Revere Beach, Boston, MA

As you can see I rode the last 18 miles today. We dipped our front wheels in the Atlantic at Revere beach here in Boston. The water was cold. There were lots of high fives going around.

We were all supposed to ride together to the beach. (Normally it's every man for himself.) So we lined up two abreast. Just like every other day we had que sheets to tell us how far to go and where to turn. Geoff, the guy who averages 14,000 mile a year on his bike and who lives in the Boston area said that the way the que sheet would take us had too much traffic and he knew a better way. I was kind of reluctant because Geoff had gotten lost several times on this trip. But, since he lived in the area and everyone else was game we all followed Geoff. You can probably guess how that turned out. We ended up in downtown Medford during the morning rush hour. Everyone in stayed in pretty good humor though because we had all morning to ride 18 miles. Getting a little lost was no big deal. Geoff asked us to wait while he asked a cop for directions. The cop didn't look happy but he did hold up traffic so we could get going in the right direction.

Tonight we have a dinner where we get some sort of certificate of completion. After that, it's over. It seems now like the time flew by but I can remember some times when I thought I had been riding forever. It's going to take a little time to readjust to the real world.

This blog was fun. It was great to read all the comments and the encouraging words. Maybe we all will do it again sometime.

Day 42 Brattleboro, Vt to Burlington, MA-91 miles

Here's a picture of my new friend I met at Sandy's Lunch Box. I didn't get his name. He reminded me of Old Dick - just a little wacky. As you can see he's a cyclist too.

It's 90 degrees here in Burlington and we're under a severe thunderstorm watch. Ha! I'm off the street so I say let it rip.

The ride today was a little dicey. Very little shoulder to ride on and lot of traffic. The good thing, I think, is that this part of the country has lots of cyclists and lots of signs saying "Bicycle Laws Strictly Enforced". So most drivers are pretty courteous. Colin, however, encountered one who was anything but. Colin said a young guy in a car kept edging over as they approached a stop giving Colin very little room on the pavement. Colin said it was intentional and when Colin pulled up beside him, Colin who is 71 yelled in his thick British accent; "Get out of the car and I'll beat the shit out of ya!" According to Colin, the kid acted like he wanted no part of the crazy Englishman and sped off. I told Colin he should not be so hostile-the Revolution is over, we won.

On the way to Burlington we road through a number of old Massachusetts towns and villages. A lot of them incorporated in the 1700's. We road through Concord and Lexington which prompted me to recite the first stanza of The Concord Hymn:

By the rude bridge that arched the flood;

Their flag to April's breeze unfurled;

Here once the embattled farmers stood;

And fired the shot heard round the world.

I really like that one. It chokes me up. I should memorize the rest.

Tomorrow we ride to the ocean to dip our front wheels. It's only 18 miles. I think I have that much left in me.

Day 41 Albany, NY to Brattleboro, VT -76 miles

The 7 mile climb up Hog Back Mountain was everything it was advertised to be and more. This is a picture from the "scenic overlook" at the top.

We worked up quite a sweat going up and at the top of Hog Back Mountain it was a little chilly in sweat-soaked clothes. The descent, however, almost made up for the climb. I heeded Old Dick's maxim and tried not to do anything stupid. I didn't let my speed get too high which would have been easy. Rick from Texas said he hit 56mph coming down. Some of us are crazier than others.

I've been eating a lot of ice cream. This hotel is kind of isolated - about 3 miles from downtown Brattleboro so I thought I would have to settle for an ice cream sandwich from a gas station. As I approached the main street I saw "Fast Eddies Ice Cream and Bakery". It was a gift from heaven. You ordered at the front window then you picked up at the side window. I had a fresh strawberry sunday with optional whipped cream and nuts. For the walk back to the motel I got a Maine wild blueberry ice cream cone. (They had lobster rolls for $9.99) If you're ever in Brattleboro give Fast Eddies a try.

Tomorrow we're going to Burlington, MA. It's the last full day riding and it looks like it will be at least as tough as today. The amount of climbing is about the same as today and we have 90 miles to ride before we get there. On Friday we ride the last 18 miles to the ocean.

Day 40 Little Falls to Albany, NY- 71 miles

Here we are riding along the Mohawk River on our way to Albany. The Mohawk is part of the Erie Canal system that includes the Hudson River. So if you want to get to the Great Lakes from New York City by boat, your're going to have to go up the Mohawk.

Roy rode the whole way today. He had to be helped off his bike at the rest stops. I think he has plenty of medication. He's got a pretty good relationship with his doctor back home who calls in prescriptions for him. Roy's crazy like the rest of us.

Tomorrow we're going to Brattleboro, VT. It's supposed to be one of the most interesting parts of this "cattle drive". (Those are Tracey's words, but in looking back at this trip they do seem appropriate.) We'll go through a number of small New England towns.

It's not going to be flat like today's ride. Starting are mile 35 in Bennington we have a 7.1 mile climb. It's not supposed to be steep but it should get our legs burning. Like Super Chicken would say to Fred - "You knew this job was dangerous when you took it." Remember the theme song lyrics: "He will drink his super sauce and throw the bad guys for a loss...... " (I think like Old Dick I've gone over the edge.)

It was nice to see a comment from Em and Rosemary. We drink wine too in South Carolina but the stuff we drink is called "Slap yo' mammy".

Day 39 Syracuse to Little Falls, NY, 78 miles

Here's a picture 0f the little falls in Little Falls. Little Falls is in the Mohawk Valley on the banks of the Erie Canal. There's a big lock here on the canal. It raises and lowers boats 40 feet. I walked down to the lock hoping to see it operate but had to settle for reading about it.

Roy crashed today. They took him to the hospital and his bike to the bike shop. He is supposed to be riding to the motel from where he went down but we haven't see him yet. If they let him go from the hospital, he must not be hurt too badly. Roy told me some weeks ago that he was going to ride every each of the tour.

The Knights Inn isn't too bad but on my side it is a little noisy. There's a busy railroad just across the street and a fast train goes by about every half hour. No whistle blowing because all the crossings have bridges. So it could be worse.

We have three more full days of riding. Tomorrow looks to be pretty easy but the next two are in Vermont and New Hampshire and will have a lot of climbing. The last day is only 18 miles when we finally hit the ocean. I'm going to try my best to heed Old Dick's maxim and "not do anything stupid". What great advice!

Here comes another train.

Day 38 Canandaigua to Syracuse, NY 68 miles

Here's a picture of the Erie Canal near Camillus, NY. As I understand it you can still put your boat in the canal at Buffalo and go all the way to New York City.

Got a little bit lost today. Made a wrong turn and rode about two miles when I got that "this is not the right way" feeling. Saw a guy working under the hood of a car and stopped to ask if route 321 was up ahead. (Who said guys never ask for directions?) When he stuck his head out from under the hood he had "who is this guy in those goofy clothes and what is he doing in my yard" look. He got me turned around and going back the way I came.

This part of New York is a lot like Indiana - "all corn". The day that we rode between Erie and Hamburg was more "California". We had Lake Erie on our left and acres and acres of vineyards on our right. That was part of New York's Seaway Trail which goes along Lake Erie, Lake Ontario and the St Lawrence. It's a great place to ride because it's nice and flat for the most part and lots to look at.

This blog has really been educational. Sue provides the history of the places we pass through and Old Dick gives helpful hints for daily living.

Aunt Margie is off to Maine. I gotta believe it's going to be a whole lot cooler there than in DC. Eat a lobster roll for me.

Tomorrow we're off to Little Falls, NY. We're at the only motel in town-the Knights Inn. I'm not going to prejudge but the fact that it doesn't have any competition makes me think of Timberlanes. I hope I'm wrong.

Day 37 Hamburg to Canandaigua, NY, 94 miles

Here is a picture of Michel putting ice on his "hot toe". Not sure what hot toe is but he said the ice did the trick. The little stand to his right is set up at each rest stop. It usually has pieces of bananas and other fruit along with some kind of salty snack. This stop was in Avon, NY. It appeared to be a very nice village with a rotary in the middle of town.

One more dog story. Last night we were at the Comfort Inn in Hamburg, NY. Most motels now are "pet friendly"- you can bring your dog, cat, whatever into your room. At this motel a lady had two small dogs that were doing a good bit of yapping. One of the guys in our group in the room next to the dogs asked the motel manager for a different room because of the noise. The manager was very accommodating and found the guy another room. Not long after the police arrived and escorted the lady and her dogs out. I guess you can bring your animals to the Comfort Inn but they'd better be quiet. Remember that Old Dick when you travel with your parrot.

We passed 3000 miles today which means we've only got about 400 to go. Maybe like Old Dick says if I don't do anything stupid I just might make it. He gives great advice.

Day 36 Erie, PA to Hamburg, NY 78 miles

I think I've got this butt thing figured out. It takes about 3000 miles of riding to get your butt conditioned so it doesn't hurt any more when you ride. Either that or I just learned to ignore it. So Chas, stop buying bigger bike seats and save your money for beer. Just put in the miles.

Sue, who reads all the blogs, has probably heard the dog story from Harold. It happened on the way to Erie. Michel was about 200 yards ahead of me. Two Saint Bernards ran out to chase him. They quickly gave up the chase and stopped in the middle of the road. I thought they had me. As luck would have it, the dogs saw some horses in the field on the other side of the road and went barking at the horses. I was home free. About that time the owners came shouting and chasing after the dogs. Harold and Roy were behind me and either stopped or were stopped by the dog owners who were very upset that we had bothered their dogs. They were screaming at Harold and Roy and calling them vilest names and threatening to have their dogs attack them. (Saint Bernards attack dogs?) This prompted Harold to call 911. Harold got a lot of questions from the 911 operator but no help. ( Apparently 911 doesn't respond to potential dog attacks or cursing dog owners.) This all happened unknown to Michel and me who by now were miles down the road.

Today we got a police escort out of town. (I think it was a courtesy not a demand.) Two motorcycle cops met us at the hotel at 7:15 this morning. We lined up behind them and took off through downtown Erie blue lights flashing. The cops leap-frogged each other stopping the traffic at each intersection. (I think they've done that before.) At the city limits they let us go. Who says a cop is never there when you need one ?

Today was good. Wind and weather perfect, not too many hills. Tomorrow will be tougher - 94 miles and lots of climbing.

Rest Day #4 Erie, PA

I guess I should have got in touch with Erie Insurance before I started this trip. I had to learn the hard way.

The best think I can say about Erie is that the weather is nice. Blue skies and temperature in the 70's. I hear that it's a little warmer in the Carolinas. Craig arrived today and said its been brutally hot in Greensboro. Barbara says she only goes out to get the mail.

Didn't do a whole lot today. It's a rest day after all. Did my laundry and cleaned up my bike. I'm good for another three days before I have to do laundry again. I'm getting pretty good at washing clothes although my whites are starting to look a little gray. I guess that happens when you put everything in one load.

Tomorrow we're off to Hamburg, NY. It's just south of Buffalo. The weather is supposed to be good and the wind right. It's only 79 miles so it should be a easy day.

Day 35 Niles, OH to Erie, PA 89 miles

The road between Conneaut and Erie is a good one to bike on. It's got wide shoulders, is pretty flat and in Pennsylvania is designated as a bike route. We had the wind so it was doubly easy.

Our hotel is right in downtown Erie. The Avalon is old but it seems to be pretty nice. It's better, I think, than being at the Best Western out by the interstate. The only problem may be like a lot of small cities that after 5:00 there's nobody on the street but bums - I'll fit right in.

Michel and I walked to a place near the hotel for lunch. I ordered fish and he ordered chicken after we were nearly finished we decided that the waitress had switched our orders. It's a helluva thing when you don't know whether you eating chicken or fish. It reminds me of the time Old Dick - no, I won't tell that story children could be reading this.

Sue brought me a delicious strawberry desert to Niles yesterday. It was unusual. It was like strawberry pie but the crust was broken up and mixed in with the filling-very unique. I think I'll call it "Wrecked Strawberry Pie". Ask her for the recipe.

Tomorrow is a rest day. Some of the Brits are renting a car and driving to Niagara Falls. I think I'll stay here in Erie and catch a few walleye before the carp take over.

Day 34 Wooster to Niles, OH, 90 miles

Here we all are at Mill Creek Park in North Benton. It was a nice surprise to have Chas and Judy show up. It was a typical Ohio summer day - overcast, temperature in the low 70's.

A good day for riding but not for swimming.

It was no contest. Ohio wins by a mile for having the worst roads between here and California. I thought my bike would shake apart. Potholes big enough to take a bath in. Tracey was busy marking up the route to change it for next year - good luck with that.

Had a nice phone conversation with Susan Stoddard. Susan thought we were coming through Alliance tomorrow. She was sure that Barbara gave here the wrong info. They'll have words about that.

It's 8:40 - way past my bedtime. Jim and Sue kept me out late drinking and dining at Olive Garden. I had the eggplant parmagiana (sp).

Happy Birthday to Sparkle!

Day 33, Marysville to Wooster, OH, 97 miles.

Passed through Funk on the way to Wooster. Don't know how Funk got it's name. That will be a challenge for some of you history researchers out there. Funk appeared to be an Amish community. I saw boys in their straw hats working in the garden with their dad. They waved as we went by.

Wooster has a nice downtown. The Best Western is just a few blocks from the center of town - just like Timberlanes but a few levels better. We had dinner at the "Broken Rocks Cafe". The menu said it was named after the one of the owner's favorite places on Lake Michigan. They bake their own bread and it's very good so if you're in Wooster it's a place to try.

We rode through Delaware this morning - another nice town. Greg, from California, went to high school and college in Delaware. He went off the route to ride by his old home. I think that it was quite an event for him. Lots of "Block O" flags and pennants in Delaware. That was an event for me. It's just up the road from Columbus.

I ride with Michel from Montreal a lot. He said "I'm tired of seeing all corn". We have been seeing "all corn" since eastern Kansas. I told him that at that it's not likely to change until maybe Vermont.

Thanks for all the birthday greetings. It was nice to hear from "Aunt Margie".

Tomorrow we're off to Niles, Ohio. Planning to meet up with Jim and Sue at Mill Creek Park on Berlin Lake - its one of our rest stops. I think it's the same place that my Aunt Nellie and Uncle Bill would take John and I fishing -really. It's probably also one of the places one of Old Dick's girlfriends threw his class ring out of the car window. There are a lot of those in Ohio.

Day32 Richmond, IN to Marysville, OH, 104 miles

Today wasn't bad weather-wise. Overcast all day looking like it would rain any minute. Just a brief sprinkle. Temperature in the 80"s.

We rode through lots of small towns. We coasted through the red lights. At 8:00 on Sunday morning there wasn't a lot of traffic. Later on there were people in the parks and people and people coming out of church. Seemed like I was back in Ohio.

Sue updated me on all the Marysville attractions. A lot going on here. We rode by a big prison. I keep thinking that somebody famous is or was a guest here. That should be a query for some more research.

Tomorrow we're off to Wooster. The chart we have shows we'll do as much climbing as back in Missouri. It could be a killer.

Day 31 Crawfordsville to Rishmond, IN 83 miles

Everyone got wet today. It was raining when we got up and continued until about mid-morning. I think I'll have to use the hair dryer on my shoes. This was the first day of real rain. I think we've been pretty lucky weather-wise. At least so far. And, no one crashed. (I walked my bike across all railroad tracks.)

This part of Indiana is Amish (or Mennonite). Horse and buggies on the road. Also scooters. (Why scooters and not bicycles? Are bicycles too mechanized?) I imagine that we'll see a few more buggies when we get closer to Wooster.

Richmond is right on the Ohio border. We have three other Ohio people. Dan grew up in Painesville. Greg is from Delaware. Laverne's family has a farm in Plain City.

The US played the UK today in the World Cup Soccer (the Brits call it football) . The game ended one all. Lots of grumbling from the Brits. They said the US team got a lucky goal. It was all in jest (I think).

Hey congratulations to Lori. No cheering crowds. No ticker tape parades like you expect when you solo. (Did your knee shake like mine did?)

Everything else is normal on this end.

Day3o Crawfordsville to Indianapolis, IN, 64 miles

I didn't take any pictures from the road today. You've all seen cornfields before. Another reason I didn't take any pictures is because I rode in a pace line with Jim from Texas and Jim from Virginia. A pace line is the same idea as drafting in NASCAR. The guys in back use 20-30% less power than the guy in front. Every mile or whatever distance you agree on, the guy in front goes to the back and and the second in line takes over for a mile and so on. The only problem is you ride so close together that the second and third place guys have to concentrate solely on the guy in front of them. They can't do much looking around. It's a good way to go fast but it's also a good way to crash. I did it for the experience but I'm not sure I'll do it again. I can crash all by myself.

That's Michel in the picture. He's using SKYPE to talk to his wife in Montreal. He can see his wife on the screen and hear her in the headset, but to people passing by in the motel lobby it appears that he's having a conversation in French with his laptop.

Tomorrow we're off to Richmond.

Day 29 Champaign, IL to Crawfordsville, IN, 79 miles

We don't say Tally-ho. We say "What the hell are we doing out here in the middle of nowhere pointing to a sign?"

So here we are at the "Crossroads of America" There's lots of corn and soybeans out here. No flying carp.

Had to go to the dentist today. The tooth that my dentist in Hartsville said is likely to give me trouble one day did. The people at the motel were very helpful. They gave me the names of two dentists that take walk-ins and gave me a ride to the one would see me. Dr. Mayes took an X-ray and gave me a prescription for an antibiotic. It's the same antibiotic that got Craig - cephalexin. I'm hoping not to have the same reaction.

Dr. Mayes is headed to Myrtle Beach tomorrow. His parents have a condo there.

Tomorrow we're off to Indianapolis. The route sheet has lots of turns and route changes. I think I'll stick with Michel. He has a fancy GPS on his bike.

Rest Day No. 4, Champaign, IL

Today was rest and repair day. Everyone washed clothes, cleaned up their bikes and a number of people put on new tires. Dan said he was wearing clean underwear. I'm not sure what he was trying to tell me.

I had dinner with Michel, Dan, Jan and LaVerne and Jani. The conversation came around to what day was everyone's favorite day so far. No consensus. I brought up the day in New Mexico when we got to the Escarpment. That was voted down - too long and too windy. There was general agreement that Sedona was high on the list. Missouri, was at the bottom. Everyone agreed that Dalhart, Texas was the worst overnight. The motel was a dump and the food was really bad. Champaign is a paradise compared to Dalhart.

Tomorrow we're off to Crawfordsville. Looks like the weather is going to be good.

We change to Eastern time.

Day 28 Springfield to Champaign, IL, 87 miles, avg speed- computer dead.

This is the best I could do for a photo. It does, I think, give you are good sketch of the Illinois countryside. Pretty flat, lots of cultivated fields. The corn is about waste high.

We got rained on a little bit today. It didn't start until about ten miles from Champaign. Not real hard but wind driven. It stung a bit when it hit your face.

We had three people go down because of the rain. Stewart, Chris and me. We had to cross several sets of railroad tracks coming into Champaign. I was being real careful because I went down on railroad tracks in Hartsville about four months ago. I wasn't going much faster than a walking pace. Now I have road rash on top of road rash. Chris apparently went down the hardest. She has a big welt on her hip. Stewart is limping a little. It's a good thing tomorrow is rest day.

Barbie is leaving to go back to Albuquerque. I think we pick up one or two new people here.

Craig said he's starting to get some strength back. He says he may join us on the last rest day in Erie, PA. and ride the last stretch to Boston. Hope so.

Thanks for the heads up on Subway. Ate there in Quincy, IL. Told them to hold the Salmonella -just mayo and salt and pepper.

Day 27: Quincy to Springfield, IL, 107 miles, avg speed, 16.6 mph

This is a picture of the bridge that goes across the Illinois River. The Illinois is the river famous for the big carp that jump out of the water when a boat passes. People have been injured when hit by these carp jumping out of the water. I know Old Dick thinks I made that up but he can look it up. (He probably won't sleep tonight thinking about those carp jumping out of the river.) They're the same carp that they're trying to keep out of the Great Lakes.

I know this is not a real interesting picture but it's the best I could do today. There's not a lot of spectacular scenery in the this part of the country. Lots of cornfields and cows. That's Harold in the photo.

Tomorrow we head for Champaign. We're supposed to start at 6:30 instead of 7:15. Tracey says the forecast is calling for thunderstorms in the morning. I guess the plan is to get a jump on the weather. Hope it works.

Good to hear from Lori. She's not lurking anymore.

Day 26: Kirksville, MO to Quincy, IL, 74 miles, avg speed 18.0 mph

This is me before we crossed the Mississippi into Quincy, Illinois. Harold, Roy, Michel and I road across together. It was a good feeling.

Today we passed 2000 miles. It was as good a day as yesterday was bad. We had few hills, a nice tail wind and temperatures on the 70's. Only one dog chased me.

Last night we had some rough weather. Lots of rain, wind and lightning. Sirens went off for a short time about 8:30. I turned on the TV and the crawler across the bottom said the severe thunderstorm warning

had been cancelled. I guess that one blew itself out.

Chas said he hit 16 mph on his bike and felt a little out of control. Coming down some of the mountains in Arizona and New Mexico if you didn't hold the brakes it was easy to hit 40 mph. That's the first and last time I'll do that. A blow out would have put me a lot out of control.

Got an email from Craig. He said he is completely spent. But, I'm still thinking he will come back.

Day 25 Chillicothe to Kirksville, MO, 75 miles, avg speed 15.0

This is Brookfield, MO where the boss made us stop because of a major thunderstorm on the road ahead. It's OK to ride in the rain but not when there's lightning.

As we were waiting, one of the locals asked me where we were headed. I said Boston. He didn't seem too surprised. (He thought I said North Boston which I found out is a little town about 10 miles up the road from Brookfield.) When I told him we started in LA, North Boston, MO didn't seem quite right to him as our destination. We both got things straightened out at that point.

Missouri is unquestionably the toughest state by far. I'll take a Kansas any day. If you plan to ride cross country avoid Missouri at all costs. Too many hills, the road had no shoulder, and there were many potholes and cracks. Jan, one of the most pleasant women on the tour, arriving at the motel, laid her head on her handlebars and let loose a string of curses that would make a truck driver blush. That's the kind of day it was.

I had another "puncture" which makes eight total. One behind Michel who currently is in the lead.

Tomorrow we're crossing the Mississippi and we reach the 2000 mile mark. Good bye Missouri!

I do enjoy all the comments. Even the ones from crazy Old Dick.

Day24: St. Joesph to Chillicothe, MO, 86 miles, avg speed 17.0 mph

Here's a picture of the three docs discussing Dan's injury this morning at the motel. Dan's in the middle holding the ice pack. Stewart and Jyl are both gynecologists. I'm not sure what they're prescribing. You can tell Dan's not a happy camper.

I spoke to Dan a little while ago and he seems doubtful about getting back on his bike tomorrow. He may need another off day.

Craig is going home. He went to the hospital this morning. They said he had severe dehydration. Not so much from riding but from the diarrhea caused by the antibiotic he was taking for his arm. They gave him two liters of fluids and told him it would be unwise to continue to ride until he fully recovers. I think once he rests at home he'll come back and finish.

"May the road rise up to meet you." The road today rose up with a vengeance. Not real long hills but lots of short steep hills. The kind that make your legs burn. Roy said he used just about every curse word he could think of. He said swearing helped him get up the hills. Maybe I'll try that tomorrow. It's supposed to be a lot like today.

Day 23 Topeka, KS to ST Joesph, MO

85 miles, 16.1mph avg.

Yesterday was a killer. Today was a piece of cake. The hills today were like the hill on Goshen Road. The hills yesterday were like the hill on Painter Road.

After seven days, everyone was ready to leave Kansas. But, I have to say the drivers in Kansas were exceptionally courteous. They moved over when the could and rarely did anyone blow their horn.

Had one casualty today. Dan, the cardiologist from Wisconsin, crashed. He said he had no idea what happened. No gravel, no catch basin, no anything. They took him to the hospital but nothing was broken. Just some major road rash. He'll ride in the van tomorrow. He said he cracked his helmet. I guess that's why we wear them - so we don't crack our heads.

Craig is talking about going home. He is not feeling well and has no energy. The consensus among the three docs on the tour is that the antibiotic Craig's taking for his arm is the problem. He's stopped the antibiotic and will ride in the van tomorrow. If he doesn't start to feel better in a day or two he's going home. I hope that's all it is.

We still haven't been rained on. Pretty remarkable, I think.

Day22: Abilene to Topeka, KS 106 miles, avg speed 15.1mph

Today was hard. The wind was wrong there were too many hills and it was long. A number of people gave up and rode in the van to the motel.

Not much to look at but I did see four wild turkeys.

Tomorrow Ty and Jyl leave. I hear that everyone enjoys Ty's blog. Not to worry. In July he's going to France to ride some of the stages of the Tour de France. (He's not in the Tour he's riding some of the stages for fun.)

Tomorrow is supposed to be easier. I sure hope so.

Rest Day 3 Abilene, KS

Visited Ike's museum and library. It's an impressive place. His family home is there, the museum with lots of D day and WWII exhibits, the library, and a chapel.

The museum was walking distance - maybe two miles and some people did walk. I walked a lot on our last rest day and I'm not sure it was a good idea. The motel people said that there was no other option. We were just getting ready to step out and a guy pulls up in a bus like the kind you ride at the airport that takes you to the rental car lot. Three dollars round trip. You call him on his cell phone when you're ready to return. We had finished the museum and were walking to get lunch. He pulls up out of the blue and takes us to the restaurant - no charge. Funny how things work out.

Tomorrow may be one of our toughest days. It's 108 miles and the third highest day in terms of elevation gain. We must be leaving flat Kansas and getting into rolling Kansas. I think it's going to be pretty hot too.