60.8 miles cycling, 1136′ of climbing (2580 tot) – to read from the beginning, click here.
The less than Super 8 also had a less than super breakfast, but we did manage to get some nourishment. Today, fortunately, the weather was better. No rain and the wind was at our backs for the first time in 4 days. We were on US highway 275 which was pretty good. Fairly nice shoulders until we got to it a 12 mile construction zone. There were some dicey moments on that section but generally it was fine and flat and again that wind at our back. We made it to West Point in pretty good time and decided that we would continue on to Scribner.
At West point, Dana called the the city office in Scribner to see about camping in their park and they referred us to Laurie at the Swanson Insurance agency. She was on the board of the county fair and told us the county fairgrounds did have camping and restrooms and showers. Off we went!
We had to pass the fairgrounds on the way in to Scribner so we checked them out and found that all the restrooms were locked. So we stopped at the Swanson Insurance Agency on Main Street and talked to Laurie and Colleen. Laurie made some calls and said she would go and open one of the restrooms for us. They also recommended Mel’s bar as a right currently only place in town to go because the other restaurant was closed on Tuesdays. So we headed to Mel’s, almost next door. We soon found out Mel’s was owned by a guy named Joe, and his daughter Sydney was behind the bar. Joe got up and tossed us a couple of “Mel’s” t-shirts.
We met and talked to everybody in the bar. I sat beside Tim and he bought us a round. Dana chatted with Paul and Ernie. We then left to get showers and set our tent up with the goal of coming back for happy hour and dinner.
Back at the campground we surveyed for a good spot to camp, but the campground was all gravel and made for RVs that stayed there during the County Fair: very little grass in that area. So we ended up camped by one of the playgrounds near a pavilion, which made a bit of a walk to the restroom shower. We had to do some work in the restroom. The sink was extremely dirty. Looked like somebody had washed their muddy boots. The shower stall was clean but had a coiled hose on the floor. Once we made those adjustments everything was fine. We got our showers and headed back to Mel’s.
More conversations with Joe revealed he raised Sidney as a single parent after his divorce, retired from the Government and bought Mel’s and eventually the food store down the street just to keep it open for the locals. Really great guy.
Also at the happy hour stint was Steve, owner of the insurance agency where Laurie and Coleen worked. Tight little town and everyone knew everyone.
