Photo Potpourri

 My personal touch

 Preparing to leave McPherson, KS

 Shadow picture.

 Tom had problems with bugs at this rest stop.

 Abby. Lyons, KS

 Clock Tower on the Rice County Courthouse in Lyons, KS

 Cross monument somewhere between Lyons, KS and Ellinwood, KS

 Kansas wildflowers.

Between Lyons, KS and Ellinwood, KS

Antique Store in Pawnee Rock. We liked the bike out front but we like ours better!

High Plains area in Kansas

Left to Right
Ann Sell, Mary Lynne Simer, Rachel Wallace, Kathy Burkholder,
Judy Craig, Clay Burkholder,
Sue Goldsby, Robert Craig, Susan Weaver, Tom Weaver,
Ellen Merriman, Abby Weaver,
Mary Kate Weaver, Jane Leeper and Christy Cate

Don't Cry Because It's Over, Smile Because It Happened

Part II
Day 13
Liberal, KS to Hooker, OK
20 miles

The title of this blog is a quote from Dr. Seuss, and I thought it was fitting for this day. What a journey this has been! 

We started with a hearty breakfast at Hampton Inn. I love eating waffles, and the only time I eat them is when we are traveling and I'm burning lots of calories. We left the parking lot approximately 8:30 a.m. It was a beautiful morning with not much wind, and what wind we had was at our backs. It was only about 4 miles until we left Kansas and entered Oklahoma. Of course we had to stop and take a picture.

We arrived in Hooker right at our planned time of 10 a.m. There was a small crowd gathered at the cemetery to cheer us in. It was really hard not to cry as we pedaled in, knowing that it was over. I am so thankful for my husband who didn't think I was crazy when I suggested this journey and who worked with me to make it happen. I am also thankful that my sister, Susan, and her husband Tom shared this experience with us. I really appreciate our support team who provided shade when there wasn't any, who brought us water when we ran out, who came out to us with our pump when we had a flat tire, who notified us of road hazards or construction so we wouldn't be caught unaware, who got up early each morning so we wouldn't have to ride after lunch in this extreme heat, and who did so much more for us. You made our job so much easier!

I don't know if I can adequately explain what it felt like to retrace my great-great grandfather's journey. It was very surreal at times. Especially when our journey paralleled their journey. I feel very honored to have had a glimpse of my relative's lives through the manuscript written by Sophronia Cousins and can only hope that some day a grandchild of mine will enjoy my blog about our journey as much.

 Releasing balloons to celebrate our ride

Clay and I at my grandparent's grave at the Hooker Cemetery

Land Of Oz

Part II
Day 12
Plains, KS to Liberal, KS
25 miles

Because we rode so many miles yesterday it made today's ride really short. We had a very brisk wind at our backs. It was very enjoyable and we averaged almost 21 miles per hour. That even included a  steep incline after crossing the Cimarron River. We had a flat tire 2 miles after starting out this morning, so that was a bummer. It was on the front tire this time. The wind was so strong, several times while standing there while Clay was changing the tire, I lost my balance because of how hard the wind was blowing! Tom and Susan decided to take a rest day so it was just Clay and I this morning.

You can see how hard the wind was blowing by looking at Rachel's hair.

In 1912 when Charles Cousins was coming into Liberal, the Cimarron River was a wide and swiftly moving river that they had to cross. Some places the water was only knee deep but at other places it was waist deep. Today there was not a drop of water in it!

Cimarron River

We are expecting several relatives to arrive in Liberal today. They are planning to welcome us in Hooker, Oklahoma tomorrow when we finish. I can't believe our journey is almost over.

Liberal is the official hometown of Dorothy Gale from the Wizard of Oz. 

Rachel and the Tin Man.

Drifting Along With The Tumbling Tumbleweeds

Part II
Day 11
Dodge City, KS to Plains, KS
60 miles

We started our day early. Had breakfast at 6 a.m. with road construction workers, Harley riders, and rodeo cowboys. An outsider looking in would have thought us a strange group! We pedaled out of the hotel parking lot at 7 a.m. When we left Dodge City it was 71F, and Clay and I were actually cold. We even had goosebumps!

Our planned route today was to stop in Meade, Kansas, which was 45 miles away. We were really making good time this morning. I think we were pedaling fast to try to warm up. When we stopped at our 20 mile break, it was about the time we are usually getting started. This was a great morale booster. Susan said it has been the best day for her.

We always get strange looks from the cows and horses as we pedal by.

When we took a break at Fowler, Kansas, this morning we heard a train coming. We realized that it was going West, the same as us, so we quickly hopped on our bikes so we could draft him. It was so much fun. We got up to 24 miles per hour. We also got 2 encouraging whistle blows from trains today along with some car honks!

When we got to Meade, we found a Historical Museum. We decided to go in and see if they had anything about our relatives when they came through. We were disappointed that we didn't find any information, but it was a nice museum. The lady there was very helpful! Since it was still before lunch and we were making such good time, we decided to continue on. We ended up stopping in Plains, Kansas, at the 60 mile mark for us. It was Tom and Susan's longest ride to date and also the longest mileage we have done in a day on this trip. Way to go Tom and Susan!!

Susan needing to be helped in after bicycling 60 miles.

Some tumbleweed bushes along our route today.

Seeing all the tumbleweeds today reminded me of something in the manuscript that you might find interesting. Sophronia writes "From farmer's wives we learned how to cook tumbleweeds which grew abundantly along the road side. Tumbleweeds, when picked small before the prickly thorn develops, were delicious! Maude, Rita and I picked baskets full of the weeds as we walked along the road." I never knew that tumbleweeds could be eaten!

This afternoon we went to the Liberal Cemetery and found Harry and Lucy Cousins' gravesite. They were my great grandparents and they were 2 of the 13 that traveled in the 1911 caravan.

Yee Haw, We're In Dodge City Ya'll

Part II
Day 10
Kinsley, KS to Dodge City, KS
39 miles

What a GREAT day we had. Had a delicious breakfast at Tucked Inn B & B and then headed out. We left about 8:30 a.m. with a North wind at our backs. Not much elevation and more cloud cover so we were all in good moods. Tom and Susan are really stepping up. We were going longer distances today before having to stop for a rest. And, they made it all the way into Dodge City!! Their first full day of riding.

 Went through an area of wind turbines before arriving in Dodge City.

Today we went through the town of Offerle, KS. This is where our relatives went through a really bad storm. They called it a tornado in the manuscript but we can't find any official records of it being an actual tornado. It blew their wagon over and damaged it. They ended up having to stay in Offerle while the wagon was repaired. They helped build a new grainery and they also ended up staying on someone's farm for a month while the owners went to California to visit a daughter. As we were cycling along today and passing farms, I wondered if we were passing the one they stayed at. The picture below was taken after the storm on the overturned wagon. Thankfully, our weather today was fantastic. As we were coming in to Dodge City the temperature was 93F and it was 11:30 a.m.

We spent the afternoon looking around Dodge City. Went to the visitor's center, took a tour of the Mueller-Schmidt House, which is known as the "Home of Stone", and went to an antique shop. Hoping to get a good night's sleep and start out early tomorrow.

It's Not Nice To Fool Mother Nature

Part II
Day 9
Great Bend, KS to Kinsley, KS
45 miles

We had a great plan for our ride today. We decided that since the wind was going to be out of the South and Southwest we would get up early, drive to Kinsley, KS and bicycle this day in the opposite direction. That way the elevation would be slightly downhill and the wind at our backs. Well, mother nature did not cooperate! The wind never switched directions and stayed out of the North and Northeast. So we had to cycle into the wind today. Susan wore 2 bike shorts today for more padding and we also adjusted her bicycle seat. Both of these things seemed to help her. Tom and Susan cycled 34 miles today, they almost made it the whole day. If we had had the wind at our backs, I bet they would have been able finish the day with us.

 You can see how the wind was blowing today.

 Tom and Susan with the Garfield, KS grain elevators in the background.

Tonight we are staying in Tucked Inn B & B in Kinsley, KS. Kinsley is known as Mid-way USA because it is 1561 miles from New York and 1561 miles from San Francisco. We went to the Sod House Museum and the Carnival Heritage Museum. Kinsley is a very interesting town!

A bicycle at the Sod House Museum. The sign on the bike says: Old time bicycle owned by the late Frank Spring, Jr., which he rode from New York to Kinsley all the way (1881-1955). He came to Kinsley at the age of 19 yrs. (Original Tires).

Carnival Side from the Museum in Kinsley

Tomorrow we are headed to Dodge City where Dodge City Days are going on right now. Should be very exciting!!

Hot Mama

Part II
Day 8
Lyons, KS to Great Bend, KS
33 miles

We got up early again this morning to beat the heat and we were surprised to find that it was raining.  So our early start ended up not being so early. We left around 8:15 a.m. just after it stopped raining. The skies were still overcast so it was very pleasant. It didn't take very long before it became really hot. My black biking shorts felt like they were on fire! Since Clay and I rode extra miles yesterday it made today a short biking day. This stretch of road today was very friendly. We got the most honks (the good kind) today that we have received since starting a week ago. Tom and Susan almost made it the whole way today but the heat, wind and uncomfortable bike seats made it just too unbearable. They stopped at 25 miles. They are doing great considering they haven't had their tandem very long.

 "Bob" the dog kept us company at one of our rest stops. We named him Bob after the dog our 1911 relatives lost in this area.

 Resting in Ellinwood, KS under a shade tree.

Clay and I pushing into the wind.

It was in the triple digits again today as we arrived in Great Bend. The first thing I wanted to do was take a cool shower and bring my body temperature back down to normal. At a gas station today, they had something in a jar at the register and it was labeled "Hot Mama". I don't know what it was but that is how I felt!

Tomorrow our route turns to the SW and we will stay in this direction until we reach the end of our trek in Hooker, OK. The wind has been blowing from this direction so we are expecting to be battling the wind for the rest of our trip. This will make our days harder! We are thinking we should have started in Hooker and retraced their journey backwards. Too late now.