of a honest day’s work. Next on the list, real food. We had heard of a decent Mexican place in town, so obviously we had to check it out. We arrived, and were happy we did. I believe I ate my weight in chips and salsa, but when you put food in front of me it’s likely gone instantly. I went with the chicken burrito for dinner , which was smothered in cheese and enchilada sauce. Did the job, but I wish there were more veggies in the burrito. Still, a hot meal that I didn’t have to cook is always worthwhile.
With bloated stomachs, we rolled to the city park on a brick road with old homes. All that shaking and bouncing gave me cramps. When we arrived to our beautiful park, it was hard to miss the best part of it all. A public POOL. I quickly broke down my bike, grabbed some shorts, and went straight there. The lifeguards informed me that bikers can enter for free; F YEAH. With the tan line of a farmer, I quickly undressed and performed an elegant backflip off the diving board. The shock of cold rushed through my body, but after a month on the road, an ice bath probably wasn’t the worst thing for me. The showers in the locker room were next on my agenda, and I literally sat on the floor and let the steaming water massage my neck and back. I thought to myself how this stuff is taken for granted, and how most things in like are. This trip really puts into perspective how lucky I am to have what I have and be free to do what I want. I never say I deserve this, but I will say I’ve earned it.
After a couple phone calls back home, I set up my sleeping pad and bag on the picnic benches underneath the pavilion. I could sense tonight I would sleep like a baby. Fresh shower, cool air, clean clothes, and full tummy. I’ll never forget these moments, sleeping under a pavilion with four complete badasses. I will keep taking each day for what it is, and enjoy the ride forever.
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