Thursday, July 16, 2009

31: Get the Heck Into Dodge

Stoker's Log Day Thirty One

7/16/09

From Hutchinson, KS

To Dodge City, KS

139.3 miles!

14.6 avg mph

Anyone from PA recognize this symbol?

That's right, it's the Turkey Hill symbol, but on a store that is not a Turkey Hill. And this isn't the first time I've seen something like this out west. Apparently Turkey Hill is buying out other convenience stores but changing their symbols and not their names (or vice versa)? I'm not quite sure, but it means that I can drink delicious lemonade that tastes like home.

I literally don't remember anything of note happening until we reached the next gas station hours later, where we chatted with the very friendly cashier. Then it was back on US 50 again for a long stretch of nothing before our next chance to rest.

I hope you weren't expecting anything more exciting. This is Kansas, remember. The highest and (sadly) most interesting points on the landscape were grain elevators, so we used them to play the guess-the-distance-to-that-landmark game again. But we also had our eye on a much more important distance marker: the exact halfway point of our trip, or as near as we could estimate it based on our planned route to Oregon. Conveniently, this midpoint was right near a rest stop with shaded picnic benches. We celebrated with a happy dance (the video exists on a memory card somewhere, but I think it can stay there for now) and a very melted and messy Snickers bar.

Fittingly, our midpoint occurred just before Kinsley, a town equidistant from New York City and San Francisco known as Midway USA.

We didn't make it to the Sod Museum advertised there, but we did see some of Kinsley. We felt we had entered a ghost town, actually, since it was eerily empty and silent for late afternoon. We suspected that everyone was at the fair that was advertised all over, but we were never able to find it. The only business that seemed to be open was the town's only grocery store, which had about six short aisles. Inside, the cashiers and customers were discussing the craziest things they'd ever done, so Kyle shared our current insane endeavor while he picked up apples and bagels for our afternoon snack. Meanwhile, I was outside talking to a man who grew up riding a bicycle everywhere but who hadn't been able to ride one since he lost his leg in a horrible motorcycle accident. I told him about all of the alternative bikes I'd seen that might work for him, and about the racers who pedal faster with their arms than I can with my legs. Hopefully he can find himself a bicycle and rediscover the joy of riding without an engine.

We had considered staying the night in Kinsley, but it was still fairly early, the wind was with us, and the outside of the only motel in town had absolutely nothing to draw us in. It was an easy decision to ride onward. Soon we passed a windmill farm, and hoped it was a sign that the winds in the area were strong and steady and would continue to help us.

With an anxious eye on the storms brewing to the south, we decided to push the whole way to Dodge City, an incredible feat even with the wind to our backs. I was highly motivated, however, by the promise of a La Quinta hotel room, in fact I sang rhyming odes to La Quinta most of the way there. We made it to the hotel around sunset, even though we were forced to detour around an extensive construction project. I couldn't believe the odometer: before this trip I had never ridden more than 80 miles in a day, and today we were just shy of 140.

The universe seemed eager to reward our efforts. When we asked the woman at the front desk for a first floor room so that we wouldn't have to carry the bicycle upstairs, she informed us that the only first floor room available was an executive suite... and that she would be happy to upgrade us to it for free! For the price of a standard King room we got one with much more size and swankiness (and an extra flat screen TV, just in case). More happy dances ensued.

The outside of the La Quinta, complete with a relaxing fountain, was nice as well.

Though I wasn't so sure about the Suicide Suite on the highest floor. (I only kid, La Quinta. You know I adore you, even with your dangerous doors to nowhere.)

Next to the hotel was a family restaurant with a wild west theme (what else?) where we had heaping plates of reasonably good pasta. Tomorrow morning we'll get to see the rest of famous Dodge City, or as much as we can take in quickly and for free. Yee Haw.

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