Aug 30
DAY 33
Today turned out to be a short day.Left Torrington headed east on 26 into a stiff cold wind. The threat of rain is in the air. 8 miles to the Nebraska line there is a small store there. At mile 15 is Morrill (all services) stopped for breakfast and warmth. At 22 miles is Mitchell,ask a guy if there is a place to stay in town and he said he thinks there is a motel on the southern part of town,so may have all services.Scottsbluff is at 32 miles and has all services.The road from Torrington to Mitchell is flat but with the wind mays as well be climbing hills the whole way. There is a steady 3 mile easy,(if calm) climb out of Mitchell then flattens to Scotts Bluff. About 4 miles from town I develope a slow leak rear tire.Pump it up and is good for about 1 1/2 miles.Will call it a day at Scottsbluff. Broke another spoke removed it and will go on minus the spoke, (guess I should carry a couple) till I can get it fixed, being a holiday weekend can not hang around even if there is a bike shop here.
Aug 31
DAY 34
Scottsbluff to Bridgeport 39 miles, another short day!! The road is flat for the 9 miles to Minatare which has all services. Downtown Bayard is at mile 22 and has services also though most of the town is shut down this being Sunday. Spoted today at Bridgeport which has all services. Woke up early to get a quick start for a possible 99 mile ride to Lewellen,yeah right,look outside and it was raining cats.Waited for it to stop as I watched the radar of the rain storm move north east.Got started a little after 8 and chased the rain to Minatare, where I gave it a chance to move on a little futher. Stopped once again in Bayard and my plan was working ,one dry dog. the ride today was once again with a head wind though only around 10 mph. The road was mainly flat with a couple small hills to Bayard. From Bayard to Bridgeport there is a gradual rise with 2 hills you can actually see over a 7 mile strech from Chimney Rock to Bridgeport. The ride today was past corn and sugar beet fields to pasture and grassland. At Bridgeport was told there are no places to stay between there and Lewellen,heard that before. Well I need to do laundry anyway so this is the place for today.
Sept 1
DAY 35
Towns along todays route from Bridgeport to Lewellen are
Broadwater mile 15- Has a small store
Lisco mile 30- grain elevator and small store
Oshkosh mile 45- Camping, cafe,store,and motel
Lewellen mile 59- motel and bar & grill in town,campground,cafe and store 1/2 mile east of town.
The road today is flat and a gradual up (more miles of up than flat) and after about 3 miles from Bridggeport the scenery changes from corn fields to high plains grasslands till Lisco and then there is a mix.The wind today did not start till around 1030 and came from the south so was more annoying then a hinderance.The town of Lewellen is shut down stopped at motel and no one was there, a note in the office says to "sign the guest book will be back". So you sign by the room you want, 6 to choose from, the doors to the empty rooms are unlocked and the key is in the room, so you pick the one you want. Went in search of supplies and stopped at Bar & Grill, sign says open, door is locked. As I am getting ready to leave the door opens and the owner greets me by asking what I need. Tell him was hoping to get at least a cold drink, he informs me that they are closed today for cleaning but invites me in and hooks the Dog up with a cold drink and tells me there is a café and store a half mile down the road. Definition of cleaning in Lewellen, Ne. = card game.
Sept 2
DAY 36
From Lewellen to North Platte 83 miles, you pass through
Ogallala at mile 32 -All services
Roscoe at mile 40 - nothing here
Paxton at mile 52 - store,café,and motel 1 mile south toward I-80
Sutherland at mile 65- all services
Hershey at mile 72- nothing on Rt. 30 downtown across the tracks,sign for bar and grill on Rt.30
Two mile east of Lewellen you begin a gradual climb for the next 5 miles capped with a moderate ¾ mile climb after the sod house.The next 17 miles or so is semi rolling, around 3 small hills over that distants. When you come down off the top at 28 miles you turn right to Ogallala and go up a small hill and down to Route 30 East and the promised FLATLAND all the way to North Platte. Had hope to get to North Platte by 4 so I could get to the bike shop, brke another spoke to go with the one from couple days ago. Thought for sure I could make it until I stopped at Sutherland and noticed that I had crossed into the Central Time Zone and lost a hour, dam now I will have to wait around in the morning. Bike shop is 2 miles south of 30 on Jeffers street, which is also 83 south to I-80. Found bike shop at 5:25,closes at 5:30. Told the guy it was still only 4:30 by my start time, he didn't go for it. But gave me a phone number of person that works from their home and does pick up and delivery. Bike is back seems broken spoke problem caused by cracks and splits in the wheel, new wheel. For mobile bike service within 70 miles of North Platte you can call 308-650-1033 ask for Patty.
Sept 3
DAY 37
Route 30 East North Platte to Lexington 62 miles from Jeffers Street you pass through the towns of
Maxwell at mile 14- has a small store
Brady at mile 23- store and bar
Gothenburg at mile 36-all services motel at I-80 ramps
Willow Island at mile 43- grain elevators
Cozad at mile 49- all services
Darr at mile 54-grain elevator
Leaving from North Platte the road is straight and kind of flat. There are 3 versions of flat, they are flat slight upgrade, flat, and flat slight downgrade. Today was mostly flat upgrade with the wind that has returned blowing from the ? EAST of course. Makes for a long day and there was not much to see besides cornfields and hay fields.
Sept 4
DAY 38
Lexington to Grand Island 80 miles, the towns on todays route are
Overton at 11 miles- store and café
Elm Creek at 20 miles-store and café
Odessa at 26 miles- small bar & grill with limited hours
Kearney at 36 miles- college town nuff said
Gibbon at 49 miles-all services most at I-80 ramps
Shelton at 55 miles stores and café
Wood River at 63 miles - stores and café , motel and campground 4 miles south at I-80
Alda at 71 miles-store and café
You get to Grand Island city limit at mile 74 but it is still a couple miles to town.Take old route 30 and make first right across the tracks and turn left to Route 283/34. Go south about a mile and left at light on east 34, services about 2 miles.Today was flat for the most part and nothing but corn,corn,and more corn then I have ever seen. And that is all except my escape from a little mutt that chased after me outside of Shelton. The Hitdog was able to outrun this mangy curr before the time came to give it a blast. I miss the cows they are much friendlier to the Hitdog
Sept 5
DAY 39
Grand Island to York 48 miles Route 34 east.Today passed through
Aurora at mile 18- All Services
Hampton at mile 25- Store and cafe
Bradshaw at mile33- small store at garage as you come into town
Today the wind is suppose to return.The ride from Grand Island to York is mostly flat upgrade with some rolling small hills,more hill then rolling. At 41 miles you come to York. Here Route 34 goes to the left and Route 81 goes south into town,there are a couple motels and a campground on east 34 but nowhere to eat.The promised wind begins to pick up so with another 30 miles to next town I elect to stop at York. Riding south into town to find a place to stay near a place to eat have to travel 4 miles to I-80. Nothing much to see today but more and more corn
Sept 6
DAY 40
York to Lincoln 62 miles + 4 from where I stayed. Towns of
Waco at mile 8-has a bar & grill that opens at 10
Utica at mile 14 - has a store
Seward at mile 28- has all services
The ride to day starts out flat to flat up till Seward and then you leave the corn and come to the rolling hills of the east into Lincoln (2% to 3%). As you enter Lincoln stay on 34/180. When you get into down town Lincoln 34 turns left, continue straight on what becomes south 9th street and turns into Route 2 east. Traffic becomes heavy here and there is no shoulder. As you leave Lincoln there is a no bikes sign use bike path. Bike path is on the opposite side of road. Stay on path till it ends at red light at Nebraska Highway (rt.2). The last place to stay for next 28 miles I am told is the Hampton Inn. Turn left at next light on rt. 2 and then left at light. Today was not to bad of a day the wind began to blow around 11 but was from south and once again was more annoying than a hindrance.
Sept 7
DAY 41
Lincoln to Iowa 50 miles of rolling hills on route 2 east past the towns of
Palmyra at 14 miles- store and RV park (no facilities)
Unadilla at 20 miles- small store
Syracuse at 27 miles - all services
Dunbar at 35 miles- just some houses
Nebraska City is at 44 mile but services are around 46 miles on east 2. Was going to stop here as the next town with for sure services is around 31 miles from here, but a friendly billboard says services at junction of I-29 , 3 miles ahead in Iowa. Today the road wore me down or should I say UP!! 40 miles of up and down is enough for me, so I will stop at 50 miles and plot a course through
IOWA
