Half Way Across

When my Dad told me yesterday that Hesston, KS is the half-way point I couldn't get my head around it!  It's hard to believe we have actually pedaled half way across the United States!  Even with all the stormy weather Kansas has been one great day after another for us.  We've encountered so many really nice people and the nearly flat terrain and traffic free roads have been such a joy to ride down after staying in those hills for two months.  We actually giggle out loud when we ride because we feel so free now.  It's as though we've gone from crawling to running and it feels GOOD!

I got a new haircut.  I was going to let it grow but now is not the time for that because it's way too hot out here, so I went short one more time.  Helen at the campground in Chanute cut my hair for me after I saw her cutting her friend's hair outside and asked her if she'd cut mine.  She's retired but agreed.  :) Thanks Helen!  I am very happy with my new haircut and it feels sooo much better!

We stopped here and got two steaks, fresh corn on the cob, and some root beers.  We were so glad to have found some steaks in such a small town.  And they were GOOD too!  When Ken got them out and started to cook them, we got a surprise - there were three steaks instead of two, which meant Heinz got one too.  :)

We shared our dinner with Heinz and he shared his campsite with us. 

Later we watched the sun set over the water.  The next day we got into some hills.  Well, sorta.  lol

Hills?  In Kansas?  Well, yes, there are some hills here and although they are nothing like the mountains we've just conquered they were enough to slow us down to 8 mph instead of the 18 we were averaging.  The harsh winds added to the difficulty but we didn't mind those too much since they also kept us cool.  We are so low to the ground that the winds don't affect us as much as they do the upright riders.  Yet another advantage of TerraTrikin'.

Many of the shoulders here seem as though they were made just for us since they are about the same width as our trikes are.

Jesse and Ashton from San Fran riding to DC.

Some of the ranches here are HUGE.  When we ring our bells at the cows or the horses, they usually run - sometimes away from us, sometimes with us.  The best horse run-along we've had happened here.  There were so many of them and because there's so much open land here they were able to run with us for a long time.  It made my heart swell and my eyes fill up.

Here they come.

I could only get 5 in the picture, but there were about 25 of them.

Including these two. 

The next night we spent in Cassoday, Prairie Chicken Capital of the World!  They had a very pretty City Park waiting for us.  Heinz had gotten there just 20 minutes before we did.  :)

Couldn't resist.  I am so immature.

Nice green park.  No water though.

Ken and Heinz going over the map.  We are both using the Adventure Cycling maps.  Heinz will end his trip in Colorado when his friends from Germany come to meet him.

What a happy dog.  :)