We enjoyed having some time off, but we were ready to get back on the trail. We headed out of Wichita in the morning, with little traffic and we even got to ride on a city bike path for a few miles.
Pretty soon, we were out of the city and on those back country roads we have become so familiar with. We also were thrilled to be riding at speeds we had not been able to ride in for quite some time, thanks to the beautifully flat terrain of Kansas!
We stopped into a gas station in a small community called Arvada to pick up some snacks (it actually had a salad bar too! more than the usual fried fare here!) and after heading out, a group of about 5 or 6 boys, around 12 or 13 years old were riding their bikes along with us, asking about our trip. When we told them how far we had come and where we were headed to, one of them said "holy crap!" It made us laugh as we rode along. They soon had to turn around to head back to town.
Not long after that, the rain started and we decided to stop in the town of Mount Hope to let the rain blow over. After the rain slowed down, I went into city hall to use their restroom and was greeted by Officer Wayne and Leslie. Before long, I was telling them all about our trip and the Looking Out Foundation. Erica started to get worried about me since I was there for quite a while. Leslie, the Assistant City Clerk, also writes for the local paper and did a quick interview with me about our trip and took a photo of Erica and I. So, check out the Mount Hope newspaper next week! These friendly folks also gave Erica and I some directions to get to our destination that would keep us off the busier roads in the area. I was so moved by their kindness...it's a cool thing to meet folks like this who are willing to take the time to help you. Also, while in city hall, a young man came in and asked if anyone had called about his missing brown chicken...ahhh, small town America!
We got on the road, following the directions that we had been given and were having a blast on quiet, flat, Kansas roads. Then, torrential rain hit us again. This time, it completely soaked us and all we could do was laugh. We seem to have some magical rain ability to make rain appear as if from nowhere. We decided to call it a day when we got to Hutchinson. We may have been soaked, but we managed to get in about 60 miles. Nothing like torrential rain to welcome us back to the trail! But we didn't mind, because after all, we weren't struggling up mountains for the first time in a long time!
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