Atlantic to Pacific Cycling Journey 2011: Day 26 Girard to Toronto

Saturday, June 11, 2011

Miles 86.06 Total 1649.59 Daily Avg 63.45

Avg Speed 16.4 Max Speed 29.3 Alt Climbed 1916

Follow a relaxing and fun day in Kansas City we got back on Hwy 69 and headed south back to Girard. We stopped at Fort Scott, a frontier US Cavalry Fort which has been preserved as a National Historic Site. This fort attempted to quell the Bleeding Kansas violence where Union and Confederate soldiers fought one of the largest cavalry battles of the Civil War. A small town built around the fort has been preserved as well. While in town we visited the local Sat. morning farmers market. I purchased a gooseberry pie from a Mennonite family. I do not know what a gooseberry is. I still don't know but the pie was pretty good after our ride.

Our ride today started in Girard, KS, we rode ride 85 miles today because the towns with places to stay are spread pretty far apart. What a difference a new state brings. Flat roads, cooler weather and a tail wind for most of the day made for some of the most enjoyable riding of the trip.

The scenery is different, mostly farmland. Usually there is a small one story home nestled in a stand of trees set not to far back from the roadway. The home is surrounded by fields of wheat, corn or pasture land with grazing cattle. All very flat, you can see for miles. There are not many people around. Even the roads are empty. We probably had only 15 cars pass us from behind during the entire 86 miles.

Tonight we are camping on Toronto Lake where Joey and Roxy have spent the afternoon fishing. Following our ride Kelly went for a swim while I sat and ate my pie. It was a beautiful evening until the thunderstorms blew in around 2:00am and interrupted a great nights sleep.