Day 23 – Cross Country Bike Tour – Great Bend to Salina, KS

Day 23 – Cross Country Bike Tour – Great Bend to Salina, KS

79 miles, +1651/-2287

Directly across the road from the sign

Directly across the road from the sign

An almost magical route on this cross country bike ride.  Wide shoulders to begin with.  Very little traffic all the way.  Two great rest-stop locations. Very nice people stopping to talk with us.

Sign on the edge of many acres of wetlands

Sign on the edge of many acres of wetlands

We paused at the Cheyenne Bottoms Wildlife Area to watch the riders breeze by effortlessly.  It is a beautiful area.  Very green with wetlands, the sounds of the birds and bugs are like music.

Our first Feed Zone this morning was by a combination gas station, store, car wash and repair shop. Of course, being Sunday morning, it was closed.

Hpwie relaxing after 27 miles

Howie relaxing after 27 miles

We set up on the side with a nice lawn area.  Perfect!  A man on his way to church stopped to tell us about the tandem he just bought for his kids and grand kids.

Our next stop just happened to be the end-point for a 4-day ride with about 175 cyclists. What a great group they were! The little town of Brookville had a nice park, and the Sandstone Saloon where Mike, the owner, was grilling in the back smelled wonderful. Many of the riders came from other states for the event.

Sandstone Saloon

Bikes in front of the Sandstone Saloon

The road and the scenery are unique in this area of the country.  The hills roll along seemingly without effort like bands of ribbon blowing in the breeze, and the fields and fences line them like pieces of a beautiful quilt.

Relaxing is a good word to describe today.  Relaxing and happy.  What a great way to enjoy a cross country bike tour.

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