Some pretty good thunderstorms blew through Yates Center
last night so I’m glad I decided to stay in a motel. I had dinner with ice
cream last night at Subway. I’d planned for today to be a short day so I tried
to sleep in a little but was still up and on the bike before 8:00 AM. I decided
to ride uptown to the square just to see what was there and to find a restaurant for
breakfast. The square was nice and I took a couple of photos. I had a
very good breakfast at the Feed Bunk restaurant on the south side of the square.
This is a typical midwest restaurant with farmers talking about last night’s
rain and other farm-related topics (like Buck and Joe’s where Susi and I came
from).
I finished breakfast and was back on US54 heading west by 8:30 AM. It was cloudy, windy and pretty chilly. I put my rain coat and ear muffs on just before reaching the city limits and didn’t take them off until I arrived in Eureka about 1:00 PM. The wind was out of the north at 15-20 mph with gusts to over 30 mph. This made riding pretty tough at times and I didn’t set any speed records today. At mile 13 I reached the intersection with KS105 which put me on the TransAmerica route. There was a small convenience store at the intersection and I went in to get out of the wind but did sip a soda. Everything else was too expensive. Just before I left, three other loaded cyclists arrived. Two were riding together; one just for a week to Springfield, MO and the other started in Pueblo, CO and is riding to somewhere in southern Illinois. He has ridden the TransAmerica route from Oregon to here in sections over the last few years as his work allows. The third rider did not speak English so I couldn’t communicate with him. It must be interesting being a foreigner trying to bicycle alone in the US. After my stop I headed west again. A few miles down the road I passed a sign “Experiencing the Flint Hills” which are not large hills but the terrain is definitely hilly. Everything around here is really green, though the locals complain there hasn’t been enough rain. It’s a good thing the sign didn’t lie and say “Enjoying the Flint Hills” because with the wind today, I sure didn’t. US54 is a nice road with a two foot wide shoulder. However, traffic at times is a little more than I’m comfortable with. After today I only have 19 miles left before I say good bye to it for good and I can’t get there soon enough!!.
According to the information on my Adventure Cycling map, Eureka has two options for camping. I went to the first, an RV park, but was told by the owner they don’t host tent campers because there are no restrooms or showers. As I was leaving I opened my map to get the Eureka city clerks phone number to let them know I wanted to camp at the city park. The wind blew the map out of my hand just as I dialed the number. It took me a block and a half to chase it down. At first, I thought it was a goner and I’d never be able to chase it down. But luck was with me and I know now to be more careful!! I rode to a convenience store and called the city clerk from inside as I was sipping a soda. She said to put up my tent any place I wanted. The park was only two blocks south of where I was. I made a trip to the town’s grocery store to restock my emergency provisions, which were all but gone, then rode to the park. It is very nice. The swimming pool is located there and they let me shower for free. I’m sitting at a picnic table under a tree freezing to death. It is only about 65 degrees and the wind is still blowing. The tent is staked out so it should be fine. It is supposed to get down into the upper 40’s tonight which is pretty good sleeping weather for me; at least better than the sweltering conditions I’ve had a couple of times so far. I rinsed my bike clothes out in the shower and am waiting for them to dry before heading off for an early dinner.
I’ve planned another short day for tomorrow to Cassoday, KS 36 miles away. The wind tomorrow is predicted to be less than 10 mph so hopefully riding conditions will be a little better than today, but it is forecast to be cold with a high in the 60s. These low temperatures must be unusual for these parts this time of year, but by Monday it is supposed to be back up into the lower 90’s. A few photos from today follow.
I finished breakfast and was back on US54 heading west by 8:30 AM. It was cloudy, windy and pretty chilly. I put my rain coat and ear muffs on just before reaching the city limits and didn’t take them off until I arrived in Eureka about 1:00 PM. The wind was out of the north at 15-20 mph with gusts to over 30 mph. This made riding pretty tough at times and I didn’t set any speed records today. At mile 13 I reached the intersection with KS105 which put me on the TransAmerica route. There was a small convenience store at the intersection and I went in to get out of the wind but did sip a soda. Everything else was too expensive. Just before I left, three other loaded cyclists arrived. Two were riding together; one just for a week to Springfield, MO and the other started in Pueblo, CO and is riding to somewhere in southern Illinois. He has ridden the TransAmerica route from Oregon to here in sections over the last few years as his work allows. The third rider did not speak English so I couldn’t communicate with him. It must be interesting being a foreigner trying to bicycle alone in the US. After my stop I headed west again. A few miles down the road I passed a sign “Experiencing the Flint Hills” which are not large hills but the terrain is definitely hilly. Everything around here is really green, though the locals complain there hasn’t been enough rain. It’s a good thing the sign didn’t lie and say “Enjoying the Flint Hills” because with the wind today, I sure didn’t. US54 is a nice road with a two foot wide shoulder. However, traffic at times is a little more than I’m comfortable with. After today I only have 19 miles left before I say good bye to it for good and I can’t get there soon enough!!.
According to the information on my Adventure Cycling map, Eureka has two options for camping. I went to the first, an RV park, but was told by the owner they don’t host tent campers because there are no restrooms or showers. As I was leaving I opened my map to get the Eureka city clerks phone number to let them know I wanted to camp at the city park. The wind blew the map out of my hand just as I dialed the number. It took me a block and a half to chase it down. At first, I thought it was a goner and I’d never be able to chase it down. But luck was with me and I know now to be more careful!! I rode to a convenience store and called the city clerk from inside as I was sipping a soda. She said to put up my tent any place I wanted. The park was only two blocks south of where I was. I made a trip to the town’s grocery store to restock my emergency provisions, which were all but gone, then rode to the park. It is very nice. The swimming pool is located there and they let me shower for free. I’m sitting at a picnic table under a tree freezing to death. It is only about 65 degrees and the wind is still blowing. The tent is staked out so it should be fine. It is supposed to get down into the upper 40’s tonight which is pretty good sleeping weather for me; at least better than the sweltering conditions I’ve had a couple of times so far. I rinsed my bike clothes out in the shower and am waiting for them to dry before heading off for an early dinner.
I’ve planned another short day for tomorrow to Cassoday, KS 36 miles away. The wind tomorrow is predicted to be less than 10 mph so hopefully riding conditions will be a little better than today, but it is forecast to be cold with a high in the 60s. These low temperatures must be unusual for these parts this time of year, but by Monday it is supposed to be back up into the lower 90’s. A few photos from today follow.
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| Building mural - just off the square in Yates Center, KS |
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| Town square - Yates Center, KS |
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| Entering the Flint Hills area of south-east Kansas |
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| I finally connected with the TransAmerica route 13 miles west of Yates Center, KS |
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| Eureka City Park - home for tonight |
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