June 23, 2021
Day 17: Wahoo, NE to Council Bluffs, IA
Hey! I made it to another state! Nothing against Nebraska, but I think I was ready for a new one. I’ve heard Iowa cornfields look completely different than Nebraska cornfields!
I took it easy today and didn’t push. My old friend the crosswind was back, but I didn’t have as far to go, so I didn’t worry about it.
I was wrong about the Platte River – I had to cross it one more time. It’s gotten pretty wide!
| Heart | 0 | Comment | 0 | Link |
Today I learned there are grass farms. Places that just grow grass for sod, and that’s it. If you think about sod logically, someone has to grow it somewhere, but it’s something I had never thought about until I passed a couple of sod farms. Huge fields of nothing but lawn!
After 15 miles of the usual fields, I suddenly found myself on a suburban Omaha bike trail. It was pretty pleasant, with winding trails through shady trees. Shade isn’t something I’ve seen a lot of on this trip, so it was very welcome! There were a fair number of walkers and cyclists on this trail, so I had to slow down quite a bit.
Then it got even prettier with the trail going along Zorinsky Lake. Lots of people enjoying parks and the lakefront.
The idyllic scenery eventually yielded to several miles of industrial areas that were not pleasant for cycling. A combination of no shoulder, steep hills, lots of trucks, and bad roads made me wonder if there was a more pleasant route, but since I was in the city I had to just trust that the computer knew where I was going. I did pass one Kelloggs factory where I could smell several different varieties of cereal, but it wasn’t a fun part of the ride, overall.
Almost before I realized it, I was routed onto a bridge and found myself crossing the Missouri River. I had made it to Iowa! I know downtown Omaha is somewhere up on the left in this picture, but you can’t see it at all.
The sign was only on the other side of the road from the dedicated trail, so I couldn’t do a selfie. Sorry!
After that it was only a few more miles to my hotel – most of it on a multi-use trail. I was grateful for this as I’d had enough heavy traffic and trucks for a bit.
Top track today was also the first. “One Summer’s Day” by Joe Hisaishi. It’s from the Hayao Miyazaki movie “Spirited Away”. I was just pedaling out of Wahoo, and the music went perfectly with early morning sun and singing birds, and put me in a good mood.
Tomorrow I head to Atlantic, IA. More cornfields, I’m betting!
Here’s my birthday beer!
Today's ride: 48 miles (77 km)
Total: 829 miles (1,334 km)
| Rate this entry's writing | Heart | 1 |
| Comment on this entry | Comment | 0 |