That’s the cemetery and environs at Old Highway 13 and the Welcome Road, north of Alta Vista, where I stopped to rest during the noon hour Sunday.
I overdid it my first day out, riding over eleven hours, so I underdid it on Day 2, pedaling just seven hours or so, which got me from Olsburg, through busy Manhattan, and to Council Grove, where my trusty bike and I spent the night at the beautiful and historic downtown Cottage House.
This little guy and a couple of his companions spent the night under my rain fly on my tent hooks. They considered coming with me, but I convinced them to stay with their friends in Olsburg.Booth Creek Road—a fine gravel way to start the day.
I think that’s Tuttle Creek Lake, the big reservoir dammed up on the Big Blue River north of Manhattan, as seen from the really big hill I had to climb out of the Booth Creek valley.I thought Kansas was supposed to be the flattest state in America. How’d I find all these hills?
I planned to take gravel and dirt roads whenever possible, but the river country limited the direct routes I wanted to take south, and one shortcut I was hoping to take, across the Konza Prairie, turned out to be restricted access. So I took some pavement. Sunday traffic was light, and it was nice to get my bike up to highway speed on that nice smooth asphalt. My seat also appreciated the rest from the gravel grinder.
Keep pedaling…“Lucky people!” I say that a lot as a find these houses out in the country, waking up every day to things I’m seeing for just a moment.The Cottage House, Council Grove. It’s always better to stay downtown, and at places with porches.Porch Pepper—get that blood sugar back up!Monday I’m taking the Flint Hills Trail east. Apparently this is what awaits.
