Move your mouse over the map above - you should see an open hand. Place the hand anywhere on the map and double click the left mouse button. You will zoom in and center on that point. You can do this again and again. An alternative is to use the "plus", "minus", and "arrows" in the upper left of the map.
Day 29: {now south of "V"}
JULY 3: Emporia, Kans. to McPherson, Kans. 87 miles via U.S. Routes 50 and 56 and Kansas Route 150. Average speed today, 13.7 mph. Total trip mileage to date, 1,850 miles.
As you can see from the speed, this was an easy day. Cool weather, flat terrain (the Kansas hills finally gave out), little wind and empty highways. We clocked 57 miles before lunch, enjoyed at a German café in Hillsboro, Kans. Got hit by a few drops of rain in the final hour of riding, but nothing serious.
Amid the corn and bean fields of Kansas came one surprise – at least to us – a scattering of dinky oil wells. Drove the dirt road up to one just off Highway 56 and, sure enough, an engine was putt-putting along while the well contributed its few gallons to the petroleum guzzling monster that is the U.S.
Do the few wells here have anything to do with the fact that gas prices in rural Kansas are hovering in the mid-$3.70s? I doubt it.
A screw on my rear bike rack gave out on the way into McPherson and had to ride into the center of town to get a replacement at Ace Hardware. Now that’s the kind of repair I can handle.
Actually saw a movie – “Wall-E” – in town last night. Not only was the film good, but the audience at McPherson’s small theater was more vocal and expressive than
Confession: After 85-plus miles on the bike, we actually took an $8, 2-mile cab ride to the theater. But we walked back.
