Day 30!! Broken Bow to St. Paul, Nebraska

Distance: 69.3 miles

Elevation: +2163/-2872

Temperatures: 60s-low 80s and cloudy

We all felt a little tired today because of the long, long rides we’ve been piling on over the last week. And the ride today wasn’t bad at all...in fact, it was quite pleasant, with gentle hills through the rolling meadows of cattle country, little traffic, and pleasant temperatures. But our legs, our backs and our rears are just TIRED, and we can’t wait for a rest day in Omaha in two days!!

We left Broken Bow around 6:15am after a wonderful full breakfast at the hotel (complete with bacon, biscuits and cinnamon rolls!). We rode on Route 2 (a busy road with a wide but often messy shoulder) before getting off after Loup City and onto Route 92. That was hillier but much quieter; we met many more tractors and saw some beautiful farms and miles and miles of pasture. Of course, we saw cows - our constant companions out here - but we also saw llamas, pretty wildflowers, and “farm art.” And we saw our first soybean field...we’re leaving ranch land and entering farmland now! At every stop, someone here asks us where we’re from, what we’re doing, and wishes us well. Folks sure are nice here.

We’re staying at a rental house on a pretty little lake near St. Paul, Nebraska. Our ride tomorrow is ANOTHER 100+ so it will be early to bed, early to rise for our little troop tomorrow!

Highlights:

Fewer expansion cracks in the pavement!

A cabin by the lake!

Lowlights:

Being tired. But this, too, shall pass...after tomorrow!

Sand and gravel at the end of the ride.