sunrise over I-70

Last night didn't get below 76 degrees. Pretty toasty for sleeping in a tent. I slept on top of my pad, no sleeping bag, and kept both doors open for slight ventilation. I was awake at 4:30am, and even though it was a short final day, I figured I might as well get started. BAK was providing breakfast by Chris Cakes starting at 5:30, so I was all packed up with my bags on the truck and ready to roll when I went to breakfast. I was on the road by 6:00am with 30-some miles to go through Tonganoxie, onto and through Leavenworth to the Missouri River.

Some ladies from the Leavenworth Chamber of Commerce had visited Eudora the night before and gave us a slight detour from our published route that took us by some great old mansions and through their historic downtown. I think it was worth it.

We were met with a few sprinkles as we road into town, but mostly it was just overcast. It took a little while to find the part of the park with the boat ramp so you could get all the way to the river, but I finally made it for the obligatory shot of dipping my wheel in the water. A couple of other riders were at the river at the same time, and as we left, one of them said the weather looked like it was getting worse. Not two minutes later we were riding to the park where our "celebration lunch" was supposed to be served, in a torrential downpour. I was completely soaked from my halo headband to my water-filled Sidi shoes.

As riders made it to the park, we began to huddle under the few small shelters trying to dry off and warm-up. What a difference a few hours can make in Kansas! One woman walked across the street and asked a stranger to loan us a couple of towels. Beth was going to pick me up and have lunch with me in the park, but by this point I didn't care about barbecued chicken, I wanted coffee! I called her and asked her to meet me about the time I thought the luggage trucks would arrive. She timed it perfectly, and by11:00am I was in a warm car on my way home.