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with Bill |
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JULY 3 SUNNY, SCENIC "CENTURY" TO TOPEKAToday Kansas put its best impression on our memories of crossing the state by providing a warm sunny day and tranquil countryside scenery as we travelled 108 miles to Topeka ("The Capital City Of Kansas"). The ride was mainly a series of rolling hills - endlessly undulating - for most of the day. We call it "ribbon candy." The total accumulated climb was 2800 ft---on a CENTURY day---, but we did have those speedy downhills as well. Vern and Brantley (our AbB mechanics) were out riding with us today. They organized a group to sprint for a distance of 2 telephone poles, then recover for 1, repetedly---again, this on a CENTURY day. We must be getting stronger.
We saw the greenest pasture land imaginable. Magnificent horses and the stockiest beef cattle grazed behind fences near the road. It was not "postcard Colorado" scenery, but it was rich, green American farmland that was a pleasure to ride through.
Again we rode through small towns (Enterprise, Woodbine, Dwight) with almost deserted streets. We stopped in White City, KS for a SAG stop in the city park--complete with a gazebo. One could imagine a Norman Rockwell painting of this park on a Saturday evening in the summer. The high school band would be playing in the gazebo, while town folks would be picnicing on blankets on the grass. Pure middle America!
We stoppped in Eskridge at Auntie Mae's diner for a cheeseburger, and again in Dover at the Country Store for pie. AbB arranges every year for the "pie lady" to make special pies for our gang. Any 108 mile day will be long and tiring, but today's ride was "as good as a century gets."
We are staying on the outskirts of Topeka, a city of 125,000 people, near the border of Missouri. We had seen virtually nothing of the city or its citizens--until route rap. There we learned something about the compassion of Topeka. I had previously lost or misplaced my American Cancer Society (and Audubon Cares) biking jersey and was upset about losing it. Some of my fellow biking friends knew about the loss. I was not aware that my friend "Big Dawg" from Alaska tried to get me a replacement shirt by contacting ACS in Colorado Springs and Topeka. Due to his efforts, they read this website, learned of my ride to raise funds and decided to help. A representative from the Topeka ACS came to today's route rap, was introduced by "Big Dawg", and presented me with several shirts with American Cancer Society logos to replace the one I lost. I was speechless. Little acts of kindness.... - Bill
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