A very long & sometimes difficult ride due to 20 - 30 mph winds from the south-southeast. I departed my impromptu hosts' house in Salina around 8:30am, but then stopped at a coffee shop a mile down the road. Some locals invited me to join their table and were keen to ask me about my journey. After an hour or more I finally started pedaling again. The wind was already blowing fiercely. The first section was 22 miles into a side wind plus rolling hills. I put my music on and just pedaled at whatever speed felt sustainable. Eventually the road turned to the north and I enjoyed 6 miles of a strong tailwind assisting me. It is so fun to ride with a strong wind pushing me. I stopped at a Chinese buffet in Abilene, KS for lunch. I got my money's worth too! Then it was back into the sun & wind. I stopped here and there briefly to get off the bike and eat a snack or stretch. I walked on an old railroad bridge that spanned a river. Google maps routed me through a military base. Unfortunately I didn't have a D.O.D. ID to show the military personnel at the check point, so I had to turn around and re-route myself around the base. That added some time to my ride. The road that I chose seemed like a highway surface road, running parallel to I-70. But the pavement eventually ended and turned to a gravel road. I rode the gravel for about a mile to where the road curved and passed under Hwy 18. There was no entrance for entering the highway at that spot so I pushed my bike up the embankment and started pedaling the last twelve miles on the highway's shoulder. Just after sunset I noticed a large bird flying along the tree line next to the highway. I looked closer and saw that it was an owl. It was awesome to see it in flight! I finally rolled up to my WS hosts' B&B around 8:30pm. Another consecutive long day of riding. The owners, Phil & Dawn were very welcoming and quickly showed me a very comfortable setup on their large screened porch. And I showered in a deluxe outdoor shower off the back of the house. Man, I got it good! :)