Retired and Trippin

Chris and I had talked for some time about visiting Lecompton to check out the historical sites. Today was the day; with high temperatures predicted to reach 70 we couldn’t resist the urge to RIDE! We took off around 11:00 and rode east through Bonner Springs and Lawrence to Lecompton. It was 64 degrees when we departed and in the 70’s when we arrived. It was a beautiful day. Lecompton definitely has historic significance. It was the territorial capital of Kansas and was in the national spotlight just before the Civil War. The “Lecompton Constitution”, for the admittance of Kansas into the union as a pro-slavery state, was written in Constitution Hall. Lane University was in Lecompton from 1865 to 1902. President Dwight Eisenhower’s parents were students at Lane and were married in Lecompton in 1885. We visited the former location of Lane University, which is now the Territorial Capital Museum. We enjoyed lunch at Aunt Netter’s Café (just down the road from Constitution Hall),

Today we experienced a pleasant reprieve from the brutally cold temperatures of late.  Temperatures reached the low 60’s. Just what I needed – an opportunity for a little saddle time. I rode alone north into Wyandotte County where I hopped on K-32 westbound through Edwardsville and Bonner Springs. West of Bonner I rode south on back roads and crossed the Kansas River into De Soto. My plan was to stop at Gary’s to check out the 55 Chevy hotrod he is building. No such luck. He was not home and his garage was locked tight. I rode back north across the Kansas River and took back roads into Bonner Springs, crossed the river (again) northbound on K-7 into Shawnee and home. It was a nice little 60 mile ride providing some relief for the cold weather blues.  A January day suited for riding is a good day.