Day 33 Eureka KS to Pittsburgh KS – 117 miles

Today was quite pleasant – the landscape is greener and more roly poly, getting us geared up for the hills of Southern Missouri tomorrow (yay – outta Kansas!) And the temperature, though hot (94 degrees) was bearable with a light breeze. Finally a day with little headwind! A great riding day.

About a week ago it was suggested by a group of westbound cyclists that instead of using bear spray to ward off attacking dogs, whistles were a better choice, especially in the wind! Brad and Sue very kindly purchased one for each of us which we’ve been diligently wearing around our neck. Today we both got to try them out on 3 dogs running straight for us and they worked like a charm! Who’d have thunk?

Saw some fun prairie art……

Unusual shutter style

We’re all profoundly saddened by the economic health of 95% of the towns we’ve ridden through. Some are so small there’s no commercial/retail base and the homes are falling into decay. The towns that do have a retail presence seem to be dying or in varying states of decay. The aging resident population doesn’t help. There seems to be little investment in real estate on all levels. It’s really quite sad because some of these towns could be quaint and vibrant if given the chance.

Facts and figures:

Tomorrow we say goodbye to Kansas and hello to Missouri – our 8th out of 11 states. We’ve cycled 2,410 miles or 61% of our anticipated total. If all goes according to plan, we’ve got 23 more days of cycling, with the toughest, steepest climbs ahead of us. We’ve taken our bikes in for tuneups 3 times, have had 4 flat tires (Mark) and I’ve had 3 broken head pieces on my bike (major design flaw). We’ve walked away from one hotel, losing our night’s rate but avoiding who knows what sort of “creatures”. That was in Eureka, where we decided to high-tail it to a Holiday Inn in Wichita for a rest day – good decision! We’ve gone through GALLONS of water, eaten 3 meals a day with Mark consuming at least 6000 calories a day and still losing about 10 lbs. Tonight we are below 1,000 feet elevation for the first time since Walla Walla on Day 7.

It’s been a wonderful roller coaster!