What's Fred Up To Now?: Day 16 - Monday June 4; Larned, KS to Ness City, KS (67 miles)

For the past couple of days I’ve been without Internet service for my laptop. I’ve finally figured out how to post a blog entry with my smart phone but haven't yet figured out how to upload photos. I’ll update those posts in next day or so. Right now I'm using the Ness City public library wifi connection. They are closed on Mondays but I can still get on their public network sitting on a bench just outside. From now on, if you don’t see any photos, check again in a day or two and hopefully they will have been added. Also note that my smart phone, for some reason wants to use a 3rd language spell checker, so if you see some really goofy text, forgive me and I’ll try to clean it up later. [update: found the configuration and turned all this junk off]

The city park in Larned was very nice. So nice that the boys had to play basketball until after midnight with the lights on. It didn’t really bother me. I used my ear plugs and besides, there are a lot worse things teenage boys could be doing after sunset (I know, I was one once! - and did worse things!). The first photo below was taken as I entered Larned yesterday. For several hours starting about 10:00 PM, the wind was just right and really stunk up the place.

I was up and out of the park by 7:30 AM following a really nice conversation with an older couple on a tandem bicycle with their pet dog in the basket. I stopped and had a breakfast sandwich at the Kwik Shop and was on the road just before 8:00 AM.

Fort Larned was about six miles west of town and, though they were not yet open for visitors when I arrived, I bicycled in and looked around a while. Fort Larned was an outpost on the Santa Fe Trail and has an interesting history.

At about 22 miles I passed two loaded cyclist going the other way. I slowed to talk, but they just kept on going. I know the feeling. Sometimes you just want to make time.

I arrived at Rush Center, the halfway point for today, at 10:45 AM and found only one place to eat, Effies Place, but it wasn't supposed to open until 11:00 AM. However, the OPEN sign was showing and the door was unlocked and the owner, Effie, let me in to have a drink while waiting for her help to arrive at 11:00 AM. Effie is 85 years old and has owned this restaurant for 48 years. I took her photo as I was leaving (it didn’t turn out very good). I ordered an Effie Cheeseburger with fries and it was delicious. Effie once served Charles Kuralt, the late award-winning host of CBS’ “Sunday Morning” and “On the Road.” Check out the link to an article about Effie Cromwel that was in the Hutchinson News earlier this year.

I was on the road again at 11:45 AM with a pleasant tailwind for the entire 31 miles to Ness City where I will camp at the city park and use the pool shower. I rode by and it is pretty small and “rough” but I plan to stay in a motel in Scott City tomorrow night and so will camp tonight. A few photos from today follow.