Day 38: Some Heavy Rains

Picture: Morning breakfast.

As usual it was tough waking up at 5AM after having a comfortable bed to yourself. Breakfast this morning was sponsored by the Rosells which included quiche, fruit, and cookies! The roads this morning were a little wet and it looked as though we would have some overcast weather to start the day. Today we traveled from Wichita, KS to Emporia, KS which would add up to 110 miles at the end of the day. A few guys including myself had flats in the morning which seems unavoidable when the roads are wet and you’re biking on the shoulder of unkempt roads. The rain held off until mile 40 when we biked right into a downpour. The rain was so thick that it was getting tough to see ahead, this was heaviest rain of the trip and everyone was drenched. We were having a blast riding through the 20 minute storm as everyone started singing a little Journey – “Don’t Stop Believing.”

Picture: Right before the downpour.

It was a nice change of pace when we took a right off the interstate and went to down a very country road. We rode through a small abandoned town and a bunch of corn fields on this cracked and sloped road. It’s fun being on these roads sometimes because you feel like you’re the only people out there. Shortly after being on the unbeaten path we stopped for lunch at a sponsored restaurant in the tiny town in Cottonwood Falls. I don’t recall the name of the place we ate but it sure was good, I had a pork burger with a salad and huge potato fries.

Picture: Cameron and I about to indulge on a great lunch.

Getting back on the bike after that was a little challenging, I was so full and my legs were tight but by then we only had 20 miles to go so the ride wasn’t too bad. We rolled into Emporia where we stayed at a community recreation center. The people in Emporia that sponsored us from the Kiwanis Club were exceptionally nice. While eating dinner they had a masseuse come in and give ten minute massages which was not nearly long enough but felt great all the same.

That evening we went as a team to see The Dark Night, the new Batman movie that just came out. It was a great movie I highly recommend it if you love action movies or superheroes!

Picture: Kiwanas Club