There's no place...

Today was going to be another long ride and I was going to dub it, Iron Butt 2: Electric Boogaloo. However, this time I was going to start the day very early so I would start in darkness and end as the sun was setting. I was changing the route due to time constraints so I did what any sensible person would do, I pivoted. If I was going to cut out Mount Rushmore I might as well make the most of it by visiting Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Kansas before ending today's ride in Colorado. It was all good in theory.

I went to bed early the night before with the intention of leaving by 0400. I woke up a little earlier and instead I left around 0330. As I was leaving for my day my friends on Pacific Time were still up doing things because time zones. A few friends questioned the logic of my madness thought process. Some asked why I was up so late, but to me it was early! It is still weird to me not seeing (a lot of) vehicles on the road at all hours. I always take advantage of other vehicles on the road so I get a little more lighting since it is dark. There are typically not a lot of lights when you are outside of (major) cities. I was only riding in darkness for a couple hours before the sun started to rise. I started feeling cold after the sun was up so I pulled over to add an extra layer.

While cruising down I-44 I saw many signs with unusual phrases with the intention of deterring people from drunk driving. I also saw Uranus Fudge Factory, if only I had time to stop because it looked interesting but it was also too early. I decided I wanted breakfast a few hours into the ride. Have you ever wanted Chick-fil-A and remembered it is Sunday? Disappointed. So I went to McDonald's because it is fast and I got gas before more hours of riding. I made it to Kansas around 0830 and I was now on my way to Arkansas.

As I was riding on Missouri Route 43 (MO 43) towards Arkansas...I started seeing things on the road increasing in frequency.

Turtles every so often. Sadly one was not so lucky. So be vigilant while driving as it can be difficult to see if you are not careful. MO 43 had a couple things I did not expect to see. I saw a caboose and the AR-MO-OK Tri-State Marker.

How do I get a caboose in my yard?!

After Arkansas I was on my way to Oklahoma and at some point I also rode on historic U.S. Route 66. So I got that going for me.

I was initially going to ride through the top of Oklahoma including the panhandle. That was until the GPS said go this other route through Kansas. So I did as I was told and rode up to and through Kansas. I have had such a great time on this trip along with good weather. That was until Kansas. That is why there (really) is no place like home, California. I cannot wait to get back to Southern California where I do not have to worry about seasons or weather...or tornadoes. I just have to worry about earthquakes and fires. I had been riding away from weather (and cicadas) this whole trip and weather finally caught up to me.

I was on the phone with a friend when it started raining. My main concern was not having a decent area to equip my onesie because finding an overpass was difficult in my experience. I eventually found a Post Office in a small town with a dry area. It was not that bad but I did not know what to expect so I put on my rain suit (onesie). I covered some of my items as well to protect it from the water and carried on.

I rode through Augusta, KS and I saw a sign for a motorcycle museum. I should have stopped but I was racing the sun(set). I made a stop in Kingman, KS to take a break from the monotony and lunch. Lunch was also at McDonald's (both hiring) now with Frozen Dr Pepper. While I was at lunch I met a couple from California. The bike seems to spark a bit of conversation when people see it. They were on their way back from visiting family in Minnesota and driving back to Temecula, CA. Small world or something?

More hours of riding commenced after lunch on US 50. I knew there would some rain again because I checked the weather radar on the GPS. So as I was riding in the rain I checked the weather radar again to confirm its accuracy. Yes, it was raining. While I was riding near railroad tracks I saw a train approaching. So I did what any child person would do, I made a fist and pulled down. It was worth it. I heard the train horn right after gesturing for the train horn. Even if it was serendipitous I am still going to take credit for that particular train horn. It made this whole trip through Kansas worth it.

A couple hours after lunch I made it to Dodge City an unexpected turn of events and I was happy to see Wyatt Earp Blvd because Tombstone. I knew one other thing: Get out of Dodge! As I left Dodge I was finally able to see the sun again. Things were starting to look up.

I kept riding towards Colorado for what felt like forever. Some spots not as pleasant as I passed near some cattle farms which reminded me of some trips up to Northern California. Not the most pleasant smell if you need context. It was mostly flat for miles with sometimes trees in random patches. I also wondered why are barns red? And then it was windy. I do not like it when it is windy and it was worse as semi-trucks passed by. You could be tossed around quite a bit so be careful. Just lean into it or something?

I finally made it to Colorado around 1947 with just a few hours to go before reaching my destination. The clouds did not look welcoming but I was on a mission. I called my friend to give them an update and they said there was a chance of thunderstorms. I kept going because Kansas had a similar forecast and it was only water. Well it turns out Colorado had different plans for me. Shortly after I got off the phone the clouds seem to light up on occasion. I hoped my eyes were just lying to my brain (they were not). I pulled up the weather radar on the GPS again so I could confirm the severity of the ominous clouds.

It was red so probably not great. I decided to call it night once I could find the next town, hopefully before the clouds because I kept seeing lightning. I rolled into Lamar, CO and found a room for the night. The Quality Inn staff was able to accommodate my first floor request and they let me keep my bike in front of the window near the lobby.

I had to let my friend know I would sadly be delayed until the weather cleared up. I was only (3) three grueling hours away from my destination. A detour around would likely be too much and still risky.

I was devastated I did not hit 1000+ miles again hence the title of this post, but it is more important to have future opportunities. Blerg, weather!