BAK 2010

The last segment of this year's tour was yesterday and went from Eudora to Leavenworth. About half way, the clouds that had been following us caught us and opened up.

I couldn't stop worrying about what the rain would do to attendance at the celebration lunch.

On the way into Leavenworth, riders collected at the pumps at the pictured convenience store.

When we got to the park around 10, the rain was still coming down and people were hustling their bags off the trucks.

At 11am, the food lines opened and between 400 and 500 people enjoyed a smoked-chicken lunch catered by the Santa Fe Depot Diner in Leavenworth.

No worry!

After eating and loading, we drove back to Newton, unloaded the Penske trucks, drove a truck back to Wichita unloading at a couple of houses, gassing up one more time and returning the truck to Penske.

I was home by 10pm...

BAK 2010

Well...another trip across the state is drawing to a close. Today's route went from Osage City to Eudora. The highlight of the trip was hitting 51.5 mph leaving Baldwin City, down that big hill to the north.

Went out tonight to mark some of the route for tomorrow.

I gotta go. I want to meet the caterers of the celebration dinner as soon as possible in the morning, so I'd better hit it.

BAK 2010

Last night's food booths at the Herington High School became breakfast booths this morning. A real treat was the chocolate milk poured out of a glass milk bottle from a local dairy.

Today is our first day in the Flint Hills. Beautiful Flint Hills. My favorite part of the state. Use them in any argument started by, "Kansas is flat."

Seemed like there was some headwind and crosswind today.

Lunch was at the Saddlerock Cafe in Council Grove. French Toast from homemade cinnamon bread. Dinner was at El Mezcal in Osage City, across from the liquor store, which proved to be handy.

I spoke at the meeting tonight on "today's ride." I'm sure I stuttered some.

Cherries rock.

BAK 2010

Left Minneapolis around 7:15 this morning to begin the 75 mile ride to Herington. Lunched at La Fiesta mexican restauarnt in Abilene, which has been a popular (well...with me anyway) place to go to on BAK.

Food vendors galore set up in the Herington high school parking lot. It was a carnival scene. Had some nice visits with local folk, too.

Tomorrow, we ride to Osage City.

BAK 2010

Woke to a wet tent this morning. I had set up camp in what became a swamp after the thunderstorms.

Great ride today, stopping in Hunter for lunch. The townsfolk had barricaded their main street to set up a dining area for the cyclists.

13 miles after the fabulous meal in Hunter, we ran into the pie women from KC. The peanut butter pie was excellent.

Tonight, there's thunder, but no rain...yet.

BAK 2010

This morning's ride started with rain before we got 100 yards from town. Rode about 15 miles in fairly heavy rain, but the scarier part was the lightning. Sought refuge in the museum at Nicodemus. The nice folks there made coffee and let us generally slop around their building. After the lightning and rain stopped, we headed on to Stockton, where lunch was offered. Took root in a diner there for an hour and a half. Finally made it to Osborne by 3:30 or 4. This evening, everyone is buzzing with their tales of hardships and triumphs.

75 mile day tommorrow.

BAK 2010

Started the day with a Methodist pancake feed. Had some showers later in the morning on the way to the lunch buffet at Trish's Steakhouse in Hoxie. It felt like we were racing against the storm to the west and losing decidedly. After the rain stopped late in the morning, it got toasty. Dinner in Hill City was found at the park in the form of bierocks.

High 90's predicted for tomorrow.