Day 14

This is day 14 and we’re nearing the end of this adventure. We’re about 1200 miles from home and we should cover that in a couple days. We covered about 538 miles today.

We left La Junta at 7:30, after breakfast in a local haunt a couple blocks from the motel. The temperature was forecast to be 37 degrees and it was right on target. That temp stuck with us for the first hour or so. Then it began to slowly climb to the low 60’s late this afternoon. It was quite comfortable when we arrived here in Nevada, Missouri around 6:15. We crossed in central time zone, so we lost an hour.

Our route today began with route 50. We then changed course and picked up 400, endured a brief stint on the I-35 toll road and ultimately picked up route 54 for the run to Nevada. This route took us through many small towns along the way.

David is convinced that the ride across Kansas was perhaps the smelliest he’s experienced. We did not stop for pictures, something I now regret. I’m at a loss for words to describe feed yards. We saw them on the way out too so you would think I would have figured it out by now. Let’s just say there are lots of cattle, in lots of pens, doing what cattle do. Jeepers! They smell to high heaven and the wind blew it our way all day. Any effort to hold our breath was fruitless – they were just too long. It’s enough to make you swear off beef.

Unlike our earlier Kansas crossing this one was less windy. We weren’t riding sideways like we did before. So aside from the feed yard aroma it was a pleasant but somewhat boring all day ride.

Tomorrow we head toward Lexington, Kentucky – unless we change our minds. The Interstate would be the quickest way home and would have us there sometime Wednesday.

The pics below are sandom selections from the trip.  We didn't stop for any today.