Day 36, Monday, May 26

Schuyler, Nebraska to Norfolk, Nebraska

I woke on Memorial Day still stoked about how good the riding was the day before. I was certain we could easily make the 65 miles or so to Norfolk and the start of the Cowboy Trail if we stuck to the US highways.

Norfolk is northwest of Schuyler. Our plan was to go due west to Columbus on US 30, then head due north on US 81. With their wide shoulders we felt they would be reasonably safe, probably more so than smaller roads with no shoulders and blind hills.

They build straight roads in Nebraska. I don't know about other cyclists, but I tend to enter an almost meditative state, making one pedal stroke after another, trying to empty my mind, and certainly not thinking about the many miles in front of me.

Around 18 miles we came to Columbus, Nebraska, and of course breakfast. There was not much open because of the holiday, but Stack 'n Steak was. Of course we stopped. 

After Columbus the day turned a bit glum. We started heading north and the skies started getting dark in that direction. It didn't rain for a while, but dark skies always seem to dampen my mood. We made it through 50 miles or so without it ever really raining. 

We stopped at Madison for something to eat. Our choices were Pizza Hut, Subway, and a convenience store. We opted for pizza. We much prefer local diners, but there was no way to get the last 20 miles in without a break and some food.

When we came out it was raining. Now we really were really dispirited. It was a fairly light rain, but wet is wet. There was nothing to do but don our rain coats and move on. 

It rained almost the whole 20 miles to Norfolk where were camped in the municipal park. Like Schuyler, and apparently many small towns in Nebraska,  Norfolk has a beautiful little park with both RV and tent camping. Most don't have showers, but there are always restrooms, electric hookups where we can charge devices, and often a pavilion with picnic tables where you can get out of the rain.

Fortunately it was not raining when we arrived at the camp. We set up as quickly as possible, because it would certainly be raining at some point in the near future. 

Norfolk is a fairly big town (population 25,000) so we had three miles to get downtown to a laundromat. It was tempting not to do it since we each had one set of clean riding clothes, but you never know where you'll find another laundry. We set out on our bikes as it began to rain. 

The great thing about going downtown was that we found a strip of bars and restaurants. But, like seemingly every town we go through, most shut down when they hear we are coming. Or maybe it was because it was Monday. 

There was an open Indian restaurant. That was fantastic because you can only eat so many hamburgers and ruebens and fish and chips. After dinner we headed back to camp on Johnny Carson Boulevard, so we speculated that he grew up here. Sure enough we came upon his boyhood home. 

We made it back to camp and got in our tents, 70 miles closer to the end but dreading tomorrow's forecasted rain.