Nebraska

May 22, '03 - Crawford to Alliance

Up and on the road at 7 a.m. By myself for the rest of Nebraska, as Gere is going to explore a different part of Huskerland. He had committed to the ride through Yellowstone and had stayed one big state longer. We may hook up in Iowa.

I was blessed with beautiful weather today. The cowboy in Harrison, NE yesterday told us that all wind was manufactured in Casper, WY and it is best to know the shipping schedule of the wind factory before you travel anywhere. Well, they must have been shipping wind to Alliance during my ride. It was at my back much of the day, and I arrived in Alliance before noon. The first part of the ride was a wonderful climb into the Sand Hills. Then after Hemmingford, NE (home of the world's catchiest slogan..."Home of the Country Fair"...bet they worked hours on that one), it flattened out all the way to Alliance. This Nebraska city of 9,000 is home to a huge terminal for the Burlington Northern Sante Fe, so for the third straight night, we had trains rumbling by all night. I did run into an espresso stand in downtown Alliance, so I latte'd up for the first time since Montana. Are lattes against the law in Wyoming? Greg Schaefer and I played golf at the Sky View Country Club. Located next to the Alliance Airport, this is a flat course that appeared to be quite easy. It killed us. All of the rough is crabgrass. You hit it in there and it is gone. However, we found as many as we lost, but the course creamed us. Miles today 64. Total miles 1731.

May 23, '03 - Alliance to Whitten

Another glorious day in Nebraska. The Sand Hills are incredible. And thank you, thank you to all the former Nebraskans living in Grand Junction who told me to take State Highway 2 across the state. I left Alliance in a mist at 6:45 a.m. Two miles out of town, a rider was approaching out of the mist. He crossed the road and told me his name was Sergey and he was from Estonia. Sergey was riding to Mt. Rushmore. He had been riding since leaving LaGuardia Airport. Talk about self confidence...he doesn't speak the language that well and he starts out by riding Long Island. I really admire his "get out there and do it" philosophy. I don't know that I have that kind of courage to pedal my way around Europe alone with barely a command of English, let alone any native toungue. Sergey said he had ridden around the world and wrote down his web site address for me. But since I had real problems reading Sergey, I won't even attempt the web site.

Highway 2 is lined with wetlands for almost 40 miles. The wildlife was incredible. Birds of every description and hue. Several deer were in the marshes. But I will also say the Sand Hills have the biggest damn rattlesnakes I've ever seen (not that I've seen more than one or two outside a zoo). The snakes evidentally crawl out on the pavement for the warmth. Then they get squished. Highway 2 has a large, almost eight foot shoulder. The thing I forgot was that the snakes on the shoulder haven't been squished yet, since that isn't where the cars and trucks drive. Rattlesnakes do not like being scared by bicycles...they jump. But they don't jump near as high as the guy riding the bicycle. I thought I was going into cardiac arrest. I stopped in Whitten, NE and then rode another 25 miles with Greg Schaefer to Mullen, NE. We heard there was a golf course there. Whitten has 20 inhabitants, and actually, there were two courses in Mullen. Once was designed by Ben Crenshaw and has Warren Buffet and Bill Gates as members and was written up in Sports Illustrated. I know this will shock you, but we played the other one, which was really fun. You pull up to the club house, a mobile home, and the sign says, "Voluntary Contribution to Play". They suggest $10 for nine holes or $15 for all day. The greens were in good shape and they had fashioned a fair nine hole course on the sand hills. A member, who was repairing a sprinkler, told us they played on prairie grass for 25 years, but then the other course gave them the grass they needed and helped them with their greens. We really enjoyed the Mullen Country Club. Tomorrow Greg will take me back to Whitten where I will pick up where I left off and head for Halsey, NE. Greg will be heading home, so Bob the trailer will become part of my entourage. Miles today 74. Total miles 1805.

May 25, '03 - Whitten to Halsey

Another beautiful day in Nebraska. At 7:30 this morning I said so long to Greg Schaefer, as he headed back to Grand Junction to spend at least some of the holiday weekend with his family. I can't tell you how much I appreciated his company, and Sal's delicious culinary artistry, this past week. Rolling out of Whitten this morning (it's in Grant County "The greatest cow county in the world and that's no bull"), it was a 25 mile ride to Mullen, "The biggest little town in Hooker County" which while not the most creative slogan, sure beats "The biggest little Hooker in Town County". I had breakfast at Big Red's Bar and Cafe in Mullen. He didn't say, but I assumed it was Big Red cooking. This is a holiday weekend and from being in business for myself, I know that on holiday weekends, the employees play and the owners work. If it was Red he was big, although he was no taller than yours truly...5'8". A sign in the bar and cafe said "Never trust a skinny cook" and if that is true Red is the most trusted cook in Hooker County.

I'm always being told I don't pay attention. So, I have a new winner of the dick maynard "Not Paying Attention Award". I asked the waitress at Red's how far out of town the time changed. She said she didn't know, but somewhere before Halsey. Halsey was 45 miles away. The time change came three miles out of Mullen. Helloo!

Between Mullen and Seneca, the only scenery of note was the sign saying "You are entering the Central Time Zone". Since this is the third time zone of the trip, I'm hoping it means I'm halfway, but I doubt it. After Seneca, the scenery was markedly improved. I don't know the official end of the Sand Hills, but it must be coming up as I see more and more farms of the type you see in the Eastern part of the state and the humidity is on the increase as I move East. Moving East was easy today. If you believe the cowboy's story that all wind is manufactured somewhere near Casper, they were sending a shipment to Nebraska today, as a gentle breeze was at my back most of the day. Even the locals are impressed with the weather, as more than once I have heard "You sure hit the Sand Hills at the right time." I have never thought that much of Nebraska being of the school if you were a pioneer and didn't want to live in Colorado you might as well stay in Iowa. Don't even get me started about the people who settled in Sterling and Ft. Morgan, Colorado. They could even see the Rocky Mountains and didn't decide to live there. Anyway, Nebraskans do love their state almost as much as they love their football team. I can't understand why they get behind the 'Huskers when there is a football power like Iowa State right next door. Tomorrow it is on to Broken Bow. I sure hope this perfect weather holds. Miles today, 72...total miles 1877.

May 24, '03 - Halsey to Broken Bow

I left Halsey, Nebraska in a blanket of fog this morning. It was soupy enough my Eddie Bauer rainwear came out of the bike bag and went onto my back. You couldn't tell up from down and the first five miles were without a shoulder, which made me nervous, but luckily it was the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend and I only met three cars coming and had but one pass me from the rear in the 10 mile stretch to Durning. I've heard of towns so small that you can miss them by blinking but I did almost miss Durning because of the fog. The "Welcome To" sign was so close to the road I could read it but saw nothing else. The fog burned off during the 20 mile stretch to Anselmo. Incidentally all distances given are map distances because my bike computer quit working way back in Western Wyoming and I have yet to find a bike shop that can give me a fix. My bike has been absolutely terrific but the computer has been nothing but glitches from the get-go. So mile markers and I have become real good friends. The fog burning off allowed me to see the countryside with a much clearer eye but, of course, there is a downside to everything as a wind came up out of the Southeast as the sun made its appearance, which as luck would have it, was the direction I was pedaling. Pulling BOB headwinds really do make a difference. I was averaging 10 miles per hour until the fog cleared and by the time I had reached Broken Bow my average had dropped below 8 mph. I had a bite to eat in Verna, 10 miles from my destination, where a coffee group was gathered. Yes even on the Sunday of a 3 day weekend "the boys" were gathered around a table and reading quotes from the North Platte newspaper. The big topic was the wreck on I-80 that destroyed an overpass and shut down the interstate, at Big Springs. Much of the discussion revolved around what the driver had in his system, conjecture leaned more toward pills than booze, and if this wreck would cause the state legislature to lower the speed limit to 55 for semis. Not likely I thought
It is never an easy day until it is over, much like the fat lady singing. 6 miles out of Broken Bow my front tire flatted. This is flat number 3 on the trip and all have been on a Continental tire. Gere urged me to get an Armadillo, which I did, back in Butte, Mt. and installed it on the rear rim. It has given me no problems but the Continentals are not performing as advertised. No bike shop is open this weekend but I think there is an Armadillo in store for my front wheel at some point in the future. You have to love the people of Nebraska. I had five cars stop, at different times, and offer to help. And one time one car stopped, another stopped behind him and as I was telling them to go on as I was fine three other cars, folks who probably saw my bike on it's side and the trailer unhooked and listing to its right and two cars stopped so they assumed there had been a wreck and also stopped. Those of you who know me are aware of my in-ability to multi-task, I can talk and watch tv, talk and work at the computer, talk and listen to the radio let's face it I can't do but one thing at a time and sometimes the one thing is a struggle. Well add a new one, I can't talk and change a bike tire. And all the people who stopped, I was wearing my Colorado bike shirt and have a Colorado flag on the BOB, wanted to talk about my trip. So changing the tire took about a half an hour when it should have been half that. But you have to appreciate Nebraska friendliness. One fellow said he shouldn't have stopped because of what CU did to the Huskers. I said though I lived in Colorado I was really an Iowa State guy. "Hell," he said, "That's even worse, the Cyclones couldn't beat Kearney and they kicked the Huskers butts."
I continued on into Broken Bow "Home of the Nebraska One Box Pheasant Hunt" riding past the Broken Bow Country Club which appeared to be a very nice, very green tree lined course. I sure wanted to tee it up but was 3 miles from town with laundry to do. Maybe next time. I pedalled past the Nebraska Vetrinary Service "Specializing In Bovine Fertility Evaluations" (WHAT?) and on into Broken Bow a pleasant community of 3,900 folks. The sign on the town square said the founder wanted to establish a post office on his land and the feds rejected the first three names he sent as being too close to names already taken. Then he thought of a busted bow an Indian had left behind at his place, sent that name in, and it was accepted. So I am in residence at the Super 8 in Broken Bow, the laundry is done, my cell phone works but the AOL 800 number doesn't so I'll file this report tomorrow from wherever is next. My goal is St. Paul over 60 miles away. But winds will be out of the SE tomorrow 15-20 mph and while I do well in headwinds, the BOB gets real tired so I may have to give him a break. Miles ridden today 51...total trip miles 1928.

May 26, '03 - Broken Bow to St. Paul

Happy Memorial Day, as Geezerpalooza moves on through Nebraska. Hoping to avoid as much wind as possible, BOB the trailer and I left Broken Bow at 6:30 a.m. It was a perfect Nebraska day for at least 400 yards. Then I saw the detour sign. Before this journey began, I wrote myself a message, one that I had seen somewhere saying, "Happy is the man who can enjoy the scenery on a 5 mile detour." Well, I had 7 miles of happiness, as that is the number of unexpected additional miles I was given as a "bonus" for the day. And a bonus it was, except for the extra half an hour of riding.

Along the way, I passed three cemetaries where people were decorating graves of loved ones. You have a lot of time to think on a bicycle trip and today many of my thoughts were about those people I've lost in my life, and in particular, my sister Mari's husband, Mike Carroll, who died suddenly at much too young an age on Memorial Day one year ago.

I passed Westerville, "Creating memories since 1880" and pedaled on to Loup City, "Polish Capital of Nebraska". From there, it was just another 29 miles to my destination, St. Paul, along state highway 92. Traffic really picked up after the noon hour, as boats being towed by pickups and RV's being driven by folks heading home from the three day weekend filled the roadway. Finally I arrived at my destination, St. Paul, Nebraska, "We're Batting 1,000", "Historic Baseball Capitol of Nebraska" and "Home of the Nebraska Greats Baseball Museum". They have one crowded "Welcome" sign in St. Paul.

I then did what I do best. Got lost. After BOB and I had wandered for over a half an hour (and we never did see the Nebraska Greats Baseball Museum so may I apologize to both Richie Ashburn and Bob Gibson for the oversight), BOB and I did finally determine there were 3 motels in the greater St. Paul, Nebraska metro area. One was in town and it was a combination gas station and liquor store that sat next to the railroad tracks. Been there done that. The Super 8 is a mile and a half north of town and I'm heading south in the morning (and besides I stayed in a Super 8 last nite where my computer wouldn't connect with the outside world), so I opted for the motel a half a mile south of St. Paul. It is run by a middle aged couple who bought the place 4 months ago and moved here from Cambridge, Minnesota. Boy, I kept thinking, are they having fun. She said she and her husband were tired of winter even though their kids and friends were still in Minnesota. "But my God!" she exclaimed. "It gets really cold here in Nebraska too." No kidding. And then, (well first I swear I am not making the next part up), "Do you have a continental breakfast?" I asked the wife who was doubling as the desk clerk. "Here," she said as she went to the refrigerator and grabbed a package from the freezer section, "these are two frozen Krispy Kreme donuts. Just leave them on your desk in the room and they will thaw by morning." So I guess I will ride into St. Paul for breakfast tomorrow and then ride back and hook up BOB before heading south. Tonite I'm not riding anywhere, I'm calling Pizza Hut. So I get to my room eagerly anticipating the daily end of ride ritual of a hot shower. Wrong. The water is cold. So I called the front desk. The husband answered. "Damn' he exclaimed when I told him the situation. "I think I got another problem. You said you needed to do some computer work. Why don't you do that now and I'll call you back when the hot water is working." So far I have finished a column, am close to the end of this epistle and have answered my e-mails. And the phone is still silent. Tomorrow is Columbus, Nebraska, I hope. Should the present situation continue I won't sneak up on Columbus, they'll smell me coming. Miles today 71...total miles 1999.

May 27, '03 - St. Paul to Columbus

I know how boring this is sounding to you but it is great for me, Another out of this world day in Nebraska. I left St. Paul at 6:30. I did not ride back in to town for breakfast but tried to scarf down a piece of cold pizza from last nights Hut delivery. Yuk. The first 32 miles went quickly as I rolled along a very flat Highway 92 with a gentle breeze at my back. For the second day in a row, up jumps a detour. So, it was out of my way into Central City "at the center of everything in Nebraska". However, what a wonderful delight awaited me in Central City. At the intersection of US 30 and State Highway 14 in downtown Central City, a great breakfast place "Waffles N More" sits at this spot and it is worth going out of your way to sample. I had two plate size pancakes, two hubcap sized sausage patties, and scrambled eggs plus a whole pot of coffee and the total cost was $4.80... Incredible. Out on US 30, I was concerned about the heavy traffic but the worries were groundless. The shoulder was over eight feet wide and the traffic was never a problem. The wind picked up (it was still at my back) and even with BOB tagging along I averaged almost 20 mph. That figure was arrived at using my watch and the mileage markers, as my bike computer is dead. I arrived in Columbus at noon, about 2 hours earlier than I planned. Since I was riding past the Chamber of Commerce, I stopped, and a lady by the name of Karla Schaecher could not have been more helpful. Unfortunately there is no Wells Fargo bank here (I did such a good job keeping my pin number seperate from my ATM card that I can't remember where I put it), there is no Verizon office in Columbus, so my antenna-less cell phone is still permanently "no service available", and the bike shop service area was full to the max and didn't handle Armadillo tires, but Karla did her damndest calling all over town to try and find an antenna for my cell phone. And the bike shop people could not have been more helpful but the were way backed up after the holiday. So tomorrow it's Fremont, a short day. Maybe I can handle some of my problems there. I am hoping to play golf in Fremont with former Grand Junction resident and super good golfer Spike Gross. So while it did not all work out in Columbus this is still a delightful town, thanks to people like Karla. Miles ridden today 74...total miles 2073.

May 28, '03 - Columbus to Fremont

An easy day, a great day. Left Columbus and with the wind at my back 51 miles later I was in Fremont in 4 hours. Fremont is another lovely Nebraska city of 25,000 folks. Played golf this afternoon at the Fremont Country Club with former Grand Junction resident Spike Gross. He shot a 78, I didn't but I did break 90. Barely. The Fremont CC is an outstanding course lined with trees and as neat as a pin. The greens were absolutely awesome as putts tracked the direction you struck them and irons to the green stopped the way irons should. I absolutely loved this course. If you are within 60 miles of Fremont, it's just a half an hour from Omaha, call Spike and get him to get you on the Fremont CC. It's a great golfing experience. Tomorrow it is on to Blair, NE, the Missouri River and Iowa. Miles ridden today 51...total trip miles 2124.


				*Pedal N Putt* *Nebraska*



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