Sunday, September 11, 2011

Day 30: Cottonwood Falls to Ottawa

Bike Stats:
Distance - 78 mi
Avg Speed - 13 mph
Climbed - 1830 ft
Temps - 57 to 107 F

It was a quiet, pleasant Sunday morning to be out biking. It's my favorite day to bike because the traffic is so light, and drivers are less frantic. I spent all day on US 50, and Old US 50; my old friend "The Loneliest Road," as it's known in Nevada. Old US 50 has been bypassed by an Interstate Hwy, so it now gets very little use. There are no shoulders and no services, but hardly any traffic. I'm happy with that trade-off.
I carried enough food and water to last the day; and Angela came by at about the halfway point to provide a cold can of Ginger Ale, and some words of encouragement. We're getting close to the finish now. It's hard to believe tomorrow's my last day.
I had another flat tire to fix this evening at the motel. I found a little tiny sliver of wire had worked it's way through the tread of the front tire and into the tube. It took good lighting, patience and a good pair of tweezers to find and remove the sliver. Otherwise, it would've continued to puncture any new tube or patch. That brings the flat count up to 4 for the trip.



1920's vintage Skelly Gas Station near Lebo on Old Hwy 50. The owner only opens for 3 hrs every Sunday morning so he can catch up with his friends who stop by.
This old contraption would've had a bucket of soapy water on the platform, with a chamois in it, and the attendant would run the chamois through the wringers and then clean your windshield. The cast iron base has Coca-Cola advertising on it. I've never seen one of these before.
This is another old style gas station building, falling apart on Old US 50 near Waverly.
These cattle get to graze in an old apple orchard.
A view of the Prairie Spirit Bike Trail in Ottawa. It's a "Rails-to-Trails" project.
Franklin County Courthouse in Ottawa, circa 1880's.
Log Cabin built by early immigrants, circa 1859.
"Buffalo Woman" bronze statue in front of Courthouse.
Restored old theater in Ottawa. Almost every small town I've been to is featuring "Planet of the Apes."

2 comments:

  1. You're in the home stretch now! Woohoo!! We are all cheering you on and can't wait to hear you are home safely. How nice for Angela to join you, too. I'm sure that had to be an emotional and glorious reunion after all these weeks. Have a great day and can't wait to hear about your homecoming! XO Heidi

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  2. Hey, my mother's maiden name is Skelly! Where's my petrolium royalties? I'd settle for a small gov oil subsidy? Thanks for the mid-west famioy connection.

    -Dave

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