Council Grove & Manhattan

Chris and I were headed for Council Grove, KS with Bryan and Heather, who were on their first overnight ride.  On Sunday, May 26th, we met Bryan and Heather at their house . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bryan and Heather preparing for departureand then took off westbound.

We left around 2:00 in the afternoon under sunny skies with a temperature of 81.  We rode through Olathe, Gardner, Edgerton, Wellsville and Ottawa . . . . . . . . . DSCN0658 to our first stop in Pamona, KS, where we stopped at a Casey’s for a break and a cold drink.at Casey's in Pamona, KS

After a nice break we rode west into Council Grove.  Our intended lodging for the night was the Cottage House Hotel (http://www.cottagehousehotel.com/) but there was no room at the inn.  Some bicycle riders out of Topeka had all the rooms tied up.

We had a nice dinner at the Hays House Restaurant (http://www.hayshouse.com/), a historic location in Council Grove, and then took off for Parkerville, KS.  Heather’s paternal grandparents are buried there and she placed some flowers at the grave site.  After a tour of downtown Parkerville . . . . entering Parkerville, KSwe rode north to Manhattan through the scenic Flint Hills.  We stopped for the night at the Hampton Inn at about 8:20.  Before going to bed we walked to a nearby DQ for an ice cream treat.

It was an enjoyable ride of 200 miles, except for the strong wind out of the south.  The temperatures peaked in the mid 80’s and we were dry all day (except for a little perspiration).

When we woke up on Monday, May 27th, it was cloudy and dark outside.  Thunderstorms were forecast for the area.  After a nice complimentary breakfast at the Hampton Inn we rode south to Alta Vista, east on Hwy 4 and north on Hwy 99 to Alma for an emergency bathroom break.  This was a scenic route through the Flint Hills but we couldn’t see much scenery because of the rain.  By this time three of the four of us were pretty wet.  Bryan and Heather did not bring their rain pants and I was not wearing mine.  We decided to ride up to I-70 and ride on home.  We were hit by torrential downpours, the kind I’ve ridden through only 3 or 4 times in my 40 years of riding.  But Bryan did well and we all arrived home safely.

At one point on I-70 we hit a patch of standing water that was not obvious before  we hit it.  A wave of water went over my windshield an all over us.  My vision was completely blocked for a second or two which was a little unnerving.  Bryan said the same happened to him.  At least neither of us felt like we ever hydroplaned at all.  It was a real adventure!

No pictures were taken on Monday due to the copious amounts of rain.  We rode 150 miles, most of which were in rain with temperatures in the low 60’s, and arrived home shortly after 11:00.  Despite the wet second day we had a good time and we’re happy to report that the rain did not dampen Bryan’s or Heather’s desire to ride again in the future.

Later in the day it was bright and sunny at home. Confused smile

For more pictures from today click on the following link: https://plus.google.com/photos/104542123131082631220/albums/5882856078238209809?authkey=CKP_wpaK26SR-wE

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