Day 12 - ending at Kinsley, KS - Diversion into Kansas

August 25, 2016

Day 12 - ending at Kinsley, KS

Posted via email Fri Aug 26 08:38:02 2016 PDT

Another "Where am I?" wake-up, at 4:20am, thanks to the alarm. Made a pot of coffee, and started work on the report. I noticed on the weather radar that there'd been rain overnight. Outside, puddles confirmed that.

Checked out of the motel at 9:07am, and headed across the highway to see how well Braum's does breakfast food. Very well, I can report!

Destination today is Kinsley, forty-seven miles southwest on US-56. It was overcast, with a north wind that felt almost cold when I left Braum's at 9:53am. Still had some city traffic to deal with through town, until I turned south with the highway. Then I got yesterday's wide shoulder back.

Enjoyable riding, with a flat road and a tailwind. Tried my radio again (normally, if it's on, I'm listening to MP3's). Picked up KVGB-AM out of Great Bend. Even though I was on the far right of this very wide shoulder, I hadn't realized how loud the traffic noise was until I tried to listen to this station. I did make out that the Farm Progress Show is next week, in Boone, Iowa.

Passed through Dundee at 11:00am, and arrived in Pawnee Rock at 11:56am. Recorded the noon mileage (12.8 miles), then took some pictures around town. As I was leaving, the noon whistle sounded, at 12:05pm! (Earlier this year I'd replaced my automatic wrist watch with a "Railroad Approved" quartz, so I know exact time now.)

When I arrived in Larned at 12:55pm, I missed my waypoint turn, but was making it through town OK. At 1:15pm, I came to PJ's Diner. There I enjoyed a hot dog and Mtn Dew, as well as talking with the cook. He threw in some fried chips that will be a new menu item. He said once a year they have a large group of bicyclists camping in the nearby park.

A little ways down the road was the Pawnee River, and a pull-off with information on how difficult it was, at times, for Santa Fe Trail users to cross. After I crossed the Pawnee, the truck-wide shoulder I'd been enjoying turned into a bicycle-wide one.

Just before I reached Garfield, I noticed an information sign up on a steep hill, behind a barbed wire fence. I wasn't sure I could get up there (walking), but I had to know what a sign was doing up where no one could read it. Turns out it told about Sibley's Ridge, and without getting to the sign, you couldn't appreciate the view.

Arrived in Garfield at 3:03pm. I took a break at a pleasant park (Downey Memorial Park). On farther into town there was another park, also displaying information signs.

A state police officer was finding lots to keep him busy south of Garfield. Three times he'd get just past me, then turn around and speed off to pull over another vehicle.

After crossing Coon Creek, I arrived in Kinsley at 4:57pm. Came to Stacy's Town Square Deli, and stopped for a milk shake - mocha cappuccino flavor. Back at the bike, I moved my Klean Kanteen so I could carry the shake to the campground.

Arrived at 4 Aces RV Park at 5:20pm, and checked in. The wife of the manager team gave me a ride in a golf cart, to check out camping locations. The place is almost full, since wind generator construction crews are here. She said they've had bicyclists here before, one who was cycling around the world. This place is nice! Tent camping is $10, and I am set up at site#19, with water and electricity, and have the option to set up the tent in the grass or on a concrete pad. I set up on the concrete, since rain is predicted. But first, I enjoyed my shake.

As soon as the tent was up, I took a shower, putting on clean clothes. There are laundry machines here, so that was next. While waiting on loads, I worked on the report at my site. My laundry was done at 9:20pm. There are two toads here that sure want in the laundry room!

And I want to get to bed, which I did at 11:55pm.

Jeff

Spent: $9.37 (breakfast) + $4.35 plus $1.65 (lunch) + $2.95 (shake) + $10 (campsite) + $3 (laundry machines) = $31.32.

Day 12 - Great Bend, KS to Kinsley, KS

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+ plus signs indicate pictures added after returning home from the trip +