Day 41, Saturday, May 31


Wood Lake, Nebraska to Cody, Nebraska

We packed up and got on the road arrive 6:40, earlier than usual. We knew we were in for another long day with the wind in our face.

There was nowhere to have breakfast in Wood Lake so we planned to stop in Valentine, 24 miles away. 

A couple of miles before Valentine we got on the Cowboy Trail one last time. We wanted to see and ride across the tallest and longest bridge on the trail, which spans the Niobrara River.


Honestly, the most impressive thinkgabout the bridge was the two turkey cultures perched on the other end. One flew away before I could get a picture, but the other obliged me by posing.

We had breakfast in Valentine where we were served by the world's most efficient waitress, then we were back on US 20. The day grew warmer, the wind grew stronger, and the plains of western Nebraska began losing their charm.

By early afternoon we were ready for a cold drink. As we approached Kilgore we saw a gas station and our hopes rose. They were dashed as we realized it was an unattended station common in the region, and there were no vending machines. We found some shade by an abandoned building next door, and as we hydrated we noticed the word "Saloon" farther into town. 

It turned out to be the Bordertown Steakhouse and Saloon, our kind of place. We would have loved to hang out there, but we just had appetizers and soft drinks.

The clientele was almost exclusively Indigenous Americans. I had not realized just how far north we were, but we were just a few miles from South Dakota (thus the name of the saloon). The few people we talked to were coming down from the Redbud reservation.

We sadly departed the saloon to get back into the heat and wind. We wanted to make another 15 miles to Cody, Nebraska.

Somewhere along the way we reached another milestone, the Mountain Time Zone, giving us an extra hour.

We rode into Cody and our first stop was the student run grocery store. Like many of the small towns we have been through, the population of Cody has been declining. They lost their grocery store years ago, but a new one opened in 2013, operated by students in the region with the help of a partnership of several non-profits and the USDA.

With a few groceries we headed for the municipal park to camp. Unlike some, this one even had a shower. 


After setting up we headed for the Husker Hub, the bar and grill owned by a local couple. He is a cattle farmer and fireman while she runs the restaurant. 

I am fairly certain she is also the cook, and the hamburgerbwas one of the best I have ever had. I told her it was so good I probably should have had a steak. If I ever find myself in Cody again, I will definitely be eating there.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Day 5: Mistaken Identities

  On day 5, after we arrived at the Roundbottom Campground (Robert described why we arrived so early in the day in a different post), I knew I was going to get antsy with so many hours ahead of us.  As a result, I volunteered to see if there was a grocery store or convenience store in the area (well, within 3 miles) where I could buy some water and fun junk food. The guys who were working on the campsite recommended (already described by Robert) that I bike two miles further down the path, where I could cross the river on an old railroad bridge and enter the town of Layton, PA.  In the downtown area, I was told, I would find a small grocery story. I changed into shorts and a t-shirt, took the bags off my bike, and off I went. (Side observation: my goodness, I could just zoom without all the extra weight on the bike). Going across the one line railroad bridge, along with cars, was a bit scarier than I would have liked, but I successfully entered the “town” of Layton to dis...
Read more

Days 7 and 8: Recovery, and leaving Pittsburgh

Sunday, April 27, 66 miles Monday, April 28, Pittsburgh PA to Colliers, WV Sunday was a true day of rest. Nobody really slept in, but we tried not to exert ourselves. We spent the morning dealing with things that are hard to do on tour, like laundry and bicycle maintenance. Then we had a day in Pittsburgh. Sue and I went for a walk in Frick Park. Then we all went shopping for odds and ends at Goodwill and REI, then rode the Duquesne Incline for great views of the city.  In fact, we had a view directly to "The Point" where the Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers become the Ohio. That is where the Great Allegheny Passage officially ends, just a few miles from where we turned off to go to Sue's.  Also included in the day was a trip to East End Brewing, Sue's favorite brewery in the city. And then, of course, Sure made us another great meal. We could not have had a better recovery day. But we had to leave Monday. We thought of staying another day, but we have a long way to g...
Read more

Day 3, Wednesday, April 23: the day of moderately bad mistakes

North Mountain campsite to Irons Mountain campsite, C&O Canal Towpath, 67 miles As daunting as biking across the continent seems, it does not compare to the man we shared the campsite with last night. He started walking across the country a year and a half ago from Seattle, pushing a buggy. I noted he's almost done, being just 110 miles from DC, but when he gets there he's walking the East Coast Greenway to Florida to complete his corner-to-corner walk.  Godspeed, Darren.  This morning we packed up and took the time to have a cup of coffee before departing (Mt. Hagan instant, which is surprisingly good). We rode 14 miles to the town of Hancock, Maryland where we had another great breakfast. More importantly, we showered at C&O Bicycle. At ten dollars, a shower it is worth every penny. Don't let the doors fool you. It was a great shower. At Hancock we made an unfortunate decision: we decided to leave the C&O Canal Towpath and pedal the Western Maryland Rail Trail...
Read more