Day 22: Primitive Bugs Bites

Sleepin on skids in the greenhouse was rough. Bunches of bugs kept flyin around in our faces, we were all a little on edge, and lights were too bright from the parking lot. Oh well, at least it got us up early! (Nick and Luke pictured above, drowsily pulling themselves together). We truged over to the diner across the street and stared tiredly at each other for a good hour. Sam and Luke ate, but Nick was set on going back to the gas station cafe for his breakfast (Nick and Luke lost in tired thought over some coffee) .


Coffee was good and this Diner has a slew of coffee options! (as you can see by the picture below)

We made it back to the school board building and got our stuff together. The rest of the staff came in before we left and coldly stared us down (except for Barbara, she was kind). We didn't mind, the men dressed in cheap white collared shirts and ill fitting black slacks. They didn't come close to intimidating we spandexed three (Sam and Luke pictured below, dressed in their best finery for sitting at the School Board Conference table).


Enough fooling around, we were getting annoyed with Smith Center so we took off (Nick and Luke photoed below).


We made it up to Phillipsburg, KS for lunch. Sam and Luke went to a diner (they were drawn in by the Saw-Zaw being auctioned off by the cash register, pictured below) while Nick ran uptown to wash his clothes and eat 1/2 a half chicken from the supermarket. The heat was pretty bad, so we hung out at the library for a bit, and after a bit of discussion decided that we should make it a 100 mile day.


The riding was great after Phillipsburg. The trees finally disappeared and we felt like we were in the plains! Honestly, it was the first time we felt like we were out of the midwest the entire trip. The landscape was hilly and the high plains were full of cows, pasture land, abandoned houses and gorgeous rock outcroppings.

Old abandoned house and windmill

Pretty red barn

Fair Warning

Well, 100 miles didn't quite work out. We only made it 96 before a convenient park that offered primitive camping near Oberlin, KS lured us in. We pitched our tent and made dinner amidst swarms of mosquitoes (Nick and Luke pictured below at the primitive camp site). It was the first time we really regretted having not packed bug spray as the mosquitoes ravaged our supple skin. Night rolled around soon after dinner and we crashed into deep unconsciousness as we hit our sleeping pads...

Miles: 96

Morale: ass kickin-bug bitten

No storms, no flats, hordes of mosquitos