July 24, 2025
Day 54, Walnut, IA to Omaha, NE
Paved hills and flat rail road drive on the flat to Nebraska
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Finally in Omaha Nebraska. Iowa was a joy and a struggle. Such is life.
It had rained during the night and the weather cooled off dramatically. The wind was minimal, and mostly out of the east and south. I rode out of Walnut with a westward heading on a paved highway. It ran pretty much parrelel to I-80 so the traffic was limited to local folks. The State highways in Iowa don't have pave shoulders, but they do have a wide gravel shoulder that accommodates farm equipment and Bicyclists how need to get off the road when there is traffic heading in each direction. The Iowa drivers on these roads are the most courteous of any of the states I've ridden in. I believe it is that law that they give cyclists 6 feet when passing. Most gave me a full lane.
Five miles west of Walnut is Avoca. I felt the need to stop there at bakery for coffee and a chocolate croissant. The owner and chief baker, Bethany, said she does not add sugar to her doel and let's the filling do the sweetening. It was delicious. I felt the need to stop and Avoca, because my grandmother, Bietrice Hall, was raised in the village of Avoca, Ireland. Apparently this Avoca was named after that one. Deborah and I have actually been in Avoca, Ireland.
Later on, I stopped in Weston for lunch and made new friends there with the standard stories and such.
The highway had multiple hills, but I was gratefulf for pavement. When I got close to the river, I rode on Railroad Hwy, which was wider and level. When I got into urban areas, things got tricky with some trails and some streets, but I finally made it onto the Council Bluffs Levee Rd, trail and crossed the Missouri River into Omaha, Nebraska.
...treated myself to a night at the Hilton, Embacy Suites. Decadent.
Today's ride: 56 miles (90 km)
Total: 2,462 miles (3,962 km)
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