6/22- Clay Center, Kansas. 40 miles. The ride was really easy, we got to lunch at about 9 and were done with the ride by 11. The main street in Clay Center was Crawford St. We stopped and got frosties from wendy's on the way in, some people went to the zoo. I spent my afternoon working on mid trip evals for our leaders. After dinner I wasn't feeling very well so I turned in at about 7:30 and just went to sleep [on a couch!]
6/23- Beloit, Kansas. 56 miles. I took the day very slow, I still wasn't feeling very good. I got to have some good one-on-one time with Will P which passed the time really well. Beloit is a really cute town. You would never know it was there if you didn't know where to look though. We came in on 36 and turned on this random road and the town was down that road. You can't see it from the highway. We went downtown to this place called the Soda Fountain and all had milkshakes. Then rode down to the pool and enjoyed some sun, a diving board, and a climbing wall in the water. We showered and went back to the host to relax, nap, eat, etc. We had pizza for dinner and then most of the group went and saw Toy Story 3. My grandpa was driving from Denver to Philly to help my uncle move and was close to Beloit while we were there so he stopped in to say hello. It was really really good to see him. I wish he could have stayed longer. Everyone in my group that met him said he was the coolest grandpa they had ever met. That night I got to watch Amelie with a couple of the girls. Its one of my favorite movies, if you haven't seen it you should!
6/24- Phillipsburg, Kansas. 79 miles. We passed through the geographic center of the country today and also got to see the worlds largest ball of twine [I was expecting it to be bigger]. I have been really surprised by Kansas and how beautiful it is. I was expecting it to be flat and windy and so far it really hasn't been either of those things. There have been a good amount of hills and the scenery is beautiful, lots of wheat fields, and corn, and barns. I am really enjoying it. We ate at a little dinner called the Chubby Pickle for our after the ride meal. Lindsay introduced us to corn balls, which is just deep fried creamed corn. They were pretty good. I got my mint green grip tape today! It is wonderful.
6/25- Oberlin, Kansas. 69 miles. Today was one of the more difficult days, everyone was struggling. There was just a really big headwind. You feel like you are working really hard but not moving very fast. We got to lunch around 9:45 and there was a dairy queen across the street that didn't open until 11. A few of us decided to nap and wait until it opened. That was not a good idea at all. After napping and having ice cream no one wanted to ride. Plus, it got really hot. I did sleep really well when we got to the church though.
6/26- St. Francis, Kansas. 69 miles. The headwinds have started to get pretty bad. I made it to lunch and had to decide to ride in the van the rest of the day. I am having some really bad chaffing and the only way to let it heal, besides lots of diaper rash creams, is to not ride. Being in the van is not fun at all. I am on this trip to ride my bike and not being able to because of an injury is really frustrating. We got to St. Francis and went down to a little restaurant/bowling alley to watch the US/Ghana game. It was really sad to see the US lose, especially because they had so many chances to score. Brit and I went to a thrift store where you paid 3 dollars for an 18 gallon trash bag and could have as much clothing as you could fit in the bag. We got our outfits for the Bike and Build prom that is happening in the mountains. The bowling alley let us bowl for free that night.
6/27- Akron, COLORADO!! 89 miles. Today was the highlight of this trip so far. At about mile 20 we got to the state sign. First there was a sign that said "Leaving Kansas, come again!" so we all took pictures by that. Everyone was ecstatic to be leaving Kansas. The wind had been so bad we were just ready to be done with it. The state sign for Colorado is the best one we have seen so far. It was a little overwhelming to see it and know that I had ridden my bike from the Atlantic Coast to Colorado. To top it all off, Jen asked me to be her date to prom at the base of the sign with a bouquet of wheat. I am a lucky girl. The minute we crossed over the border, our ride changed. The wind stopped, we even had a tailwind for a while. Everyone was in high spirits to be out of Kansas and were all squinting at the horizon to try and catch a glimpse of the Rockies. There is something about this state that just warms my soul and makes me feel at home. I am so glad to be back.
[watching a beautiful sunset]
6/28- Denver, Colorado! 105 miles. I had a really hard time sleeping I was so excited. I was up at 4 ready to go. I tossed and turned until the alarm went off at 5. One of our leaders, Sharif, gave a speech like we were going into battle to get us all excited and pumped for the day, it was awesome. The ride was really really tough. The wind was incredibly strong. It got to the point where all I could do was laugh. I would ride as hard as I could and only be going 11 mph. I had to stop after first lunch. I need to be smart and let myself heal so that I can be healthy for the Rockies. Again being in the van is not fun at all. We got to second lunch, around mile 75, and I called Ryan and he said he would come pick me up. Ryan, Ian, Katie and Maggie came and picked me up. We rode into Denver on the same route everyone was biking in on. It was torture not biking. They got to go down some of the really pretty streets. I want to do that ride in August when I get back. I got to have a homemade meal with my family. It is so good to be here. This city has a really special place in my heart. Tomorrow we are doing a fundraiser where we are going to raise 10,000 dollars in one day for affordable housing. I cannot wait to ride in the Rockies.
