Early wake to a 3:00 a.m. alarm, but didn't get up until 3:41. Packed tent in the lit gazebo with no skeeters thankfully. I was startled by a HUGE spider under the handrail 6 inches from the light switch so I moved very carefully around it. Left at 4:57 am. Gorgeous morning ride to Newton, desolate, sunrise amazing, hills mild, and just an easy and pleasant 40 miles by 10 am. Breakfast at a Mexican taqueria with a chorizo egg burrito and ceviche for me, and a yummy veggie bowl for Vanesa. More easy riding 10 miles to Hesston with a lovely tailwind, continued to Buchner another 20
for lunch, arriving at 1:15 with 70 miles already done. The weather has been awesome all day, with winds and temperatures favorably allowing us to hammer out miles on this mostly flat terrain. Savored yummy sandwiches, pecan/caramel cookie, Mexican cokes, and decaf coffee while we waited out a small rainstorm at the Mustard Seed cafe in Buhler before heading to Nickerson 21 miles. Ended day in Nickerson park tent camping, super gross public shower with no soap, no paper, and no hooks to hang clothes/bags so we used the handicapped bathroom rail to hold our towels and clothes; we didn’t want to touch anything but the lever to turn on the shower! Heard of a big storm coming tonight, and some people even stopped to chat with us and told us we may need to take shelter in a local church if it got bad...but the winds died down before bed and the phone app weather reports on each of our phones now say there will not even BE any rain tonight or for the next 10 days. It’s gonna get HOT soon and tomorrow is our last decent day at 86 high before the 90’s and maybe 100 degree weather comes in for four days after that. We have only 55ish miles to ride tomorrow to get MY NEW TIRES in Great Bend, KS!!! FINALLY no more Walmart tires!! And the company Rene Herse Cycles agreed that my tires were a rare defective pair and they warrantied them, refunding the our purchase price and shipping of the replacement pair I bought!