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Trans-Am Five - 5.5 - Langley to LaCrosse, Kansas: Warmshowers Got Nothin' On These Guys

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  5.5 - Monday July 12, 2021, 81 miles - Total so far: 319 miles "When I hit those white lines, I'm gonna be gone like a Greyhound down the road." -- Kansas, "Down the Road" Monday, Monday... Even if you like your job and what you do for a living, it's always good to be anticipating pedaling down the road on a Monday morning rather than anticipating going to work! Kanapolis State Park was a good stop for us.  Clean, quiet, good showers, and a nice campsite.  We packed up, made and ate breakfast, then headed out.  This would be the longest mileage day yet.  It was going to be sunny and warm, so an early start was essential.  We were riding by 0730 hours. A view from along K-4, in the early morning hours, near Geneseo, Kansas. Another view from along K-4, in the early morning hours, near Geneseo, Kansas. K-4 continued, much as it had done since we got on it yesterday morning.  There was not much traffic to speak of, perhaps a few more trucks than on Sund...
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Trans-Am Five - 5.4 - Herington to Langley, Kansas: Kanapolis Cottonwoods

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 5.4 - Sunday July 11, 2021, 70 miles; Total so far: 238 miles Chuck and I had gone out for a bit on the previous evening, so we felt the change in the air that was occurring.  A breeze out of the Northwest was bringing cooler air and some clouds to the area.  By morning, it was cooler, overcast, and it looked like it might rain.  Since we had a longer day ahead, another early start was in order.  The hotel was on US-77, the road we needed to use for a couple of miles to get onto K-4 (Kansas Route 4) where we would spend most of the day. Since it was Sunday morning, the traffic was light.  Our early start was peaceful and allowed us to get a good jump on the distance for the day.  By the time we reached the small town of Hope, about 8 miles after turning onto K-4, a slight drizzle had developed.  The guys stopped under some cover but the rain wasn't bothering me, so I continued on in my zone, putting several miles of wet blacktop under my wheels. ...
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Trans-Am Five - 5.3 - Admire to Herrington, Kansas

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 5.3 - Saturday July 10, 2021, 49 miles - Total so far: 168 miles "Everybody talks about the Santa Fe Trail.  They know it was an important part of history.  But only 1% can find it on a map or knows about it in person."  --  Dennis Latta (writer for various New Mexico newspapers). My best or REM sleep comes in the early hours right before I wake up in the morning.  So, after a rather unsettled night of weather, in the form of a good old fashioned Kansas thunderstorm, I had finally settled into a good snooze when a truly irritating sound jolted me awake.  At first, I thought it was a person mimicking a really bad version of a bird call.  The sound was repeated over and over until going back to sleep was no longer an option.  The "voice" even became hoarse at one point, so I was convinced it was a park neighbor intent on driving us campers out.  However, the sound turned out to be the call of the Eurasian Collared Dove. It would follow me...
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