Yesterday I crossed over into Mountain Time, which makes me feel like I have made some progress.  Riding from Valentine to Cody was fairly slow.  I still had a moderate wind coming out of the Southeast.

Seven miles from Cody I spotted a sign for a winery just south of Nenzel.  I followed the signs and they wined me around into the back country for a couple of miles until I saw the vines.  I arrived there an hour before opening and there was a sign on the door that said, “In vineyard, call for tasting”.  I sat there, out of the wind, and worked on the latest blog post.  At 2:00, I gave the number a call and he said he would be right up.  About that time a couple of ladies pulled up as well.

We three sat down together while the Reed, the viticulturist, helped us to the tasting.  Just like the beers the day before, I tried everything they had.  I preffered the sweet whites, but would still rather have Gatorade or tea.  The ladies ordered several cases and said they stopped at all the wineries and beer rooms.  After they left, I stuck around a bit and talked with Reed.   I told him I planned to stay in Cody and he said that is where he is from.  He said there was a park with showers and that there would be a cookout there that night.  

After sitting for so long, the ride to Cody was an easy one.  I stopped at the Husker Hub for dinner because 3 people had told me about it by now.  Not much on the menu for me, so I had fried cauliflower and mushrooms again.  I have to stop eating that. 

At the park were some kids playing tag.  They all came up and said hi, without any reservations.  This was much different than the kids I watched in Columbus.  I set up the hammock on one side of the park and decided to take a nap.  After a while people starting showing up from everywhere.  I was wrapped up to keep the wind out and one curious little girl came up and poked me.  When I popped my head out she ran a ways and then called for her dad.  Later, the group hosting the cookout came over and invited me to join them.  I did and found Reed there.  Reed and I sat down and soon I got to meet the Superintendent who was also that little girl’s dad, the sheriff, the pastor, and a few others from the town.  

We stayed there till after dark watching the 30+ kids run around playing a game of capture the flag.  Reed and I were the last to leave and he invited me to stay on his couch.  On the way out of the park he spotted an article of clothing that he assumed was left by one of the kids.  It turned out to be the riding shorts I changed out of earlier.  They must have fallen off of my bike when I rode in.  Reed really made my day.

Earlier that day I sat at the crossroads at Nenzel debating whether I should check out the winery or ride on to Cody.  I sure am glad I took that road.  

According to my photo gallery, not much happened the last two days.  Wednesday, I woke up and did not want to move.  I just felt lazy, more so than usual.  Valentine was the next stop and it was 55 miles away.  The forecast said it would be cold with a high chance of rain.  

I got a late start and had only ridden 30 miles by noon.  I stopped in the tiny town of Wood Lake, population less than 100.  They had a quaint diner that had been closed for probably 20 years, a post office, old school, and a city park.  The park was very nice.  They must have set it up for the Cowboy Trail.  They even had a log book for visitors to write in.  Most of the cyclists commented on the cold water, since it had been so hot recently.  I had another PB&J sandwich for lunch.  I started to setup the hammock to relax and the wind started to pick up.  In the distance I could see storm clouds, but no rain.  I debated staying there and waiting out the storm.  Instead, I tried to beat it. 

I got about 5 miles down the road when it came a down pour.  I rode another 2 miles before I found a canopy.  I through the tarp up over a fallen tree to make a lean-to and hid there with the bike until the storm passed.  Only twenty more miles to Valentine.

There was a cold wind coming out of the North that did not help my progress.  With 5.5 miles to go I see a car pulled over to the side.  When I reach him, he waves me down and I ask if everything is alright.  George, was a fellow cyclist and just wanted to chat about my trip.  We swapped information and decided to meet up after he settled in to his hotel and I set up camp.  I remember it being 5.5 miles from Valentine because the bridge on the Cowboy Trail that everyone insisted I see was 4.5 miles from where I met George and from there it was 1 mile to the RV park I stayed in.  The bridge was an old railroad bridge built high over the Niabrara River. 

 George picked me up and we toured the bridge and then the town, which took about 10 minutes.  We chose one of the three restaurants in town and sat there talking about his trips and mine and about everything cycling.  It was nice to talk to someone that understands.  
That night it got cold and the wind howled all night.  The howling was probably a combination of the cattle at the sale lot and the wind.  The next morning I got up around 6:30 and it was in the mid 40’s and the wind was blowing 15-20 mph.  I decided right then that I was not moving from the tent.

I eventually moved.  I washed my clothes and took a shower and then when it got warmer I explored the town.  After buying groceries for the next few days I ran across a brewery, so I stopped in for a tasting.  I don’t like beer and I knew that going in.  When I came out of there, I still didn’t like beer.

I did a whole lot of nothing the rest of the day.  

The mission of the day was to find a pillow, alcohol wipes, and some food to carry.  I don’t want to run into a town and not have food again.  Ask yourself, if you could only have one food for the rest of your life, or better yet, for a month, what would it be?  So far, I have eaten a lot of french fries and am getting tired of them.  Bring me more burritos!

Not much exciting happened on the ride.  I woke up, I packed, I ate, and then I pedalled until I stopped to eat again.  The countryside has changed some.  Monday I wished to stopped seeing corn, and my wish came true.  The land is still flat, with the occasional hill, but the acres of corn were then hay.  Signs everywhere called it hay country.  So much for showering in the corn fields.  

I stopped just before noon in Bassett.  Bassett was an historical town with the old bank, saloon, and hotel downtown.   In the hotel was the town’s diner.  I got a few death stares when I walked in, and a few more when I walked out.  Between then, I had some grease with a salad, wrapped in a tortilla.  Yea… it was kind of a burrito.

I like walking around all of the squares and seeing the old architecture and what each town has done with the buildings.  Most are antique stores.  In one,  I spotted my pillow!  I was across the street at the gas station when I saw it.  The store was only open on Saturday.  Around the corner was a small grocery store.  I got a loaf of bread, a jar of peanut butter, and a jar of peach jam.  Oh, and some alcohol wipes and mosquito spray.

When I find one, I spend time in the local library.  The libraries are open to the public, and have computers and A/C.  I use that time to update the blog, check email, and charge devices.  This time, I used the library to get out of the rain.  A small storm came in, lasting about an hour.  

From Bassett, it was 10 miles to Long Pine and 18 to Ainsworth.  Ainsworth would put me at 50 miles for the day.  When I got to Long Pine I decided to call it a night.  Long Pine had a recration area with primitive camping.  I started to set up camp at the top of a hill under a pavilion like I usually do, when a truck drove by with innertubes strapped to the roof.  I followed him down and found a fast running creek.  So I set up right there next to it.  I waded around some and used it as an ice bath for my legs.  It was cold enough.

No service, so I finished the rest of my audiobook and ate my PB&J.  I need a new book, so recommendations are welcomed.  A little after 10 and right when I decided to call it a night, I saw lights coming down the creek.  There were almost a dozen on innertubes and with headlamps floating down.  Too cold and too late for me.

Sunday after lunch I got back in the car and drove the 8 hours up to Norfolk, NE.  A friend of my Dad volunteered to give me a lift back to Neligh.  Justin saved me a day’s ride.  I camped that night at a park in Norfolk.  In the morning, I woke up to walkers and joggers.  Actually, I was awake, just not up.  One group was the Norfolk High School Cross Country team.  One kid told me they had already ran 180 miles that summer.  I hope the Tech Cross country girls have run at least that much this summer.  Some have asked whether I lock the bike up and how.  I do lock the bike, most times.  My panniers have a large buckle with an opening of the center.  I run the cable lock through the buckles, around whatever, and then through the frame.  If there is nothing to lock the bike to, then I run the cable through the wheel.  Someone can still steal the bike, but they won’t go far if trying to ride it.

How to lock the bike

The ride from Norfolk to Neligh seemed so short.  What took me a day took Justin not even an hour.  Justin looked and seemed much younger than he is.  When talking to him on the phone, I expected someone in their early 30’s.  Thanks for the lift.

Since I had planned to ride the Cowboy Trail, I thought I should give it a try.  It is known for being covered in goat head thorns and many cyclists on the blogs advise against riding it.  Even people in town advise against it.  After about two miles, I hopped off.  My 14 mph average that I have been holding dropped to an 8 mph as soon as I hit the gravel.  It felt kind of like being on an elliptical or exercise bike and someone coming by and cranking the resistance all the way up.  Occasionally I would get back on the trail if I saw something interesting, but I was more than happy on the road.

Bridge at O’Neill

One of the interesting things on the trail were the many bridges.  I am told they get better, bigger, and higher the further West.  Every now and then I would spot a small building located between the road and the trail.  I assumed they were toilets and did not stop until the 3rd one I saw.  Each one was painted by the locals.  Turns out they were some kind of electric room.  They were all unlocked and looked like they were abandoned and not used for many years. They would make a perfect little bunker or bike hotel.  I will try to stay in one before reaching Chadron.

While in Owasso, I took the bike to a bike shop to have some work done.  My chain was stretched out so I got a new one and I had them give it a look over.  One of the things they did was tighten the brakes.  It did not take me long to learn that the brakes were over tightened, and I had to stop and adjust them.  So, I can’t blame solely blame the trail for my diminished speed.  After that I was rolling smooth and fast-ish.

Just a few adjustments

It is amazing the things you can find on the side of the road.  The usual trash includes, bottles, cans, plastic bags, diapers, and McDonald’s.  The better items are hats, gloves, and sunglasses.  The best things I have found were a sling bag, an LG cell phone, a Samsung S6, and the $20 I found that day.  The next sign said just a few miles to O’Neill, the Irish capital of Nebraska.  The very next sign was for a casino.  I was feeling lucky and thought it a good idea to see how far that $20 would go.

Can you see it?

All of the food places in town were closed.  I stopped at a flower shop to get directions and the ladies kept me talking in there for nearly half an hour.  They were nice and wanted to mother me, but I was hungry.  After leaving the shop I ran into an older couple that started asking me questions.  They were from eastern Arkansas and also very nice.  They kept me another 20 minutes.  By this time it was nearly 2:00 and I was running on nothing.  I was not yet hangry, but I was getting close.

The truck-stop offered the typical breakfast, burgers, and steaks.  So I got my usual pancakes and hashbrowns.  The man at the table next to me kept trying to strike up a conversation with me.  I tried to be nice, but until I got food I was not feeling talkative.  The only person that did not talk to me was the lady at the table behind me.  When she left, she left a $20 to buy my lunch.  After a little food, I obliged the guy and talked some with him.  After he asked all of the usual questions he then went into his life story.  He was a little awkward, but mostly lonely.  Before leaving he left $10 for me to get dinner on.  I must have had a friendly, inviting look about me.

O’Neill was my destination for the day, but it was still cool and I was still fresh.  The next town, Atkinson, was only 18 miles.  When I got there I stopped to scout the city park.  There was a city pool, but I opted for a shower under the faucet outside of the park bathroom.  I would usually set up the hammock and relax until dinner , but the mosquitoes were terrible.  Instead, I set up the tent and napped for almost 2 hours.  I remembered then what I had forgotten to bring on the trip, a pillow.  Just before 7, I packed up and went looking for food.  I stopped at a Dollar Store to find a neck pillow with no luck.  I found something, but would hold out until I find something better  I then went to the grocery store, but they were all closed.  I asked someone what was open and they said the bowling alley was the only thing open that night.

The bowling alley, named The Alley, was everything to this small town.  It had liquor and beer, coffee and espresso, ice-cream, pizza and burgers, and bowling.  I ordered a small pizza, that was surprisingly decent.  Since I had recently come into some money, I thought I would pay to camp.  The campsite was an unattended park with an outhouse style bathroom.  I took another shower under the faucet outside and set up the tent for the night.

Each year my extended family gets together for a reunion.  This year the reunion would be in a suburb of Tulsa.  My longest tour prior to this was when I rode from Russellville to Tulsa and it was for that year’s reunion.   The idea of showing up grew with each day.  When I finally decided to take a long break to restore the legs it made sense to do so with the family.  

When I left Pierce I started looking for a way to get to Tulsa.  The closest rental car company was in Norfolk, but I had passed it.  The next closest was in North Platte, which was 230 miles southwest.  That would take a minimum of 5 days to reach.  I called the Enterprise there and asked if they would really pick me up.  They said yes, as long as I was within 20 miles.  That was no good.  The Enterprise in Norfolk said they would pick me up within a 5 mile radius.  I then looked for a other rental companies.  I found a U-Haul rental in Valentine, which was a 3 days ride from me.  The bike would easily fit in the back and I would still have room to setup my bed each night.  I once thought about living in a truck like that.  Maybe one day I will.  It was impulsive, but I called and made the reservation.  I had to speak to three people before finding someone that knew anything.  That was not a good sign.  Afterwards, I did the math and it was only $80 for the four days, but it would be another $1300 for mileage.  They did not mention that on the phone.  I quickly called back to cancel.      

After speaking with a friend about my options, it was clear that the only thing to would be to go back to Norfolk.  I had to make it look like I was making forward progress and I would get too bored if I just sat somewhere so I continued West and would loop back.  I had a reasonable explanation for hitting Neligh.  It was not just reasonable, I needed to go there for food and the movie theatre did not hurt.  It put me within 40 miles of Norfolk.  

I got around that morning and went by the RV park to take a shower.  This time it cost me a dollar.  The further North the more expensive showers are.  I went back to Mamas’ & Nanas’ for another round of waffles and fries.  I could tell this was the local hangout for the 60+ crowd.  There were two tables filling up as I waited for my food.  The grandpas all sat at one and the grandmas another.  Of course the grandmas and I talked.  They liked what I was doing, one even took me by the arm to introduce me to her husband.  Before leaving, I asked the group how they would feel if it were their grandkid cycling cross country.  That gave them a little different perspective.  They thought me showing up at the reunion would be a fun surprise.  

The ride to Norfolk was slow.  Usually I try to maintain a constant, high RPM, low crank resistance pace.  This day I pedaled a few strokes, coasted, and repeated.  My legs really did need a long rest.  When I started the day,  my odometer read 974 miles.  Once I hit 1000, I was only 7 miles from Norfolk and lunch. 

After lunch I found a small park and a tree to hang from.  My rental would be ready at 5 pm, so I sat there until then.  I may have dozed off a couple times.  When I stop to rest I change out of my cycling clothes and into my running shorts and sandals.  I do this to let my riding shorts dry and to prevent saddle sores.  

I reserved a compact car from Enterprise.  Actually, I ordered the smallest car they had that would fit a bicycle.  When I got there, the lady waiting said they had a pickup, minivan, and a grand cherokee.  None of these were compact cars, but I could easily sleep in the back of all of them.  The girl helping me turned out to be a bit of an adventurer like me.  She helped me stuff the bike in the car and then we talked a while.  If I end up writing from Europe next summer you can blame her.  She also reminded me that I have been neglecting the rest of my body.  My legs and stabilizing muscles have been getting a good workout, but only in one range of motion.  I had planned to do yoga each day along with some strength exercises.  I had planned to do a lot of things.  This, I will start doing.  I am glad to have met her.  I hope she gets to go on her adventure.  If she reaches out, I may have to go with her.  Oh, and I got the 300!

I’ll skip the boring 8 hour drive.  I finished two audiobooks by the time I pulled into the hotel parking lot at 1:30.  I would have slept in the back of my Dad’s truck had it been unlocked.  I searched around for some trees and decided to just lay the car seat down.  It was only 4 hours until breakfast.  I got little sleep that night.  At 6 I got up and went inside.  I just walked into the breakfast room, grabbed some food and sat down.  I also, freshened up in the bathroom.  It crossed my mind to do this as I am traveling, wander into a hotel for breakfast.  Waiting for my parents to come down gave me time to update the blog.  At 8 I almost gave up and layed down for a nap.  I was all about to lie down when they finally walked in.  I could see their eyes get a bit misty as we sat and talked.  I was afraid my Mom would figure it out from the few clues that I left, but she didn’t.  It was a good surprise.  They said they recognized my jersey immediately.  

Later, my Mom sprung the surpise on my aunt and grandma.  My grandma I think was in disbelief and for a moment she looked like she was going to swat me.  After showering and laundry we went for lunch.  I spotted a Cici’s on the way in the night before.  I may have endulged too much.  I got a veggie pizza and a broccoli buffalo pizza, and ate every piece.

I took the bike to the shop for its 1000 mile check-up and spent the rest of the day napping and watching movies.  I will spend the rest of the weekend resting and working on my gear.  My next update won’t be until after the weekend when I return to Nebraska to continue on.

As I pushed on, my legs got more and more fatigued.  Each morning it gets harder to wake them up and for the soreness to abide.  That morning was especially hard since I got very little sleep and it was damp and cold.  After spending every day in the sun, simply walking indoors with the A/C set at 70 degrees chills me.  It is time for another break, a real break.  I have ridden 920 miles and at 1000 I will take a three day weekend, but where?

The gas station opened at 7 AM, but the Ashfall Fossil Beds did not open until 9 and it was only 10 miles away.  So I took my time getting around.  When my clothes are wet or funky I strap them down to the rear rack.  The hammock and mosquito net were both dry enough to pack away in the saddle bags.  I grabbed a muffin for breakfast and an extra for after seeing the fossil beds.  

The ride to Ashfall was slow.  My legs were stiff, sore, and tired.  It took me an hour to do the 10 miles and it drizzled off an on.  If I was fresh it would have been a great day to ride.  Temperature was in the 60’s and the wind minimal.  When I turned North I started to see a slight change in the terrain.  The previous day had been mostly flat, with a couple long slow hills.  The hills started rolling more.  My photos don’t do justice.  Ashfall was located on the top of a large hill and from there you could see miles of untouched land.  I couldn’t help but to think of my Japanese guys and what they would think of all of that openness.  

I arrived just before 9 and the gate was closed.  I at first thought I may have read the hours wrong and felt a slight panic of having ridden those miles only to go back.  It then dawned on me that I could ride around the gate and go see the fossil beds without supervision.  Before I had time to saddle up, a car pulled in behind me and the girl got out and unlocked the gate and went through.  After checking in, I had a self-guided tour.  I was the only one there and I wondered how many people visited this treasure in the middle of nowhere.  

Giant turtles roamed North America when it was a tropical forrest

Rhinos and camels also lived in North America

Rhinos and Horses

The plan was to leave there and ride to the highway 275 junction and turn south to Clearwater.  This would keep me busy and give me the mileage for the day.  I was just too tired to make that happen, so I backetracked a few miles to take highway 14 straight south to Neligh.  Back in Royal I stopped to pet a buffalo.  He kept purring and snorting and pawing at the ground.  I think he was happy to see me.

Neligh turned out to be a wonderful decision.  The map showed a Godfather’s Pizza in Neligh and described them as specializing in deep, thick crusted pizza.  It did on say that it was gas station pizza.  My second, and better option was Mamas’ & Nanas’.

Mamas’ & Nanas’ was a small diner open for breakfast and lunch only.  They closed at 2 and I barely snuck in on time.  I had fries and waffles, both made from scratch.  Before people start yelling at me, yes, I know that waffles contain eggs.  These contained real butter too.  This tasted more like a pancake batter poured in a waffle maker.  If you do not know the difference between a waffle and a pancake, look it up and have your life changed.  As I sat there plotting my next move I noticed they had a drive-in movie theatre.  It opened at 8 and showed two movies for $8.  And, one of the movies was the new Spider-Man!  I am not a huge superhero buff, but Spider-Man was always my favorite.  

There was a huge park just south of town.  I spent the afternoon there recharging everything, drying the clothes, and napping.  Since I have been in Nebraska I have been noticing these small chipmunk looking creatures scurrying away from the road.  There were two at the park that kept a close eye on what I was doing.  They were striped ground squirrels.  I have been trying to get a good photo, but they wouldn’t let me get close enough.  These cute creatures were my entertainment while I waited for dinner time.  I found two of their holes and they played with me while I tried getting a photo.
Rather than playing it safe and going back to Mamas’ & Nanas’, I opted for a steakhouse, but not a steakhouse.  The sign said steakhouse, but inside was a bar and mexican restaurant.  This was even better!  I was so excited to have chips and salsa and to finally get a good burrito.  Unfortunately, this was not the place for it.  My food curse struck again.  My veggie burrito came out and it looked like they took a bag of frozen veggetables, nuked them, and then put on a tortilla.  I had to request all of the extras that come with and then they tried charging me for them.  It was not until I pointed it out on the menu that they understood their mistake.  When I did not leave a tip, the guy exclaimed to his co-worker in Spanish.  I should have replied to his comment in Spanish, but that would have been too much.  

It was still early before the movie started so I found a quiet place to sit.  They call it the Rainbow Fountain.  It was designed after the one at Harvard University, or at least that is what the sign read.  The day before I would have taken a seat in the middle.  That day, I stared at it for over an hour before riding to the drive-in.  I was the first there and got to claim the best seat.  I started setting up my tent as everyone else set up their camps.  They came a lot more prepared than I did.  They had chairs, mats, pillows, blankets, pizza, and drinks.  I started talking with one couple that drove there from Norfolk.  The man had four daughters!  He was on a much different and scarier adventure, in my opinion.  The movie did not start until after 9.  I crawled into the tent and snuggled up with my covers.  On warm nights I will use just the down sheet.  Cooler than that and I will use the hammock as a sheet over the silk.  Colder than that and I get the sleeping bag out.  

After the movie and before the second started I decided to head out.  I did not bother asking if I could camp there.  I rode the mile down the road back to the large park and set up the tent in the show barn.  This was my first opportunity to use my new, 100 lumen, rear light!  In the morning, I would ride to Norfolk.

I don’t know what it is about leaving Ken and Jan, but both times have been two of my hardest rides.  I had planned to try to do the 70 miles to O’Neil, but I could tell right away that was not going to happen.  It would be another long, hot day.

After packing up all of the gear, I said goodbye and left out.  Headed Northwest on highway 13 before turning West on highway 20.  The Cowboy Trail started in Northfolk and ends Chadron.  It is 350 miles long, the longest Rails to Trails in the US, and would take me all of a week to complete.  Rather than going back to Northfolk I decided to pick it up at O’Neil.  The first stretch on highway 13 was not bad.  I had a wind blowing from the southwest that helped me along.  

Ignore me, focus on the wind blown tree

By the time I got to Plainview it was already in the mid 90’s.  Passed Plainview the food options were slim so I stopped at a grocery store and got everything for chili dogs for later.  My new target was Royal, about 20 miles down the road.  It was so hot that I was dry.  My sweat was evaporating so quickly, leaving just dry salt on my skin.  Between the wind and the heat I felt like i was barely moving.  Five miles from Royal I ran out of water.  The first store I came to looked like it had been closed for a couple decades.  It wasn’t until I reached the far end of the town that I found a park and then a convenience store.  This is also where the housing started.  The town had a population of 81 so there weren’t too many houses.  I purchased two drinks and after cooling down at the park went back for a third.  That was as far as I was going for the day.  I learned my lesson the last time.  

Tar bubbling from the heat

The shop owner was kind and told me about a lake just a few miles north.  She also recommended that I see the Ashfall Fossil Beds which were ONLY nine miles north of there.  All of that sounded nice, but would have to wait until tomorrow.  The park had a pavilion, electricity, water, and a bathroom.  I couldn’t ask for more and wanted to stay close to that store for more food and drinks if needed.  I saved my chili dogs for dinner and got chips and salsa from the store for lunch.  

After getting cleaned up, another sponge bath in the bathroom, I relaxed in the hammock and watched a movie.  Midway through the movie one of the park’s neighbors came by and startled me.  He asked for me to follow him and he would show me a safe place if a storm comes through, which it did.  The clouds were getting dark and the wind started picking up from the North.  He took me to his garage, man cave, and pointed to the couch in the corner.  I loved his space.  I could definitely see myself living in something similar.  It was a two bay garage with a wall divider and a bar cut into the wall.  He offered me a beer and we talked for a while before I went back to the hammock.  And yes, I gave him one of my adventure cards so he could keep up with my travels. 

I set up the keyboard and tablet to write the latest blog post and made dinner.  It is hard to find a veggie dog in these smaller towns.  So my dinner was a couplen of hotdog buns with chili beans, chili spices, and diced onions.  Oh, and some of the leftover salsa from lunch.  Between the time I got to the park and the time I decided to go to bed I took three showers and a few times just stuck my head under the spicket.  

It started cooling down around dark.  The wind was already strong and I could see lightning in the distance for a long time before the rain started.  To keep from getting wet, I hung the hammock as high in the rafters of that pavilion as a I could.  The bike blew over and my gear scattered after one good gust.  After that I laid the bike down and packed everythig away.  I probably should have taken that opportunity to go to the couch in the man cave, but I stuck with it.  It got colder and wetter as the night went on.  I did not sleep much, but I stayed dry and made it through the storm.

The park maintenance staff woke me up.  They pulled in to do something to the bathrooms.  They didn’t clean it, and it looked like it had not been cleaned in a while.  I rode through town and found a Casey’s.  Casey’s are expensive, but all of them have donuts.  

From Columbus I rode straight north to Norfolk.  The rolling hills of eastern Nebraska had faded into long stretches of flatland with the occassional mile long hill.  Again, the wind was in my favor, coming out of the South.  In the morning most farmers have their irrigation systems running.  They look like a perfect shower.  I have not yet brought myself to try it.  I thought they may be using it to distribute fertilizer, but am still not certain.  One day maybe.  

I stopped in Norfolk for lunch.  For being such a small town they packed a lot there.  I was on my way to a Mexican restaurant when I passed by the Wood Fire Grill.  The aroma from the street was too good to pass up.  Once again, I ordered all of their side dishes: rice pilaf, sweet potato casserole, french fries, and grilled veggies.

By this time I had already ridden 45 miles, but Ken, from Indian Cave, called me while I was in Fremont and said he was camped out a little north of Norfolk.  It was another 12 miles to Pierce and then 3 miles to Willow Creek Recreation Area.  He warned me that Google would try to take me down a gravel road.  I have been down gravel roads before and managed, but this was something else.  It had a layer of loose pea gravel about 3 inches thick on top of the pack.  My tailend was fish-tailing so bad that I wrecked twice.  The Awol and I both got a little cosmetic damage on the first wreck, but only pride hurt the second.  There was no way I could go down it, so I called Ken and he said there was a paved road after going through Pierce.

I rode through Pierce and found the signs for Willow Creek.  Ken also told me there was a bike trail I could follow that would lead me to the park.  At one intersection the sign for the park said turn left, but the bike trail went on straight.  I was not riding the bike trail so I followed the sign.  This took me South and straight into that, what was favorable earlier, south wind.  It was a struggle to move the bike, even going down hill. On the map there was a road that cut straight into the park.  In real life, that road was blocked and said do not enter.  So, I ducked under the gate and went on.  It did lead me to the park and eventually I found Ken on his bike waiting to take me in.  

For being so small and out of the way this park was really nice.  It had a bike trail and a horse trail.  It had beaches and volleyball nets.  From an RV’ers perspective, it did not have sewage or a pump out.  For me, it was great.  I spent the next couple hours in their camper learning about their adventure and telling them about mine.  They sold everything, bought a very very nice camper and went exploring.

After a 75 cent shower, we loaded up in their truck and went to town for dinner.  Like most families, choosing a dinner place is always a hassle.  Even more so when you have a picky eater like myself.  We ended up at a local favorite in Norfolk.  The consensus on the food was that the locals have no taste buds, but the company was good.  Back at camp, Ken helped me set up my tent.  He warned that rain was coming so it gave me the opportunity to test out my tent’s rainfly.  On the way to the laundry I found a huge patch of muscadines.  I am hoping that Ken and Jan were able to harvest some while there.  We sat and talked while I attempted to knock out another blog post.  Once finished I crashed in the tent and prepared the gear for a rainy night.

Fremont was only the second time I set up the tent on this trip.  I was tired of getting mosquito bit through the hammock.  Fremont was the first time that I was fully hydrated.  I know this because I had to get up in the morning to pee.  The restaurant opened for breakfast at 8 so I got around, packed my gear, and got a shower before going over.  It cost me a whole quarter to take a shower (hint to all travelers: carry quarters).

I was not the first to arrive at the restaurant.  It must be a usual occurence for the man with the key to arrive when he got around to it.  I sat there with an older man, his wife, and their son.  They asked me all of the usual questions regarding my sanity and how my mother felt about it all.  He was a New Yorker and from what I gather from movies and stereotypes they are blunt, and that he was.  Nice, but blunt.  Everyone in that place new his name and everyone seemed to like him.  I talked more with his son, but for some reason he made the bigger impression.  

Breakfast was a stack of pancakes and hashbrown, the kind you get from McDonald’s.  This got me checking the map for the closest Waffle House for a real hashbrown and also breakfast burritos.  It has only been three weeks but I miss my little pancakes on Saturday.

The ride to Columbus was straight west.  It took me no time to get there, and I felt great the whole time.  I am pretty sure it was being fully hydrated, or maybe had something to do with the having the wind at my back.  Regardless, I got there fast.  I stopped at a Walmart and picked up some velcro straps, a new tire, and some carabiners.  I thought I would try hanging the tent from the handlebars.  Not sure if I like it yet, but it does take some weight off of the back.

Lunch that day was a veggie burger and onion rings from Burger King.  I have all but given up the idea of $5/day.  It is way more expensive, but I am a lot happier.  I sat in the Burger King to finish a blog post and drank I don’t know how many glasses of tea and water and powerade and lemonade.  From there I found a local park to rest, charge the devices, and try to attach the tent.  

I was welcomed to the park by the local…not really sure, but he lived around there monitored everything that went on.  A construction crew was there installing a metal cell tower that resembled a tree.  He was there watching them.  He talked to me for an hour as I messed with the gear.  Nice fella, but I needed some peace and alone time.  I asked him for food recommendations and he said go to Hy-Vee, Nebraska’s version of whole foods except without the overpriced health food.  There I got an all you can eat salad bar, which I returned for a plate of rice and veggies from the wok.  The guys behind the counter were nice and we got along fine.  I’m pretty sure the girl appreciated my riding shorts.  Maybe 800 miles has done something.

There were a couple of parks in town, but Pawnee Park was the biggest and easiest to find a place not to be seen.  It also had a water park.  I didn’t go in, but stood outside the fence like a creeper.  Unlike a creeper, I was admiring all of that cold water and wishing I was in it.  I found a large pavilion with electricity, water, and a bathroom nearby.  It was still early when I got there and it was packed with families.  One group of kids were playing soccer and I wanted to join them, but everytime one of the kids would wander close to a stranger, the whole pack would come running and yelling, “it isn’t safe, strangers!”  I then wanted to find there parents and, well I’m not sure what I would say to them.  Those kids were intense.

Everyone started leaving the park around 10, but it didn’t close until midnight.  I am always a bit jumpy when camping in a public place.  Not because of crime or “strangers”, but of getting kicked out.  It hasn’t happened yet, and I hope it never does.  After setting up the tent and checking to make sure it couldn’t be seen from the road, I layed down.  I got nervous everytime a car would come by.  They didn’t just come by, but they would stop and sit right in front of my pavilion.  One even pulled in and had his lights shining on me.  I’m fairly certain he couldn’t see me, but still.  All of this ended around 1 and I was able to get some sleep.

That morning I was prepared for the continental breakfast.  The day before, I went down to the grocery store and got some almond milk.  I had two bowls of cereal the night before and now a bowl of cereal for breakfast.  I also snatched a bagel, peanut butter, and some jelly for lunch.

The ride to Fremont was more of the same corn fields and rolling hills.  I took a short cut out of Papillion which took me on a gravel road.  This road was packed gravel and I was able to maintain the speed.  Once on the highway I hit a headwind out of the West.  This usually means cooler weather, but hard riding.

As soon as I got into Fremont I was stopped by a man in the middle of the road.  The whole downtown was closed for a sidewalk sale.  This man, a cyclist, asked me about all I was doing and made some recommendations while I was in town. He recommended I try the Asian place around the corner, which I did, and the check out the bike shop a block up, which I did.

Bill, the owner of the bike shop, was extremely friendly.  He checked out my bike and made some recommendations for how to move more weight over the front wheel.  I got some lube and a rechargeable, 100 lumen tail light from him.  I stayed there talking with him and another guy for a good two hours.  Bill makes the second pilot I have met on the road.  He even volunteered to help me take the sailboat down the Caribbean and through the Panama Canal.  

After leaving the shop I road through the university before stopping at the library.  Everyone in this town knew or were cyclists.  I didn’t get the usual stares as I entered a building with my spandex.  When the library closed, it was time for dinner.  I know I ate something, but can not remember what.  Everyone I met suggested I go to the Fremont Lakes.  The lakes were a bunch of sand pits that were filled in used for recreation.

I stopped at a bar/restaurant and they were sponsoring a volleyball tournament.  The ownere was sitting outside so I talked to her for a little bit before riding around the rest of the park.  There had to be several hundred campers there and it was packed with people.  It was like the Chuck Wagon races in Clinton, but with boats.  There was a central island that the boats made laps around.  One boat was filled with college age coeds that had music blaring and dancing on the deck.

After setting up my campsite I went back to the bar for a drink (tea) and to see what kind of entertainment they had.  The entertainment was me talking with the owner.  I was surprised how slow they were.  I quickly got tired and went back to camp for the night.