Scott City, KS to Bazine, KS-68 miles
By John de Figueiredo
As the sun rose over Kansas, we departed Scott City heading east on Highway 96. Yesterday's headwind had turned to a 10-14 mph crosswind, giving the Crew few places to hide and draft while riding.
Morning spin class. The crew rolls out across Kansas at dawn in the big ring.
Unfazed they continued to progress through eastern Kansas chatting about Scoobies, the wind in Wyoming, and chocolate milk.
If one looks out across the Kansas plains, looking down the seemingly infinite straight roads of this area, your eye will meet the horizon. And then you will look up and see the beautiful evolving sky. Clouds whisk across the blue basin, transforming from wisps of white to fluffy cotton to threatening gray masses. The sunlight bounces off these clouds, creating a prism of colors, which is only more beautiful at sunrise.
The crew arrived in Ness in time for lunch, feasting at La Dos de Oros, what Trip Advisor described as the best restaurant in the town. We thought about stopping in Ness, but we pressed ahead to a bed and breakfast in Bazine, 12 miles down the road.
Dinner with Elaine at the Bicycle Oasis.
The Bed and Breakfast was Elaine's Bicycle Oasis. Elaine is a delightful woman who allowed us to camp in her yard, shower, and dine in homemade taco salad and freshly picked Kansas corn. As the only place to stay in this 35 mile stretch, it was truly a relaxing oasis in Kansas.
As I spend time with each of the boys over these two weeks, I thought I would spend each day describing some of the slightly serious and more humorous actions of each of these remarkable young men.
Andrew de Figueiredo
Andrew is a very powerful rider--frequently pulling ahead of the pack and having to be told to slow down. When I asked him about the hills he said, "Oh, we see them but we don't really notice them when riding. They don't really affect us."
However, what most of the crew finds intriguing about Andrew is his wealth of knowledge of botany, entomology, and forestry. Today he discussed the details of his growing catnip at home--prompting the crew to speculate its effect on humans if made into a tea. In Tribune, KS, Andrew caught a black widow spider that is now being housed in an empty sour cream and onion Pringles container (hence the spider's name Socro -- short for sour cream and onion) and is being transported across the U.S. in water cage #2 of Andrew's bicycle.
Disclaimer: Andrew is my son.
Tomorrow: Sam...