Day 26 - ending at Beatrice, NE - Nebraska on the Open Road

August 30, 2019

Day 26 - ending at Beatrice, NE

Storms arrived in Hebron after bedtime last night. Some close lightning and enough wind to test my guylines - all good. Up at 6:00am. It was cool and cloudy, so I worked on yesterday's report in the tent. There was church carillon music to listen to at 7:00am. By 8:55am there was sunshine. I spent more time on report writing this morning than maybe I should have, not stopping to pack until 9:30am. But I had fewer miles to go today to get to another Riverside Park - the one in Beatrice, which was only 49 miles away.

I headed out at 10:57am for breakfast uptown at D's Donuts. On my way there I stopped for a picture at the world's largest porch swing. I met a grandmother with a cute toddler while I was there. She said many folks in town go to the hospital cafeteria for lunch. I never would have thought of eating there, but decided that might take more time than I wanted to spend just now. On to D's, which I found closed. So, maybe just something from the nearby grocery store.

I spent too much time looking for single-serving items at the store. There just weren't any. I ended up with a large bag of donuts, and needed a place to eat them. My only thought was back at the campground. I was surprised that I could eat 298 grams of donuts and not be too full. Anyway, I was back where I started and it was 11:55am! Here's the close-to-noon, single-digit number: 1.6 miles!

I rode south on US-81's wide shoulder to get back to US-136 going east. There was still only minimal shoulder on US-136, and more traffic, which had me pulling off the road more often when vehicles reached where I was. This wasn't much fun since I was climbing hills. Add to that an east wind, though that wasn't overwhelming.

I was finally at Gilead, the first town along my route, at 1:30pm. I was ready for a break. I had Pioneers Inn marked on my GPS as a place to eat here. It's in an old building with history. I enjoyed talking with the two women who fixed my lunch, which was a bacon burger, lemonade, and cherry cheese cake. I also received ice for my thermos, and safe wishes. I left at 2:30pm, exiting town on a gravel road which reconnects with the highway.

Riding improved when I entered Jefferson County at 2:49pm. There were fewer hills, the shoulder was slightly wider, and there were no rumble strips!

At 3:57pm I passed Fairbury's city sign. I took a short break at McNish Park, then continued on out of town. East of Fairbury US-136 had a wide shoulder and it was fairly flat. But the wind was stronger. No listening to the radio between the wind noise and the traffic noise. I watched the miles-left readout on my GPS. It showed I was making better progress now.

At 6:38pm I passed into Gage County. It was still cloudy and there was never an opportunity to get a sunset picture. At 7:30pm I turned on my flashers, remembering that was the same time I'd turned them on when I'd last used them.

The Beatrice city limits sign I passed at 7:38pm seemed a ways out of town. I followed my GPS waypoints through Beatrice city streets - some paved, some gravel - to arrive at Riverview Park at 7:51pm. There was one site left that wasn't used or reserved - site #8. I was set up just before dark. Did some report work, giving it up at 10:55pm.

Jeff

Spent: $2.86 (breakfast) + $9.60 plus $3 (lunch) + $18 (campsite) = $33.46.

Day 26 - Hebron, NE to Beatrice, NE

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