2014-07-29: Day 34 Kansas Shows a Friendly Side, Cassoday to Buhler, KS

Mileage Today: 70 Total Mileage: 1776

OK. Kansas really is not so mean after all. If I could describe any of the daily rides as pleasant, it would be today’s route. Totally flat. Light cloud cover. Light winds perhaps even at our backs. We had two potential targets for the end of the day today. Either it was the city park at Buhler or it was an RV Campground in Hutchinson about 5 miles further west. We arrived at Buhler’s city park and were told that cyclists could camp under the trees, there were rest rooms available all night, and that we could use the park’s swimming pool and showers for free. Decision made.

Lots of corn and beef cattle in this part of Kansas. Jon and I told all the cattle along the road to make a break and head west. We told them to never ever climb into a cattle truck if they knew what was good for them. I do not think they listened.

Greg (not his real name), a resident of Buhler, just came by to introduce himself. He walked right up and handed me his card. Where his profession is typically listed, it says “Cyclist”. He has lived in Buhler 50 years and worn many hats – air force service man, postman, general construction contractor, barber…. The list goes on. He lives with his wife of 60 years on 7 acres which he maintains himself on the edge of town. He is 84 years old. He was very sharp.

He has pretty much cycled everywhere from Portland, Maine to Portland, OR to Seattle. He even has ridden through the Hillsboro, OR area. He rode the Sante Fe Trail from New Mexico to St. Louis, MO. He also mentioned the “Hotter than Hell 100” in Texas the 3^rd weekend in August. He started doing all this bike touring when he was 61.

All I can say is good for him…..