When I got to the "campsite", it was a parking lot for RVs. Literally, there were 5 or so green squares separated by cement squares off of a parking lot for a Golf Shooting range, lol. BUT, paradoxically, each little parking spot came with it's own water line and electricity box (things considered the top of luxury at state park sites, costing about twice as much). So thanks to RV culture I had some hook ups to charge my phone, and didn't have to walk half a mile to get some water.
I set up my new tarp tent, which took a while to figure out how to do. It relies on 2 poles on one end hoisted up and staked by a line and one pole on the other end that goes into the ground, and is also hoisted up by a line and stake. Then the there are 6 points (corners and middle) that are staked into the ground as well. I was really excited by how big it is (relatively speaking)! I can fit all of my bike bags into it, and still have plenty of room for myself and other things.
Here's the catch: Lightning storm of storms hit around 2 or 3 in the morning. 1) the tent isn't fully waterproof, in a torential downpour it kind of sprinkles inside, which is alright unless: 2) when the center of the storm hit, the flimsy one pole side collapsed, and half the tent caved in on me, which meant that the ceiling, which was collecting water, came down into contact with the me and the floor, and, ironically, I was back in the old bivvy situation (but not fully waterproof this time around). I curled up into a fetal position in the section that didn't collapse and tried to sleep as the worst of the lightning storm passed (it was pretty ferocious being in a tent). Of course, I didn't get too much sleep, and I got soaked. When I woke up in the morning there was a pool of water in the tent, my bike was blown over and the tarp was off of it, and the clothes I left outside (thinking, eh, if it rains, they'll get washed) got soaked. It wasn't a damper on the spirits, but just a lesson on this tent. I'm going to have to stake it much better next time, and potentially use my tarp over the tent for added insulation. I'm still content with all the space it gives me, and it has a mesh door. In Iowa I scoured around the countryside looking for a mosquito net so I could sleep outside without the bivvy. This full door of mesh is the closest I've come to it.
I packed up this morning while talking to a city worker working in the park about weather, the flat roads ahead, and a good place to eat in town (the Green Apple in Cozad, NE- get the philly steak omelet). However, I just wanted to start biking to get rid of the chills, and headed 10 miles west to Gothenburg, NE, where I took a needed breakfast break (2 honey buns, 16oz coffee, and ramen noodles). I was feeling pretty weak from a weak dinner and no breakfast. I stopped again in Brady, NE to get a snack, and ended up having lunch there. I had a great homemade chicken teriyaki sandwich with tossed salad and Dorthy Sauce. Dorthy Sauce is a Nebraska thing- it was described to me as a sweeter version of French Dressing. It tastes like Cole Slaw dressing. It was delicious. One thing I noticed and liked about the small town was that lots of people seemed to know each other in the gas station/lunch spot, there was lots of laughter and chatting, all the seats were taken up, there were other visitors (on business) as well. I think there was an organizing meeting going on for a town fair- they turned on the tv to catch the last 15 seconds of a local on the news advertising the event. It was nice and upbeat.
Finally, I've started to notice the landscape changing. Small, worn, jagged, sandy-soil hills have started to come out of the flatlands. I haven't seen much corn at all (I think the soil doesn't suit it), but instead, horses. I did the math, and I should be halfway through my trip once I'm in Wyoming later this week (1100 miles). I'm excited for the dramatic changes to come.
One last anecdote- Tractors use the shoulders I ride on to drive at about 20mph. Well biking this morning, I hear and see a big one behind me that caught up. So we played cat and mouse for about 6 to 8 miles. I let it pace me at about 20 mph until it turned off, and I waived it good bye. It was fun!
Alright, I'm at the library coding, clothes drying at the laundromat, new used book bought- (100 years of solitude in English this time). Time to go. Thanks for all of your sweet comments and emails guys, I really look forward to them every day, and they help me keep going!:)
-Miroslav (from the 100th meridian: 41.129099,-100.764599)
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