Day 33 - Chadron to Merriman - C2C - from Westport, Washington to Sandy Hook, New Jersey - CycleBlaze

July 5, 2016

Day 33 - Chadron to Merriman

Another night with little sleep - this time because of all the fireworks in Chadron. Seems the town allows private fireworks until 1:00 a.m. So, I got a later than usual start - but it turned out I got a cloudy morning with a tailwind.

Downtown Chadron - Highway 20 Thru Town Was Totally Torn Up
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US 20 was busier than I like - although it has a shoulder with bumps. The road crosses Pine Ridge - a last glimpse of western forests. I had to stop for three horses. They headed straight for the fence as I approached. So, I put the bike down on the side of the road and walked over to the fence. The white one is 25 years old or more.

Pine Ridge Forest East of Chadron
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Some Horses Coming over to the Fence to Get Their Noses Rubbed
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I got a couple of replacement seat bolts in Rushville. Seems my posterior is breaking bolts these days. Then it was a quick 15 miles to Gordon - where I spent 4 hours lazing around. Lunch, nap, and the library.

The Little Town of Gordon - Dwarfed by the Grain Elevator
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When I got back on US 20 heading east into the Sandhills, the traffic disappeared. What a lovely way to cross the Great Plains - with natural rolling grasslands stretching out in every direction. Then again, some of the hills went straight up - requiring the granny gear. (In the Plains!)

Lovely Nebraska Hay Meadows
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Heading into the Sandhills
A Few Climbs, But a Serene Landscape
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Got to the little town of Merriman - pop. 128 - at 7:30p. The only thing open was a tavern with two people inside - a rancher and the bartender. I ordered two soft drinks and a bad of chips. We chatted for a while with an old John Wayne movie on the TV. Then it was off to the town park to camp and a giant, Great Plains storm as soon as the sun went down.

Today's ride: 77 miles (124 km)
Total: 1,611 miles (2,593 km)

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