Monday, June 29th, 2015
Start/End: Holdrege/McCook, NE
Mileage: 73.7+
Weather: Warm, some nice clouds
There is something about Nebraska and fireworks, and I am not sure what it is but it has been fun to go outside at night and be able to watch fireworks in the towns we stay in. Many of us live in Illinois and are only able to watch fireworks on holidays or on Lake Michigan in Chicago. Before long, though, the fireworks cease and we went to bed last night.
When we woke up in McCook, we awoke to a kitchen that was bustling with some energetic members of the St. Elizabeth Episcopal Church were preparing an amazing breakfast for us once we awoke and had all of our things packed for the day. We had homemade casseroles with eggs, tomatoes, spinach, bacon and other great ingredients, homemade grits, biscuits and gravy and even bacon. They had so much food prepared for us and it was amazing and tasted really good. It was also nice because it was something that we had not had for a breakfast yet! We cannot thank you enough for your generosity in hosting us this past night, arranging showers, and setting up some really awesome meals.
Today was a shorter ride which was nice, so many groups took it easy and we’re sure not to rush. We were going through an incredibly scenic part of the country that was just beautiful to look at as we rode. The road was good and the drivers were very nice. This has made riding through Nebraska pretty awesome. We found a wheat field that was photogenic and took some pictures. It is funny, because many of us coming from Illinois are u enthused by corn fields, but give us a wheat field and the photos start.
Partway through the ride, it was exciting because one group met a Dutch photographer who was riding a motorcycle around the country in a giant loop in order to take portraits of people she met for a project. The group got to meet her and she did a portrait of one of our awesome teammates, and it was fun. She had a very professional setup. It was interesting to look at the differences of our bikes and our portraits project, but it was fun to meet her!
All in all, it was a good day, but then we arrived in McCook. We were staying at the YMCA, and we had access to shower and do laundry and that was all quite wonderful. After dinner, the team had a variety of fun activities planned for the evening. Many teammates went to Mac’s Drive In, and while we could not drive in, we went inside and sat at these awesome booths from which we placed our order by picking up a phone and pressing a button. It was so cool and the food was delicious. Other group members went to go see a movie in celebration of a teammate’s recent birthday. Many laughs were to be had.
Such a good day! But at the end of it all, we were all pretty tired and lights went out before our typical lights out time… It was nice to have a short ride and be able to do other things in the evening along with riding during the day. Some longer rides are coming up the next few days, but I know we can do it!
-LAH
