Monday, July 3rd, 2023
Chanute, KS -> Eureka, KS.
62.10 miles. 1122 ft elevation gain.
Hello Y'all. The ride between Chanute and Eureka was quite pleasant. I've been appreciating Kansas' flat terrain compared to Virginia's mountainous region. However, one downside with the route being flat is that we are more susceptible to wind and since we are going east to west, it's a head wind most of the time, which is a bummer. Fortunately, even with a head wind, we still arrive to the end destination early in the day, which gives us a lot of time to do non-biking related activities. Below are some things I have been up to with the extra time!
Growing up in Southern California and driving a gas guzzler of an SUV ($7/gallon during Covid once), I often get shocked hearing the prices of gas in other states. As a result, when passing by gas stations, I often take a picture of the prices to send back to my parents. This was the cheapest gas I've seen so far!
Since high school, I loved making and building stuff with my hands such as woodworking and ceramics. However, since I don't have access to such tools and machinery on the road, I decided to pick up crocheting! For my first project (ever), I made a scarf. I chose to make a scarf because it was essentially a long rectangle of the same repeating pattern. This allowed me to focus a lot on my technique and hand movements. This scarf took my roughly 8 hours, and I only used a single crochet and double crochet stitches.
To be energized and fueled on the bike, it is important to make sure you get enough nutrients in! In Kansas, I recently discovered the ice cream shop, Braum's Ice Cream & Dairy Store and fortunately, they always seem to be on the exact route we ride on. For only $2.09, I was able to get the large soft serve cone. I'm still shocked at the sheer size of it, especially since in Boston, getting the mini size from any ice cream store is already around $5.00.
After a long bike ride, it is important to rest up! So the next few pictures are of me doing exactly that. This is me at the doorstep of a church waiting for lunch to arrive.
During a 5-mile section of the route, there was a highway that we had to cross, but bikes weren't allowed on (as cars were zooming 80 miles per hour), so we had to shuttle. As I was waiting for the car to pick me up, I decided to take a nap. Don't worry, this was in a parking lot, so I wasn't in any danger (besides when the van shuttling me turned in... oops).
This is me during the shuttle. You can see the route 66 sign I was sleeping next to in the left corner.
Sometimes the ride can be bumpy and I bump my head against the window or seat. To mitigate the impact that I feel, I wear my bike helmet for shock absorption. Safety first I guess?
Comments