Riding In My Ruby Slippers

August 9, 2022

The surprise winner of the sign of the day contest. I almost just rode by it but I just had to stop.

Second place sign of the day. Normally a state welcome sign is a guaranteed winner…but not today

This is Dillion. Reminds me of when I was young and would just get on the bike and ride…always in a t-shirt but never 4k miles.

Western Kansas or Eastern Colorado. I know the answer, do you? Ok it’s Kansas.

Eastern Colorado wildlife. I stopped to tell him to be careful as the road could be busy. And then I clocked over 5 miles with no cars or trucks coming by. I guess the turtle knew he could slowly cross the road and still be safe.

An oil rig at the edge of a Colorado corn field? Just seems like that wouldn’t be corn I’d like to eat.

A Kansas landscape photo. I just like the way the rolls of hay seem to go on out to the horizon.

Duplicate image but I can’t seem to make it go away…sorry

The endless white line and telephone/electric poles

Seems like this was the view every time I was approaching a town. The bigger towns had services (slim pickings but something if only a gas station convenience store). The smaller towns had just the grain related buildings

Left Eads, CO this morning and after two clicks of the heels of my ruby slippers (probably more like 12,000 pedal strokes), I was in Kansas! Good to have another state behind me, but a little intimidated by the length of Kansas and the seemingly unchanging scenery. Oh well, just have to put my head down and pedal.

Overall today's ride was flat to slightly downhill. The wind was ever-present and most of the time a cross wind, sometimes a head wind, and almost never a tail wind. The road (Route 96) was ok in Colorado with a sufficient shoulder to ride on. Once I crossed into Kansas, the road surface was smoother…wonder why one state chooses to chip seal and the other doesn’t?

I took a bunch of pictures today but not sure you’re going to find them overly exciting or awe inspiring. But like everywhere else I’ve been, there is beauty if you look for it with an open mind.

For those of you who were unsuccessful with yesterday’s visualization exercise, I took pictures of the things I referenced. One thing you may notice is that eastern Colorado and western Kansas look pretty much the same. And that is really very different from the terrain I’ve shared over the past 30 days.

I met a guy outside a convenience store I stopped at for a Gatorade. He struck up a conversation by asking what would possess one to ride across the country. I explained what I’ve experienced and how things vary so much in the places I’ve ridden through versus the places I’ve lived or worked, and how that’s been so educational. We talked about New York as an example. He mentioned that he has some business in NYC and he hates going because there is too much traffic and too many people…”and by too many people, I mean Liberals, and I just don’t like those Liberals”. Not sure if he thought I was one of those Liberals or that I was like him and didn’t like Liberals. Didn’t get a chance to ask and then he drove away. Then later today at the motel, I saw a sticker that said “If I die, don’t let me vote Democratic”. I took a picture of it and the guy behind the counter gave me a sticker of my very own. I guess today was a share your politics with a stranger day.

A few miles out from Leoti, KS, I met Dillion. He’s a young guy from Paramus, NJ who is riding from east to west. If you remember Quan and Victor, Dillon was riding with them through Kentucky before the floods. I’m pretty sure Dillion is going to be one of the last (if not the last) riders I meet who is going east to west.

The logical sign of the day is “Welcome to Kansas”. I was all set to pick it and then it got relegated to second place by a road sign in Kansas “ White Woman Creek” 😳. I’d love to see the outrage that sign would create in Superior, CO or Portland,OR or Chapel Hill, NC or…[insert your home town here].

No barns today but I did have an encounter with some eastern Colorado wildlife…and I have a picture.

Mrs G is coming to Kansas tonight. She’s never been to Kansas and she wanted to have an opportunity to sag me for at least one day of the journey. I’d never turn down a chance to see Mrs G, but it’s a long drive to get here and then the ride tomorrow is not going to be what I’d call scenic. I am excited to see her again and it’s nice to have a friendly face out on the route. Did I mention that she is leaving as soon as I get to tomorrow’s destination to go back home because she has to work on Wednesday. She’s a crazy lady and I’m a lucky guy.

Ok I think that’s it.

Until tomorrow,

Ian

Today's ride: 79 miles (127 km)
Total: 2,238 miles (3,602 km)

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Julie MeyerA very lucky guy and Mrs G is definitely a keeper. Sorry your going solo but so glad you had Dan as a riding partner as long as you did.
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