Day 39: West Point, NE to Battle Creek, NE

Feeling revived by the arctic conditions of my hotel room, I was on the road before dawn and cruising through the miles like they were nothing.  The morning was cloaked in a heavy fog that lent a surreal atmosphere to the ride.  Better yet, it kept the air cool for at least an hour longer than if it had been clear.

I reached Norfolk (which the locals inexplicably pronounced as Norfork) by 1:00.  My first stop was Cleveland Bike and Sport.  They didn’t have the kind of tires I needed, but I was able to get my shifters and brake cables tightened up.  I asked if they had any Allen wrench sets that weren’t attached to a multi-tool (I like my Alien Tool, but there are some places I just can’t fit it).  They didn’t have any, but the guy rummaged around in his drawer, found a few spares and gave them to me.  Now that’s service.  If you’re ever in Norforlk, stop in there and buy something!

After a leisurely lunch at Whiskey Creek, I headed over to the Ta-Ha-Zouka park (I'm not making that up), which is where the Cowboy Trail bike path begins.  It felt too early to pitch camp, so I decided to ride to the next town 10 miles along the path and camp there.  The trail was paved for a little way then reverted to crushed gravel.  And, of course, it’s flanked by corn fields.

Battle Creek featured a fantastic park with a swimming pool (which thankfully means showers), a couple ball fields, playground, tennis courts, and a nice little gazebo with power outlets that was perfect for setting up a small one-man tent.  A small gaggle of kids discovered me soon after I arrived and a lively Q&A ensued. The younger kids lost interest after about ten minutes and ran off to climb on things, but an older boy named Titus stayed behind.  We talked about marine creatures (mostly whales), Greek mythology, and how he either wanted to join the Navy or become a scientist.  It really is nice to be able to carry on an actual conversation with a young person.

When Titus’ mom came to fetch him, she recommended her favorite restaurant just off Main Street, and insisted that the prime rib was the best.  It wasn’t especially close to the best prime rib I‘ve ever had, but it was good enough to get the job done (with the help of a tasty local brew).  Looming thunderheads stalked me as I headed home to my sheltered tent, but they passed by without dropping any rain on the quiet park that I had all to myself.

What I Learned: The middle of the country has a very loose definition of what constitutes a salad.  At one place I got some lettuce with just two slices of cucumber.  The salad that came with my prime rib consisted of a bowl of shredded lettuce, one carrot stick, and one thin wedge of tomato.  Or it might just be that I’m the only one who ever actually ordered the salad rather than the fried everything else.

Distance Today: 61 miles
Total Distance: 1,876 miles