The hawks glide on the wind, why can't I?

Newton to Hutchinson, KS

Another sunny, hot, windy day... the temperatures rose to the low hundreds again, and the wind was really strong. Luckily the wind continues to be mainly from the south. At times it felt like a headwind even though it was really coming from the side. The cyclists I met yesterday said the same thing. I guess that amount of wind coming from any direction but behind is tiring to ride in. But I'm so glad that it wasn't a headwind! And for proof of the heat - by the end of the day my clothes are coated with salt. I guess that means I've been sweating up a storm.

When I woke up this morning I was still tired. I guess by now I should realize that when I'm really exhausted at the end of a day that it may be a signal that I need a rest day. Somehow I was thinking I could make it to Pueblo, Colorado before my next rest day. I don't know what I was thinking of, because it will probably take me another week to get that far. I rode to Hutchinson anyway, and I'm going to take a rest day here. Today was only the 2nd time this trip that I've walked into a hotel and been told that they were full. This week is the 12 & under Baseball World Series, so every place is just swarming with kids, parents, and coaches. I was very lucky to get a room for two nights. I had an out - the Zion Lutheran Church here allows cyclist to stay in their office. A free place to stay would be nice, but I wanted a room where I could sleep in or take a nap in the middle of the day. The first place I checked was full, the second had a room for only one night, but the third was the charm - a room for two nights. And it's in walking distance of several restaurants. I had dinner at a Chinese buffet restaurant tonight. I usually don't go to buffets because with my normal eating habits they don't make sense. But they certainly make sense for me as a hungry cyclist - all I could eat for $7.95. Now that was a good deal!

I didn't meet any west to east riders today, but that could be because I took US 50 instead of the Adventure Cycling route. Hutchinson is 6 miles off route to the south, and it seemed to make more sense to head straight west from Newton instead of heading north and west and then needing to head south again.

It seems to be getting dryer as I move further to the west. There is a huge difference in the way the corn fields look here and the way they looked further east. The newspaper today (yes, I finally got to read a Sunday paper!) had an article about the drought in western Kansas. I'm still in central Kansas and it's already starting to look dry.

I saw a hawk sitting on a fence post as I rode up. I stopped and tried to grab a quick picture, but of course the bird took off before I could snap a picture. I stood and watched it fly for a while. It's amazing how they just seem to float on the air currents.

A trailer went by carrying two horses. I've only seen this one other time, and I wondered if I was imagining things. Guess not. The horses were standing angled across the trailer with their heads hanging out of the window!

As I came into Hutchinson I was standing at a stop light waiting for the light to change. A kid (looked to be a very young driver) was next to me on the right waiting to turn right. He asked me where I'm from and where I'm heading. When I answered, his response was "wow, cool".

My plans for tomorrow - rest, maybe a little extra sleep, plus a visit to the Kansas Cosmosphere.and Space Center.