06/15/00 Concordia, Ks to Marysville, KS

As usual, people started getting around before 5 a.m.  Since I couldn’t sleep and didn’t want to get a late start, I got up and started packing as well.  Mark and I loaded our baggage into the truck and left the school at 6:00 a.m.  We rode back into town to a QT, bought juice and something to eat and had a light breakfast.  There were several of the locals in there eating also so we visited with them.  People we talk to in situations like that really seem to be interested in what we are doing.  It was going to be another beautiful start for a day of riding.  The was no wind, level road and cool temperatures with the sun coming up about 6:30 a.m.- ditto from the other days.  Rode through several small towns finally stopping for more breakfast in Clyde.  Mark got something to drink (probably Dr. Pepper) and fritos while I went for something more traditional for this time of day.  I had OJ, a cinnamon roll and a DRY ham, egg and cheese sandwich – I don’t think it was anywhere near fresh cooked!  The bread part kept crumbling onto the table, but it still had a good taste.  Left there about 7:00 a.m. and started pedaling again.

Over the last several days I began to notice my legs were starting to rebel against stopping and starting again.  They would feel really sore for several miles until they got used to the rhythm  of pedaling again.  Today was no exception – they hurt!  I wasn’t the only one with this complaint – others were talking about the same feeling in their legs.

When we rode through Clifton we saw the strangest flea market I have ever seen.  It was arranged like an old town with 5-6 small old-looking buildings place along either side of a psuedo main street.  Inside each one were shelves with almost anything imaginable.  Outside, along the highway, they were handing out popsicles to those who wanted one.
After leaving Clifton and the old west flea market we arrived in Waterville some 2 hours later.  As we were riding to a QT to get something to drink and eat I noticed a highway sign was covered with another sign announcing a potato bar and ice cream served in the community center downtown.  Mark and I decided rather than stop at the QT we would ride on down the street a few blocks and see what they had.  We must have been some of the earliest arrivals, as it appeared that they weren’t quite ready for business yet.  Shortly after we arrived more people started to come in and soon there were quite a few bikes parked around the front of the building.  Mark had ice cream while I only had a restroom stop.  We also visited the local museum which was housed in an old railroad depot.  We took a few pictures and were once again on our way.

When we got to Blue Rapids I remembered my brother-in-law Roger Salmans', brother lived there.  He works for the Kansas Dept of Wildlife and seeing a sign which pointed into the downtown area to the Wildlife offices, we headed that direction.  We rode all around the city circle and took a side street looking for it, but never did. From Blue Rapids we turned north and made for Marysville, following highway 77.  North of town at the highway junction of 77 and 9 we stopped at a SAG stop.  My get up and go was gone and didn’t have the energy to keep up the pace with Mark for the final 10 miles, so we parted company.  There was a good tailwind, but also long hills.  A few miles south of Marysville an exceptionally long hill made for some fast coasting which, at this point on the ride I appreciated.

As I was coming into town I fell victim to Marysville’s oldest problem - train traffic.  Marysville is at the junction of  2 large railroads with more than 50 trains going thru town every day.  Someone remarked you could never say that you would see them in 10 minutes if it involved crossing one of the railroad crossings on the south or west sides of town.  As the end of the train came into view, I was surprised and a little perturbed to hear the sound of another train, starting to cross from the opposite direction.  Oh well, I enjoy watching trains so watch them I did as first one train then another….  Finally the second train finished crossing and I hurriedly rode across the tracks.

Arriving at the high school Mark had found a location at the top of the bleachers - sounds familiar.  It didn’t seem like a bad location -  being underneath a window.  There wasn’t really any good location in the gym area - it was so warm with no breeze to speak of.  We walked into town to find someplace to eat ending up at the Corral Café.  Both of us ordered hamburgers.  Mark with only cheese on his and mine with everything except onions.  They were slow in arriving, but tasted good when they did arrive.  After eating we walked down the tracks looking at the railroad scenery.  Since a sphagetti supper was being held at a local church for the BAK riders I decided that a second supper sounded good.  Mark opted out so I again walked uptown.  Sphagetti seems to be the staple of cyclists since almost every “feed” has some form of pasta, most frequently sphagetti.  While there, Dave came in got his plate and sat down with me.

Finishing my second supper of the day Dave and I took a walk ending up at the old red brick courthouse now a museum.  This was quite an impressive building towering over the town.  I looked around for a while, then went back to the school to call Pamela and get ready for tomorrow.  Tomorrow was the big day when all three routes would come together at Hiawatha.  The next BAK meeting would be a big one held at the town square in Hiawatha with some 800 riders in attendance.  This has been quite a week - very tiring, exhaustion to the extremes, fun, funny, informative and inspiring enough to want to do it again next year!  The one thing that I would like to change about this ride if I do it again next year would be to have some friends or relatives.  I enjoyed going solo to experience it this way, but would like to share the experience with others.