I love it when the motel opens
the breakfast doors at 0600. I was already loaded, so a quick couple
of items and on the road at 0614 local. US-50 starts as a 4-lane
highway parallel to the Arkansas River and the BNSF (& Amtrak)
tracks. The highway narrows to 2 lanes, but the speed limit remains
at 65 except when passing through towns like Las Animas (elev 3900’)
on the Santa Fe Trail.
I have a small problem: my cruise control suddenly stops working, and here I am in a nice, flat river valley, perfect for that function. Fortunately, I knew that the forward radar in this Toyota is housed behind the logo in front. I pull over at Lamar and clean off the built-up bugs; when I start up again, it works!
I deviate from my planned route by turning north on a paved county road through a heavily agricultural area with little traffic, transitioning into the “Buffalo Plains.” I have seen many silo trees in my travels, but this road provided something new – a silo car!
I come out on CO-96 at the ghost town of Chivington. That’s where you turn off to the the site of the Sand Creek massacre that Col. Chivington engineered. The site is now under the NPS; I was tempted to drive to it so I could take a picture of the infamous Trump-directed sign and ask how he’d interpret the site. I remember the vicious biting flies, immune to 40% DEET, encountered on a previous visit, so moved on.
Sheridan Lake (elev 4072’) is the highest I’ll be for at least the rest of this year. The eponymous lake is little more than another playa.
Crossing into Kansas, I’m now on K-97. I pass a small town with a big elevator every few miles – the railroad tracks here are shiny. The road is newly paved, as well. Oops, it’s time for nice, long wait; I’ve reached the paving-in-progress section. It seems to me that the existing pavement they’re replacing is better than that on many Missouri roads.
I cross White Woman Creek of ghostly legend and reenter Central Time. Leoti claims to be the Barn Quilt Capital of Kansas; I see no barns. Rush County has more than its share of scenic abandoned farm houses, with no place to stop for a picture.
As I approach Great Bend, I see my second truck accident of the day. The first one cut a corner leaving a dirt road and had deposited a crop sprayer rig in the ditch. This one hit the turn into a side road a tad too fast and jack-knifed across the side road.
The Ellinwood-McPherson area is oil country. I see a couple of new refineries, new pipelines all over the place. They have a first class museum, lots of space, art, etc. Oil money sure makes a difference!
I’m checked into my HIE and plan to crash early – 18 days on the road!
For the day: 254.1 miles, for the trip 4542.1
Tomorrow:
240 miles and home!
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