August 2, 2024
Day 19 - ending at Manhattan, KS
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The pain pill I took didn't seem to help last night, so I applied pain cream to my arm. I finally found a position for my arm that allowed me to go asleep. And it definitely was a healing sleep, for this morning at 7:05am I was fine.
I checked maps for campgrounds and motels ahead. Nothing past Manhattan and before where I should be tonight (Richey Cove Recreation Area near Council Grove, Kansas), but that'd be 74 miles. So I decided to just get to a motel room in Manhattan, which would make it a 27-mile day. With that figured out, I took my time getting around.
After eating some pop tarts, I called my wife for 30 minutes of getting caught up on what's been happening lately. I had to keep my phone held up since the cell signal was so weak I'd loose the connection when I set it down.
Finally left at 10:33am heading back to US-77. The town of Randolph was ahead, and has Sharp's Short Stop. I hadn't expected that. I stopped for more breakfast, Gatorade, and ice.
Back on US-77. I'd worked up a sweat taking the tent down this morning, but on the road with the northwest wind blowing it seemed much cooler. At noon I was at the intersection with University Park Road to the east and Sherman Road to the west. 7.6 miles.
I turned east onto Mill Creek Road when I got there. That took me to Stockdale Park Road, then Blue River Hills Road, which goes over Mill Creek. After that it was an uphill walk to US-24, and I was there at 1:30pm.
US-77 had been OK this morning, with little traffic like last night. US-24 was different. I'd expected a wide paved shoulder, but it was the same width as US-77 has. But with so much more traffic, I ended up riding on the gravel beyond the narrow paved shoulder maybe a third of the time.
I was finally off the highway at 2:45pm, and on Manhattan residential streets (and sidewalks). Google Maps had indicated the Super 8 motel as the cheapest in town, so I was headed that way. First, though, I wanted a place to eat. I was thinking IHOP, but passed a place that would work and wasn't out of the way: Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers. The place was somewhat like Culver's and somewhat like Steak 'n Shake.
I'd seen signs in town before getting here advertising for Little Apple Painting and Little Apple Roofing. I got to wondering what's with Manhattan and Little Apple. Is there a Little Apple Creek nearby? I kept thinking . . . then it clicked!
Made it to Super 8 at 4:23pm, and was in room 101 at 4:52pm. They have wifi here, but it doesn't work in my room, so I'm sitting in the lobby to get reports posted. It's interesting what you see and hear in a motel lobby!
Time to get a shower and to bed.
Jeff
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Today's ride: 27 miles (43 km)
Total: 603 miles (970 km)
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