Since my phone died I lost all of my photos from the last few days.  My last real post was in Hiawatha, KS. Since then, I crossed over to Nebraska, almost went into Missouri, almost went into Iowa, got a little heat sick, took a day off, and am now 250 miles down the road in Fremont, NE.

On Tuesday, I rode straight from Hiawatha to Brownville, NE.  It rained for the first couple of hours, which made everything I was wearing sogggy.  I tried throwing on the rainjacket, but it just got sticky inside from sweat.  In Falls City I stopped to grab a sandwich to eat at the Indian Cave State Park.  After leaving Falls City, Google took me on a gravel road tour.  It was nice to be off the main road, but the wet gravel/sand was difficult to navigate.  By this time the sun had popped out so I hung my jersey off the bike in an attempt to dry it and me.

Towards the end of the gravel road I came across these two fellas.  One of them huffed at me and bowed his chest.  I believe he was challenging me to a race.  I was tired, but not about to back down.  He took off and I took off.  It was a short race and I lost by a long stretch.  So, I yelled and goaded them into another race.  This time I kept up for all of 3 pedal strokes before they were gone.  When I reached them at the top of the stretch the winner was prancing around gloating.  If you have seen the movie “American Flyer” with Kevin Costner, this was the scene with the cowboys on their horses, except without the cowboys.  I had a great photo of the horses racing me and then an even better one of him prancing around.  

The road leading into the park was paved and uphill.  The park is located on the ridge that follows the Missouri River.  Once at the top I could sit and eat.  The park is named after a cave/overhang with drawings from the Native American locals.  The same overhang was used by generations of people after the native population “left”.  To get to the cave you must go through the entire park.  It was about a 5 mile ride from the entrance down to the cave.  This took me down a steep cliff to the river’s edge.  The river was a better site than the cave.  Too many people decided to leave their marks next to the marks of the past.  At this point, I was getting tired.  It was about 1 PM and I needed a break.  On the map I saw that the RV camping had showers and laundry, so that was where I was headed.  

The climb out of the river was a rough one.  I walked most of it, and even walking was challenging.  I have made a lot of wrong decisions on this trip.  I really wanted to kick myself for this one.  The map showed that there were two sections of RV camping.  Each section was marked having a shower and laundry.  Tired of climbing hills, I tried to pick the one with the easiest climb out.  I chose wrong.  Turns out the two shower facilities were just one.  The route I took required me to carry the bike up a 100 ft stair case.  If I had gone the other way I would have been at the top of the hill.  

The shower was working and the water fountain had cold water.  It’s a 50/50 for water fountains to be cold.  I had exactly 75 cents of change to dry my rain soaked clothes, but not all quarters.  I searched everywhere for a third quarter (now I have more change).  I went down the row knocking on RV doors.  The owner of the second RV was sweeping up outside.  I told him what I was doing and he and his wife gave me a quarter.  Turns out, there son does long rides and triathlons and such.  I thanked them and went about my washing and drying.  Oh, and the bike got a bath too.  RV pump outs are great for bike washes.  After my shower, Ken, the RV guy, came and talked to me.  I left one of my cards that way they could let there son know I was heading his way, just in case he wanted to ride with me!  

Shortly after, Jan, his wife, came up.  She had found my blog and been reading.  They were out park hopping in the RV and we compared routes and we may meet again up in Chadron.  The chances of that increase the slower I go and the more days off I take.  Before I left, Ken asked me what the heat does to me.  I should have taken that as a sign to stay put.  I had a little food in my bag and am sure I could have bummed around if needed.  It was 3:00 and hot.  I was 15 miles from Brownville, where my hotel was.  Usually, this is doable.  I had already ridden 47 miles that day, it was hot and humid, and my sandwich was all but gone.

I did alright riding down from the ridge, but the next few miles were probably the worst so far.  I quickly went through my first bottle of water and mixed Gatorade packet in the second.  The Gatorade was a big help.  Did I mention it was really hot?  The rolling hills seemed long and tall.  With about 10 miles to go I checked my phone for directions and it was fryed and I was close to it.  I started looking for a way out.  I stuck my thumb out at trucks going by with no luck.  Had I gotten Ken’s number I would have called him, but no phone.  I kept going, but gave up on riding.  My legs knew what to do, but I was getting dizzy and not riding straight.  So I walked anything not down hill.  Up the final hill to a T in the road and a sign that said 1 mile to Brownville.  It was 1 mile of downhill, taking me down to the Missouri River.  

From there, I followed the sign to the only eatery in town.  After a glass of water and a glass of tea I was feeling a little better.  The lady helping me was nice and patient.  I took something from just about every dish they offered to make a dinner plate.  The food did me a lot of good.  My head was still swimming and my stomach upset, but I could talk.  I ended up staying there for two hours before finding my hotel.  The woman helping me was on summer break from teaching at a university.  The other patron was also a professor at one of the universities.  I must have felt better, because we talked a long time after I finished eating.  I found this place by calling the hotel earlier in the day to ask about dinner options.  I then called the restaurant for a menu.  By noon, everybody in town was probably expecting to see me.  

The hotel was an old riverboat converted into a hotel.  The rooms were much nicer than I had intended.  My boat could use some upgrades after seeing what they had done.  The top deck was open with seating and football turf as flooring.  The same turf was on all of the outdoor decks.  The second deck was where the office, central lobby, and restaurant was located.  The first deck was used for lodging.  Once settled in I called home and tried to find the best way to get a new phone.  The closest AT&T was in Maryville, MO, 47 miles away.  If feeling well enough, I would pack the bike and head East in the morning.  

Today I left Nortonville headed north to Hiawatha, a 40 mile ride.  No donuts at the gas station so I got a rice crispy treat and a lemonade.  Being the only place in town with food, this is where the old men go for their morning coffee.  They were nice and had plenty of questions for me.  When I offered to let them tag along, they said they couldn’t because their wives had chores for them to do.  

Twenty miles down the road I stopped under the shade of a grain silo and had my second rice crispy treat.  The road was anything but flat.  I was either climbing or descending, but it was a nice change from the long grinding hills over the last few days.  At one point, I topped a hill and there were more trees than corn stalks.  I was transported to a whole other place.  The hills were taller, but there was shade on the road from all of the trees.  This only lasted a mile before it went back to the long rolling stretches of corn and soybean.

  
Disclaimer: Rant coming.

I stopped in Horton for lunch.  I thought about trying to make it to Hiawatha for lunch, but I was getting hungry.  The choices were: gas station diner, pizza, mexican, or family diner.  I chose the family diner, only because I have had a lot of pizza the last few days.  It is hard for me to go places to eat due to my diet.  I have been a vegetarian for almost two years now and vegan-ish for almost a year.  I say vegan-ish because if you make me a cake, with an egg in it, I will eat it.  Same goes for pecan pie and cornbread.  If I go to your house and you made burgers for dinner, then I will have a bun with all of the fixings.  I try not to inconvenience anybody with my choices.  This often times leaves me hungry after dinner.  

The diner was a typical diner, minus the selection of southern vegetable side dishes I was banking on.  So, french fries again.  I’m not sure why people are still serving frozen fries.  It is so much better and probably cheaper to start with a potato.  The fries only teased my appetite, so it was time to get creative.  I told the waitress to bring me a plate of spaghetti noodles with baked beans on top, oh, and a side of ketchup.  At that request, the “chef” came out and offered to sautee some onions, peppers, mushrooms, and squash to go on the noodles.  Small town diners will usually try to work with me, especially when I am the only customer.  Plus, they can tack on the word special request and charge extra.  

On that note, my cheese-less, meat-less pizza will cost almost twice as much as your pepperoni pizza.  This would only make sense if vegetables cost more than meat and cheese, which they don’t.  It also has way fewer Calories because of the lack of fat.  If only food cost as much as it provided in Calories.  

The waitress, smiling, brings out this steaming plate of veggie spaghetti.  She said the “chef” went all out.  It had sliced toast on the side and loaded with mushrooms and fresh squash along with the other veggies.  It was also covered in parmesan cheese.  Another patron had come in and he was chatting me up so I ignored the dish for the longest time.  Usually I would send it back and request a new order, but I was so tired of being confrontational.  Every dish, every restaurant, every day, has to be wrong.  I went up to pay for the meal and she asked why I didn’t eat the spaghetti and I told her that I don’t eat cheese.  She then said,”you can’t simply pick around it?”  I wanted to say, “it would be like picking around the chocolate in chocolate milk.”  When she didn’t take it off the bill, I was really upset.  Again, instead of being confrontational I just wanted to leave to get on the bike and find a new space.

And now, I feel bad because the “chef” worked hard to make a special meal for me and I wouldn’t eat it.  As I rolled down the road, I even considered calling and apologizing.  I often wish they would just let me go into the kitchen and prepare my own meals.  My dad will say that I should have brought the stove.  The stove and all of the accessories and food would add another 15 pounds to my pack.  

I am now sitting in Hiawatha, under a pavilion, at a lake, with a cool breeze.  And, I’m hungry.  I am afraid that if I get back on the bike in search of food I will be too tempted to ride the 20 miles to the next town. I am certain that where ever I go for food, they will get it wrong and I will have to send it back or not eat again. 

It’s amazing how such a small thing has put me in such a funk.  Maybe tomorrow will be better. My mom called and I am feeling better about the day.  I now have something special planned for tomorrow evening, and a chinese (hopefully buffet) planned for my immediate future.  

I took the weekend off from riding and writing, and have been vegging out.  It was overdue and worth it.  I could not have chosen a better town to take a break in either.  I never thought I would want to live in Kansas, but I would easily live here.  I have been here since Friday morning.

Friday morning started at Mike’s place.  Remember the pancakes Mike promised? Yea, that didn’t happen.  But that’s ok.  I think we were all tired. I said goodbye to Bryon and Carla and Mike drove me up to Ottawa, where we left off on Thursday.  The drive was quiet.  I’m not sure I was ready to leave.

When we got to the truckstop Mike bought me breakfast and I got a final picture before leaving.  The ride north was an easy one.  I had a light tailwind and there was not a whole lot of traffic at 7 AM.  For some reason I thought Lawrence was a 40 mile ride.  About 15 miles in that rasin cinnamon biscuit hit me.  I checked the map, but there was nothing until Lawrence.  I even asked a man jogging where the closest bathroom was and all he could say was that it was hot outside.  

After a few miles I spotted a patch of trees off of the highway.  This is not the first time I had to find some woods, but it was the first time I was not completely covered.  It is already awkard because you have to take off your shirt to get to the shoulder straps of the bib.  Cyclists will understand.  Hopefully nobody noticed me.  If they did, hopefully they were not quick enough to snap a photo.  

Not 8 miles down the road I rolled into Lawrence.  I had to stop and check my map because I was shocked that I was already there.  Kansas University was just up the road so I thought I would spend the day there.  Kansas is usually thought of as being flat.  KU is located at the top of a “mountain”.  I found one of there 7 libraries to update the blog.  When I was leaving the library I saw someone that looked like a girl that I went to high school.  I think she had the same reaction.  It was her!  After talking some she invited me to stay with her and her boyfriend, who I played basketball with in high school.  

With a place to stay there was no pressure to find a suitable campsite.  I could take my time and explore the university.  I checked out their natural history museum, grabbed lunch from a building housing the original Rules of Basketball, and talked with a professor about a PhD program.  I also got a shower at their rec center and then found a quiet place to relax.  

Leighann and Cory were awesome.  They opened up there house to me with no warning.  We sat and talked awhile before they prepared a healthy dinner for us: spaghetti squash pasta, salad, and baked chicken.  After dinner we got around and they gave me a tour of Lawrence.  We ended up at a sports bar where Cory educated me on cocktails.  

Back at the house we reminisced about old times and got caught up on what everyone is doing now.  Oh, and we shared a large bowl of popcorn while we watched people on YouTube cook (my kind of night). They fed me popcorn and homemade salsa for snacks.  Can’t get any better than that, until they one up’d it the next day.  For breakfast I had cereal with ALMOND milk.  After a daytime tour of Lawrence they took me for pizza, neapolitan pizza!  The restaurant got my order wrong, but that is to be expected. 

It was fun to be around Cory and Leighann, but it was time for me to recharge.  I said goodbye and rode the 4 miles to my hotel.  My mom chose my hotel for me based on its proximity to good food.  It was one block off of Mass. Street, which is Lawrence’s old downtown.  I got settled in and took a nap.  When I awoke, I was starving.  I went on foot to explore Mass. Street and found a bike shop and outfitters that I would visit in the morning.  I ended up at the Ramen Bowl.  I can’t pass up ramen.  They even had Pocari Sweat, which I have never seen in the US.  

After walking around some more, I headed back to the hotel.  The rest of the night I spent watching movies.  This morning I got up at 7 for breakfast and to do my laundry.  I went back for a second breakfast just before 10.  A quick nap and then check out at noon.  I waited till noon so that I could go to the bike shop.  It was by far the best bike shop I had been to.  When I walked in they took my bike straight back and repacked the bottom bracket for me.  Their shop also had camping, floating, climbing, and anything else you might need or going outside.  

Next stop, Oskaloosa.  It less than two hours to get there.  The pickings for a late lunch were slim.  The only thing open was Gambino’s Pizza.  It has been a good weekend for pizza!  I sat there for probably two hours deciding what to do next.  The next town was only 15 miles away so I decided to go for it.  Northern Kansas is not flat.  It is long rolling hills, half mile up and quarter mile down.  

Nortonville has less than Oskaloosa.  I’m not hungry yet, but I know it will hit me soon.  All I have is honey, peanut butter, and nutella.  The peanut butter and nutella I got from breakfast this morning.  It will have to do until the one store opens at 6.  I’m just hoping they have donuts, but that may be a stretch.  Until then, I will hang the hammock at this park and enjoy the light breeze.  Oh, and I hit 500 miles today!!

This entry is a little more detailed, probably due to the increase in good food and being with people all day.

This morning I could hear Mike stirring on the main level of their house.  We were supposed to be on the road by 7 AM, stop at a donut shop 18 miles up the road and then ride as far as we could before stopping for lunch.  After lunch, somebody would pick us up and bring us back to Mike’s for another night. Bryon was slow to get up and Mike kept repeating, “this is stupid”, but I knew they were excited.  I was excited to have someone to ride with…and donuts!

On the road, Mike took the lead and Bryon sandwiched me in the middle.  This formation did not last long.  They figured out very quickly that I am a much better descender than climber.  We were making good time, running about 17-18 with a nice tailwind.  At one point I hear Bryon yell “segment” and I see Mike take off.  Mike, I am guessing, is the King of Strava within a 50 mile radius of Kincaid.

The highway narrowed and the traffic picked up entering Garnett.  Odd how that is.  We did have one trucker that decided we were not meant to be on his road and proceeded to honk at us to get out of the way.  There was no shoulder, traffic was coming, so I jumped in the middle of the road to block him from passing (before he started to honk and with enough time for him to slow down gracefully).  Otherwise, he may have polished his rims with my saddle bags or ran me off into the ditch.  Bryon took great offense to this guy and I’m glad we did not find him at the donut shop.

THE DONUT SHOP! I have had zero donuts since starting, or at least zero that I remember.  As we are rolling through Garnett, Bryon takes the lead and Mike has to holler at him that it is the yellow sign on the left.  We pull in, and it is closed.  The owners decided to take a vacation.  It was a sad moment.  Until, we pulled into a Casey’s just up the street and they had donuts!  So I got my donut after all.  I was so excited, and hungry, that I forgot to take a photo.  This photo of me carrying the donut to the park will have to suffice.

The park was also wear we got on the Prairie Spirit Rail Trail that runs from Humbolt to Ottawa.  My spirit was better, but my legs were gone at that point.  The trail did not help.  Went from semi-smooth pavement to pea gravel.  It was a well kept trail.  Come to find out you are suppose to pay and have a permit to use it.  My pace dropped from an easy 15 to a hard 8.  The guys ahead I doubt were even pedaling and I could not keep up.  We stopped at a bridge for a little photo-op before trudging on.  

Finally, the guys pulled into a rest stop with shade, bathrooms, cold water, and sprinklers going!  A little down the trail is a fair.  The same fair that Mike’s friends were showing their goats at.  So, we ride over, after a little rest.

After spending some time with the friends and animals we decide to get off the trail and go the rest of the way to Garnett by highway.  My pace is now hovering around 11-12 and 9 on the hills.  Again, I look up and I see not just Mike but Bryon too take off.  I loose sight of them just as I hit a piece of glass.  Tires check out with no visible punctures.  It takes another 5 miles for me to finally catch up.  As soon as I ask who won, they take off again.  When I caught up to mike he was standing off of his bike and Bryon a little ways up ahead.  He flatted, but I think he still won.  We walk the bikes over to the gas station and wait for Carla to pick us up for lunch.  We were probably not but a mile from the lunch spot.  Here are our lunches.  You can guess who had what.

Fajitas for dinner.  But first, I had to get caught up on the blog.  I was two days behind, probably why the last two were abbreviated.  

After only two days I think I may be converting Mike and Carla.  Mike got extra vegetables for dinner and Carla made an egg-less cake! He also bought a few pounds worth of meat, and him and Bryon tried slipping me meat throughout each meal…baby steps.  

Everything came together perfect that night.  Mike’s new griddle arrived just in time to cook dinner outside and a storm rolled in, cooling it down and lowering the humidity.  We ate dinner out on the patio with the cool breeze.  The clouds even waited for after dinner to start the rain.  We spent the rest of the evening under the covered porch watching the storm and talking.  Actually, they watched the storm and talked.  I was in a chair trying not to fall asleep.

Before bed, Mike offered to make pancakes on the griddle for breakfast.  That banana, blueberry, lemon cake was really good.  That would be my breakfast if Mike didn’t offer to make the pancakes.  With the blogs caught up, laundry done, and probably the best meals I have had in a while, it was a good start to my recovery weekend.

Mike and Carla were amazing hosts.  They went above and beyond to make sure I was comfortable.  Thank you guys.  And thank you Bryon for making the trip up and the connection.

I was supposed to meet Bryon at Mike’s place in Kincaid at one.  I slept in the best I could, thinking it would be an easy ride.  I got to thinking about the mornings that I woke up to go to work.  I was rarely unmotivated, but by the end of the day I was mentally exhausted.  All I wanted to do was veg out on the boat.  Just the thought of physical activity made me tired.  The days that wore me out the most were when I was in the office all day.  Now, I am on the road constantly and I am still wore out, but in another way.  My entire body is tired, tight, and achy.  I do a few stretches every morning to help wake everything up, but even that is not helping much.  It is time for a real day off, but not today.

For breakfast I had peanut butter crackers.  I should have had more, or at least stopped somewhere along the way.  I did mix up a gatorade, which helped.  Right before leaving some siren that sounded like a tornado warning went off.  I was hoping that it might lift me up and carry me to Kincaid.  Rather than getting back on Hwy 169 with the trucks and no shoulder I opted for the old highway.  It took me through a couple of small towns, but eventually led me to a gravel road. From there I got back on Hwy 169 for a short stretch before going east on another highway.  One with a little more shoulder and less traffic.  I wanted to stop somewhere to grab a snack, but Mike said was going to have pizza waiting!

The ride east was difficult with that wind from the south hitting me.  I kept thinking that I would run into Bryon on the highway and he would offer me a ride in.  Once I got cell service I saw that Bryon offered just that, but Mike shot him down (thanks Mike).  Heading north again and I have the wind with me.  Not as strong as yesterday, but any helps. 

Sag wagon Bryon

With only five or so miles left I hear a car trailing me.  I thought there might be something wrong with them so I wave them to pass.  When I look back it Bryon with is flashers on.  Him and the pizza were the only things keeping me going.  It was hot and I was out of juice, both energy and gatorade.  Bryon to the rescue, he hands me a cold water.  With only a quarter mile to go I see a bike pull onto the highway.  It was Mike, there to escort me in.  

The Pizza!

This is the pizza.  I know it was hard for Mike to order a pizza without meat and probably even harder to order one without cheese.  I appreciate that he risked his carnivore status for me.  When Carla, Mike’s wife, got home the meat pizzas and chicken wings were cooked.  After dinner and a few beers they wanted to visit their friends’ that were prettying goats to show at the fair the next day.  There is lot that goes into getting those goats ready to show.  Mike pitched in by rubbing one down with shaving cream or something similar.  We also got a tour of their farm and chance to meet all of the goats.  

Getting pretty

On the way home, a deer decided to tackle the truck.  This put a small damper on the rest of the night.  We spent the next couple of hours outside on the porch chatting.  The plan for the next day was for Mike and Bryon to ride their 5 lb carbon bikes with me up to Ottawa and then catch a ride back to his place and spend another night.  The closest donut place was 18 miles away so we would get up and ride their for breakfast.  Forty mile ride in the morning with donuts sounded pretty good.  

Post-ride look

At this point I’ve actually finished day 9, but am behind on my posts.  At the end of Day 7 I traveled 354 miles, averaging 10 miles over my predicted average.  According to my bike computer I have burned 17,700 Calories.  I still weigh the exact same as I started.  Those 50 cent, 400 Calorie pies must be keeping me good.  No cramps either.  I have had one flat and one mishap with a bolt coming loose on the rack.  On Day 7, I rode from Coffeeville to Chanute.  At the beginning of the day I was thinking about taking the day off staying in the barn.  Lack of food and people expecting me up the road got up and around.  

Hwy 169 from Coffeeville is a four lane divided highway with a 6 ft paved shoulder.  I was making good time with a 20-30 mph tailwind.  My legs were fresh after the good night sleep in the barn.  I had been craving pizza since I left from Arkansas.  I even told my mom to let the family in Chanute know that I will meet them at the pizza parlour.  This is the closest I could get to pizza though.  It’s a veggie meatball sub (minus meatballs) on a flatbread.   

From there I rode maybe 6 miles before spotting a rest stop.  I wasn’t tired but it looked like a good place to sit down and write.  After finishing a blog post I set out.  By this time it was HOT!  The wind was blowing harder, but it was like someone following me with a heat gun.  Eventually, that four lane divided highway turned into a two lane highway with gravel shoulders.  Here is an example of what you see traveling through Kansas.

All or most of the small county roads that I saw were this white gravel.  The farms were either soy bean or corn.  I was told later that I would break my teeth trying to eat that corn.  Not sweet corn, but feed corn.

About 15 miles out from Chanute the traffic started picking up.  Those that are leary about riding in traffic would have a hard time on this stretch.  The big trucks weren’t giving me any space.  Hot wind, hot sun, hot pavement, and hot exhaust made the last stretch brutal.  When I finally arrived at my cousins house I remember them commenting that I was looking rough, but two gatorades and an hour in the A/C brought me back to life.  

That night, more family members came over to visit.  After a shower, visiting, laundry, and dinner I was ready for bed.  That makes the third bed I have slept in while on the trip.  Three out of four nights is not bad.  Thanks for everything, especially the gatorade packets! These things get me through the harder miles. In the morning I am supposed to meet up with Bryon and his friend Mike in Kincaid, 40 miles northeast.

Seventy Miles!! The goal was to reach Coffeeville, KS for the night.  Goal accomplished with a detour.  After Aunt Tudy made me eggless, banana pancakes for breakfast and the road, I packed up and set out.  On Hwy 20 North I spotted my first cyclist.  I of course had to catch them.  That, was the detour that led to me riding 70 miles.  

Enter Tammy and Doyle (not pictured).  Once I caught up to Tammy she insisted that I visit their local bike shop and I’m glad I did.  Janice, the owner of Bike-About, had a collection of overseas tours under her belt.  After talking for a bit we went outside for this photo and found my front tire had a flat.  I must have picked up a piece of glass somewhere that day.  She fixed me up with a spare tire and kickstand.  The kickstand will need some work.  I tend to kick it when pedaling backwards.   Thanks guys.

I did not leave Chanute till after 11 and by then I was already getting hungry.  About 10 miles down the road was Will Rogers’ birthplace, the Iron Dog Ranch.  This place had A/C, cold water, bathrooms and a great view.  Perfect stop for lunch. 

Tractor Dafting

 I stayed on some of the county roads to avoid the 18-wheeler trafffic.  Instead I found tractor traffic.  This kid and his grandpa were super cool.  They slowed down to let me pass, but when I told them to keep going, they pushed the tractor up to speed and I got a nice draft for several miles.

Fried mushrooms and fries

At the next town, I stopped at the local library to rest and do some writing.  The ladies there suggested I stop by The Depot for dinner.  Above are french fries and fried mushrooms!  The mushrooms were too much for one setting so they were also my second dinner.  

With 20 miles to go on my 70 mile day I was feeling defeated.  It was hot, I ate too much, and I no longer had the wind at my back.  I was going to call it a day when my mom text me about some bike camping place in Coffeeville, KS.  I pictured a little cafe with A/C, showers, and eye-bolts inside to hang the hammocks.  I also invisioned meeting other touring cyclists, maybe even young female cyclists.

It was a disappointment, but a good place to stay.  All of the restrooms near the campsites were closed so i had to search the park for a bathroom.  I found a shower that sprayed scaulding hot water and the bathroom looked like it hadn’t been maintained over the years.  I jumped in and out quick because there were some sketchier looking people than myself hanging around outside.

Stock barn camping

Rather than spending the $8 for a piece of grass out in the open I chose the stock barn.  I have electricity running into the hammock and it was nice and cool under the shade.  Nobody bothered me all night, not event the insects.