Day 14

July 22

I wake up and begin my usual search for breakfast. My pickings are a bit better than for supper so I choose the Patio Pancake Place. It sure sounds like a restaurant that knows about breakfast and there's several work trucks parked in the lot.

Once again I'm not disappointed. There's the usual regulars sitting around the big table kidding the waitresses and sipping their coffee. One of the ladies shows me to a booth and I place my usual order. It's quite a back and forth between my waitress and the 3 men sitting there.

“Do they always give you that much trouble?” I asked with a grin.

“Oh yeah, all of the time. One time Tony checked my pulse to see if I was still alive when I stopped talking” pointing to one of the regulars.

Breakfast is as good as it gets and I study the map to see where I might get to today. Springfield, Missouri would be nice so I sort of file that away as a goal. That would make the last day a nice short run. I finish up my plate and head out the door. The wind is coming hard off the mountains and I don't like the looks of it. I figure it will probably blow a storm after me about the time I hit Kansas. I make sure my rain gear is handy which proves to be a real good idea. As I come out of the mountains and head for the flatlands, I enjoy the nice, lazy sweepers and the cool of the morning. Highway 50 meanders along side the river for a good ways which adds to the pleasure.

I've not been on the road too long before I see a sign –

“Royal Gorge Bridge”.

I've heard of it but never have seen it. As I pass by the cutoff I have this mental tug of war – do I stop or go on? I would like to home by tomorrow but then who knows when I'll pass this way again. My sense of adventure overcomes my sense of urgency, so I do an abrupt about-face and head back for the turn off. It's a twisty little road that provides some diversion. As I get close, I see that there is an admission charge and a waiting line. Fortunately, I can see the bridge quite well and get a good shot.

Outside Dodge City, I spot a lady on a 1150 RS BMW parked on the side of the road. I pull over, thinking that she may need help.

“You okay?” I ask her.

“Yes I am. I just stopped to put on my rain gear” she tells me.

As I look up ahead, I can see why. The clouds are dark and ominous and you can see the wall of water headed our way. The last time I saw a sky like that was coming into Cody, Wyoming and it just about blew me off the RedBird.

“Judging by the way it looks, not a bad idea. I believe I will follow your example” I tell her.

“Would it be okay if I follow you into town?” she asked, sensing what lies ahead may be a bit more than just a little rain.

“Sure thing. I'll be turning off on highway 60, but you are welcome to come as far as it suits you” I assure her.

“Thank a bunch. I really appreciate it” she says.

We both mount up and head toward the wall. There are few storms that match the fury of the ones that sweep across the flatlands. This one is no exception as the wind is blowing so hard the rain hits you sideways. Today I don't mind the extra weight of the RedBird at all. The side gusts are strong but I just motor on with the BMW behind me. We finally reach town and she decides to hole up for the evening. I've got more miles I want to do so I wave her a good-bye and push on to the 50/60 junction. There's a truck stop, so I pull over for a Pepsi and peanut break beneath the shelter and gas up while I'm at it. As I watch the wind blow signs over and the rain come down in buckets I have to laugh a bit. On this entire trip, yesterday and today are the only days I've got into any serious rain. But this one is sure making up for it. Polishing off the last of the Pepsi, I figure it's not planning on stopping anytime soon. And Springfield is still a good ride away. So I button up my suit, batten down the RedBird and head back into the storm. It's slow going but at least it is progress. I finally make it to Wichita and decide to press on. The rain has stopped and I'm still a little far out from home. And I still have getting to Springfield on my mind. Highway 60 has now officially turned into a 4-lane Highway 400. As I motor along. I come up on a bunch of kids in a Ford dually pulling a nice boat. I notice that something just blew out of the boat, so I crank it up a notch to get beside him so I can let him know. The driver, eager to impress his girlfriend, thinks I want to race so he starts cutting me off and swerving in and out of traffic. Meanwhile, Mush-for-Brains is continuing to lose things out of the boat. Enough is enough, so I drop the RedBird down a cog and pull beside him like he is parked and motion him to roll down his window.

“Just thought I'd let you know you're losing things out of boat, buddy” I yell to him.

The truth hits him like a wet mop and it is so obvious he's gone from cool to fool in an instance of time. And as the advertisement says – The Look – Priceless. He pulls off to see what's missing and I move on. I wonder how he's gonna explain that to Dad when he gets home. Night and fatigue begins to close in faster than I would prefer. As it gets close to 9 PM I know Springfield is just not going to happen. I decide to stop at the next town that has a place to stay, but there aren't any with motels. Finally I get to Fredonia, Kansas and there it is the – Plaza Grill and Inn. It's open, it's dry and it will do. Thankfully, they have a room and I just catch the restaurant before they close. The lady serving has been on her feet all day, but she still does a good job. As I wolf down a good piece of dead cow, I'm thinking tomorrow I should be back at the house. Little do I know the most challenging part of the ride is yet to come.