Day 22 - ending at Wilsonville, NE - Nebraska on the Open Road

August 26, 2019

Day 22 - ending at Wilsonville, NE

There were sprinkles here at 3:25am. I was up at 4:05am. The low pressure system that has been sitting to the west finally moved past here, heading east. I could tell because the US flag here at the park showed the wind, from calm to west for a short time, then from the north.

I had two destinations today: Cedar Bluffs, Kansas for a visit, and Wilsonville, Nebraska for staying overnight. Cedar Bluffs at an earlier time is the setting for two books by Ralph Moody: The Dry Divide and Horse of a Different Color. I enjoyed reading these, and wanted to see what Cedar Bluffs looks like now. Wilsonville is a place that would be a good stopping point for the end of the day, but it is too small to have on-line information on who to call about camping in their park. From Google Maps Street View, it looks perfect. I'll ask around when I get there.

All packed, loaded, and ready to go at 8:47am. Breakfast next at Fuller's Family Restaurant, back west near the depot. I was there at 9:00am. This place is open 24 hours, and I think I figured out why, after seeing a railroad worker come in after an eighteen-hour shift. I had the restaurant's special for today: Ribeye Steak Breakfast. Another hearty meal!

Done and back outside, I noticed bicycles in the window of the business next door. I thought, "Maybe I should see what they have for tires." I ended up buying a Sunlite tire and a tube from the place. As I was leaving, a woman came in to see about getting her vacuum cleaner repaired. I thought that was strange, until I looked again at the store front: Tinker Tom's - Bike and Vacuum.

All ready to leave town at 10:10am. South on US-83 first. After the "hill" of the railroad tracks' overpass, the road was flat. What a tailwind! I was really moving along. There was finally an uphill to slow me down, which brought me out of the Republican River valley. The view at the top looking back was of McCook in the valley. Downhill from here, with curves to the east and back south, brought me to the junction of NE-89 going east. That would be the road I'd take to Wilsonville, but first Cedar Bluffs, which was two and a half miles farther south.

I started wondering if I could fight my way back north for 2.5 miles against a headwind this strong. Well, I'll find out later. Continuing south, I entered Kansas at 11:52am, and was at the US-83 bridge over Beaver Creek when the noon alarm sounded: 17.4 miles. In one of Ralph Moody's books, Cedar Bluffs is flooded by Beaver Creek. There was no water at all in the creek today.

At 12:08pm I turned right into town - what's left of it - which isn't much. No businesses now, except for a grain storage facility by the railroad tracks. The tracks aren't used anymore. There are a few buildings with storefronts, but they are private homes now. This wasn't a surprise to me, so I wasn't disappointed.

I did get to see the fields, creek, railroad yard, and a few buildings that were described in the books. My imagination filled in the rest. The place I enjoyed the best was probably not built when Ralph Moody was there. That was the old highway bridge over Beaver Creek used before US-83 bypassed Cedar Bluffs. It was a shaded, peaceful place, and I took a break there. I hadn't been able to tell ahead of time if this bridge was still here. Since it is, it provided a good way for me to get back out of town.

A couple of miles on gravel roads east and north got me back in Nebraska at 1:37pm, and on NE-89 going east at 1:51pm. No shoulder on this highway, but it's smooth, low traffic, and flat. Fun riding!

Grasshoppers were all around big time today. A few even hitched a ride. I passed Marion at 2:15pm, Danbury at 2:51pm, and Lebanon at 4:05pm. I checked out the city parks in both Danbury and Lebanon. They were nice and well-kept. One other thing I enjoyed seeing was the railroad tracks that paralleled the highway and went through the towns. Ralph Moody had ridden trains on these tracks, back when they were functional.

Two miles past Lebanon, at 4:41pm, I had to stop. The front tire was going flat. Several goathead thorns was the cause. I went with the quickest solution, changing to the morning-purchased tire and tube. On my way again at 5:36pm.

I was fighting the wind just a little as the highway curved north some, but that was OK. The wind had helped me this morning. At 6:01pm I crossed into Furnas County. Wilsonville was next, and I arrived at their city park at 6:40pm. I asked a fellow I saw across the street if he knew any city officials. He said yes, then said that camping is allowed in the park for bicyclists. Apparently they have had several. Great, I'm all set!

After the tent was up, I had supper from my lunch bag. Then I rode the empty bike up a hill on the north side of town to see if I could get a sunset picture.

I was back at the park's pavilion, working on an "I arrived" email message to family and friends, when a father and daughter bicycled up. They sat down for a visit, which was so much fun! The father is a farmer, and we enjoyed comparing Nebraska and Illinois farming. Recently, the wheat harvest here was outstanding.

The father had grown up in Wilsonville, and it was somewhat sad to hear how the population decline has affected the town. The large brick school he attended is now closed, and his daughter has to go to Cambridge - 15 miles away - to attend school. The daughter has three other sisters, and all the family bicycles.

It was getting dark and the mosquitoes were out, so my visitors went home. I got back to my email message, then picture selection in the tent. After a while, I caught myself falling asleep. I gave in to that at 10:45pm.

Jeff

Spent: $15.35 plus $4 (breakfast) + $32.64 (tire, tube) = $51.99.

Day 22 - McCook, NE to Wilsonville, NE

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