Day 20 - 996 miles away from home.

Waking up in the auger herd of Larry Hadachek's so many acre farm (above: view of beautiful kansas morning sky from bed) we sluggishly move towards getting back to the road. Luke and Sam being the last one's up in this hot humid morning, Nick already having munched an early before breakfast snack still jumps on the opportunity to cook a yet even larger breakfast for the trio. After our fill and a packing of the bikes the trio decides it's time for a change of masks. With all our beards becoming unruly and rattish it's decided we all are taking the next 1,000 miles mustached. We are becoming quite close friends.

Still taking our time we move on finally around the eleven o'clock hour. After Sam gets his pedal up to functionality, with a little extra grease and some hope the pedal will last until Denver, we set sail with only 55 miles until our 1,000 mile mark. Rolling on into hunger we find the noon sun almost unbearable (98 deg. F). Setting anchor down in Belleville and hitting up a food mart we have our fill and glut then it's off to the closest shade tree and a nap ensues for two. Nick goes for a stroll around the Sunday town, Sam and I release ourselves to the microscopic wild. With little help from the Sycamore tree the sun's heat permeates through and sweat is what blankets the afternoon nappers. Upon Nicks return, the heat unbearable, and store clerks curious glares the heat is fended off by our food marts industrial A/C. Deciding heat is heat and the sun is not going to go away anytime soon, so we continue on west. (not before posing with our newly carved lip dressings. below)

Passing our first feedlot, the smell unbearable, and the depravity of the situation almost instantly turns me into a vegetarian but alas on such a trip as this one a vegetarian may perish in the meat and wheat belt. We did come up across a quaint little vegetable stand with multiple green houses and fresh fruits and veggies. Without hesitation we stop and partake in purchasing the fresh goods only to wait and see Sam's unrelenting ability to speak to so many people we are treated to extra squash and tomatoes. Hanging around for just a bit and a bite, we continue on.

Hoping to break 1,000 miles today but only having an opportunity to postpone this goal we find a nice place in Mankato, an un-passable deal, and settle for a cumulative 994 miles.

We stop on the east side of Mankato at an RV park run by Paul Fay and his wife, a nice little batch of land right off of 36. They offer us a room and shower for only 12$. Not all the way up to 1,000 miles but with such a good deal on our hands and only a few miles from 1,000 we worry about making such a grand benchmark for another day.

Miles: 45

Morale: vehement vigor

Thanks to the RV park owners for such great deal on sleeping in the linen storage cabin and access to the shower house.