I absolutely cannot believe we rode in this horrible heat last Sunday. It started out gorgeous outside and our plan was to be home by 2:00 p.m. to beat the heat. Let's see as the saying goes......the best laid plans.
We rode to Cottonwood Falls for breakfast at the Emma Chase Restaurant which is located in Chase County in the beautiful Flint Hills of Kansas. I love the Flint Hills. Everytime we ride through, it is different, the landscape transforms itself constantly. The farms and ranches go for miles and the trains running through the winding tracks seem to put me into a trans, I love to hear their whistles blowing.
After Cottonwood Falls, we decided that we would wind our way back to Wichita, good plan, the heat was going to be rough. We made it into Gympsum and stopped for a water break and decided we would not eat again and just keep going. The next stop was for gasoline in Lindsborg. Again, not wanting to be in the heat, we filled up, drank more water and kept going.
We all split up as we grew closer to Wichita and Luke and I stopped at a gas station in Park City, just about 14 miles from home. We had to have water. After our break, we got on the bike and it would not start. It was dead, no power, NOTHING. 104 degrees, in a parking lot with a dead motorcycle. Hello Mr. Tow Truck, two hours later, we pulled into our driveway with the bike on the back of the tow truck. Thank God for tow insurance and road side assistance. Luke has been working on it all week, the jury is still out on what is really wrong with it.
The Flint Hills National Preserve was one of our first stops after breakfast. The ranch was established in 1881 and is now on the National Register for Historic Landmarks. It is amazing! I love it.....I could go there once a week and just wander the property. It has a barn, house, outhouses with three stalls, smoke house and a small servant quarter. I sometimes think I was born in the wrong century. I love this time in history. I can't imagine traveling across the country in a covered wagon to discover a new place. But, I think I would have tried.
The pictures are of the long road in the Flint Hills, a picture of Jane and Terry in the cardboard cutout in the barn, the flag at the house; me, Jane and Susie at the preserve and finally, the tow truck with the motorcycle on the back.
So I end my blog tonight, loving the Flint Hills. I suppose one huge disadvantage in the 1800's was no air conditioning!
Stay cool.....Pam
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