Hospitality and Lost Horizons

The rolling hills of Iowa present paradoxes. Up, down, up, down, up, down, up down, ad infinitum. Each slow climb is equaled by a speedy descent downward to another steep climb and so on. Yesterday, September 10th, our traveleers encountered this vigorous terrain. They got a late start and had some setbacks, closed roads, washed out bridges and the lack of information hindered their journey and they put in a mere 37 miles by 7PM. It was getting dark with no place to rest. As they rode through Ellston, Iowa, an angel who was tending her garden saw them rolling past and inquired “hey, where ya going?” to which Leah replied, “Maine!” The lady retorted “No, I mean where you going tonight?” To which they revealed their plans to put in another fifteen miles in the dark to a possible campground up the road. “Why don’t you stay with us?” She querried. Pretty much spent and overjoyed at the prospect of a shower, a warm bed, and good company, they agreed without hesitation.

Donna, Kevin and Grandma (who is 95 years old) Greenland (picture enclosed) are kind, generous and hospitable folks and Obama supporters to boot. Leah and Chuck had a splendid time, chatting it up with the Greenlands. Donna (who is a surgical Nurse) and quite energetic prepared superb fillet minions from cattle they had raised on their farm and set out a fabulous spread. In the morning she served a fine breakfast too and Leah picked the most delicious pears from the orchard. C and L had a wonderful time and were completely overwhelmed by the openheartedness of these wonderful people.

So today, energized by their new friend's hospitality they put in another 65 miles to Rathbun Lake and were planning to hit the local steakhouse for dinner (picture enclosed as I just received it as I'm writing this). No setbacks today except a spoke on Chuck’s bike broke. (mmm sounds poetic doesn’t it? – spoke, bike, Chuck, broke). Anyway he did a temporary repair and will get it fixed in Muscatine Iowa a few days up the road.

Chuck also said that they rode through a the middle of fabulous anachronism called Greenfield Iowa, which has wide streets and giant 19th century houses with lawns the size of a golf courses.  

Chuck had an epiphany about this phase of the trip which he shared with me so here it is: A powerful underlying logic is what dictates the length of travel on a particular day. Iowa has dozens of small towns dispersed at unknown distances throughout the hill country. The roads are an unknown of which few in any given town have knowledge nor do they know what lies more than a few miles up ahead in any direction. Is there food? Are there campsites? Is there another town? Is there roadwork going on? Are the bridges washed out from last years flood? Although they have the physical capability of putting in many additional miles, it is the lack information that limits these possibilities and apparently in rural Iowa gathering information at the local pub, the restaurant or wherever requires a bit of probing in that these little villages are usually pretty isolated. As farmers, the people here live their lives in contact with the earth and are open hearted and generous and perhaps what lies up the road really isn’t of much interest. When you live in Shangra La why should it be?

People, Crickets and Road Kill

Leah and Chuck spent their first night in Iowa in a state park after a long slog in the rain. Next morning they headed East but to their consternation discovered that the Iowa highway system is not particularly welcoming to bicyclists as the roads have unridable gravel shoulders forcing them into the narrow two-lane thoroughfare  with trucks speeding by at 90 MPH. "Drat!" they exclaimed (plus other expletives I'm sure) and made the decision to take unmarked country back roads. Chuck said these roads are wonderful, nobody on em except the very occasional farmer driving a tractor at 10 MPH. Only problem is that no one seems to know how to find these roads so they ask several folks directions, and everyone has a different opinion. But sooner or later they find themselves on the right track and every thing be cool.

It was raining when they hit Coin, Iowa and they were greeted at the gates of this fair berg by Rick, general caretaker and cool dude who practically runs the town (picture enclosed).

Rick directed them to the local campsite and the Coin Bar and Grill where the folks are friendly and the beer is cold. Mike the bar tender and the other patrons took a keen interest in their adventure and they spent the evening in the company of kindred spirits. 

Next AM they awoke to Rick's strong coffee and cinnamon rolls. Wow! what service! Rick's a real mensch! He's got three kids and lives in this peaceful little town of 250 and does a lot to keep the town ship-shape. 

They got a late start because they had to dry their tents and gear but made it 55 miles to Lenox-population a thousand or so. Leah said all the folks in Iowa are quite tall and Iowa is home to several billion crickets whose sound is a constant - day and night. Also she said a surprising number of  a raccoons and possum has been converted to road-kill, Iowa's second biggest export (my comment) .  The country-side is green and the rolling hills are beautiful if not challenging.

Chuck said that they are winging it right now and their route is an invention until they reach Eastern Iowa when they are back on the great northern Trans-American route again.  Leah says that every day is exciting and different and she never knows what to expect.

-Stevie Roman

Crossing Into Iowa

Leah and Chuck were headed for Aurora, Nebraska on Friday night and they made the 60 miles in a driving rain which luckily cleared by the time they arrived and they were able to set up camp in relative dryness. Then, yesterday they pulled a 70 mile day, clear to Lincoln where they were wined and dined by Leah's cousins Jim and Anneta. They are a wonderful couple who live in Scribner, a bit north east of Lincoln.  Actually Leah and Chuck stayed at Jim's friends Mary and Jerry and they had a splendid time with a fine dinner being served and great conversation (mostly politics I suppose as that, of course is the general topic of discussion these days)  and comfy warm beds being graciously provided.  In the AM Jim and Anetta picked em up and took em to breakfast at the local IHOP. Leah said that the whole time spent with these fine folks was fabulous! So today (Sunday) they pulled another 60 and made it to a State Park about 12 miles into Iowa. Our traveleers rack up yet another state. That makes seven which everybody knows is a lucky number.

The days are getting shorter and cooler and they are rolling out of bed and getting on the road a bit earlier. In Iowa, the corn is as high as an elephant's eye as, I'm sure are Leah and Chuck. 

Stevie Roman 

Things are Copacetic

Leah called a little while ago and it looks as though our wishes were answered.  I asked that today they have an easier time then yesterday which was a @#$%^&* day with flats, broken racks, bent handle bars and head winds. Leah said it was smooth sailing all the way to Karney a clean 65 miles- blue sky, and no wind. They are staying with Leah's cousin, Doug and things are copacetic. They had a delicious spaghetti dinner and nice digs and it looks like they'll have a great nights sleep for a change. She saw John McCains uninspired acceptance speech and commented on how lackluster it was. Not much more to report in that our conversation was brief. More on this tomorrow. Here's a pic they sent of a covered wagon that some pioneers no doubt abandoned when they got confused and couldn't figure out which direction they were traveling. 

A @#$%^&*!!! day.

Chuck and Leah were staying at a park in North Platte Nebraska sacking out after putting in 55 miles on the road. At 2AM, the sprinklers came on and squirted through the open windows of Chucks tent. "#@$%^&*!!!!  and a fusillade of other obscenities, we can hear him shouting into the night as the sprinkler makes another pass. He managed to close the window but he's a bit damp anyway and the sprinkler's sound kept them both awake for a while, so they ended up oversleeping and didn't rise until 9AM. Drowsy eyed from fitful sleep, Leah looked at her bike and realized that she had yet another flat caused by a ^&% $%#@ thistle so it wasn't until 10:30 that they changed the tube, oiled their chains and got on the road. They stopped at a local dive for breakfast which consumed another @#$^%& hour and a half. 

10 miles down Route 30, pedaling furiously Chuck takes a $%^(*@ spill. Fortunately he walks away uninjured if not a little humiliated and covered with #$%^&**& thistles. Apparently the front fender broke loose and jammed his wheel. A few makeshift repairs with bubble gum and rubber bands and they're back in business. 25 miles down the road in a heavy head-wind they take a break at a roadside cafe. They notice that Chuck's rack has lost a bolt and needs to be reattached. More % @$%^& time wasted. In another few miles Chuck spills again *(&^%&$#@!!!!!!!  This time his handle bars were too loose and dropped. Will this #$^&%$@ day ever end?   Well it does actually, in Gothenberg Nebraska 40, miles from the starting point. Chuck pitches his tent and realizes that he's lost a X*&%())&% tent peg. He manages to replace it somehow and they head to the Rundazzle Cafe to drown their frustrations in pie. Leah surmised when we spoke tonight that they got through this $%^&$@ day by laughing throughout it all. Tomorrow they're heading on a 6% downhill 100 mile run to Karney, Nebraska with blue skys, a tail wind and two solid bikes, - in our dreams -SR

Carbo Orgy

Leah and Chuck spent the first night of September in Oglala Nebraska. They had put in a 65 mile day and set up their tents in a campground and put a few articles of clothing around the campsite to air out. Then they  headed for the all-you-can-eat pasta joint to load up on linguine, rigatoni, spaghetti and lasagna et al.. After le gran repas  carbo orgy, they headed out to the street to ride their bikes back to the campground, about a half mile down the road when they were overwhelmed by a le gran downpour. Naturally they got drenched, especially Leah as she neglected to bring her rain gear to the restaurant. Well, they made it back to camp and everything was a bit soggy but they managed to climb into the tents and hit the hay. Next morning they awoke to a cloudless blue sky. Leah said this was the first experience they had with rain since July 15th when they began their trip except for a few minor drizzles in Montana- rather remarkable, methinks and hopefully the whether will hold all the way to Maine. 

Tonight, as the candidate running for fuhrer of the United States, John McCain and his running mate, soon-to-be unwed grandmother, book burner, creationism theorist and gun-toting beauty queen, Sarah Palin exchange platitudes with their delusional fellow Republicans  in Minneapolis, Leah and Chuck are in Cody Park in North Platte Nebraska, no doubt a Republican stronghold. Leah said the people here are very interested in their adventure, also very conservative and very nice. Imagine that!

-Stevie Roman 

I got this picture today. I think its a picture of the Nebraska state line but it's so tiny because it was taken with a cell phone that it is difficult to decipher.

-SR