Rest Day in Tribune, KS

We didn't plan on taking a day off so soon into our trip, but we are tired and the weather forecast for today is that rain is likely. Our physical condition is fine, but we have ridden nearly 240 miles in 4 days while pulling a heavy load. That translates into an average of 6 hours a day on the bike. In short, our butts and our psyches need a break.

Some of you have asked why we are riding so many miles so early in our trip. Study the map of eastern Colorado and western Kansas and our photos of the scenery along the route. Unless one plans to sleep in a field of wheat stubble, there is no choice. Its a long way between real towns out here.

Tribune is one of those, a town of perhaps 2,000 people in western Kansas. It is obviously dependent on oil and gas, farming, and livestock raising (I have lurking suspicion that yesterday's encounter with the "rotten cheese" truck had something to do with the latter). Tribune appears to thriving, with a number of businesses in addition to the typical cafes, grocery store, etc. The people here have been uniformly nice to us, consistent with the small-town experiences we have had elsewhere.
There no doubt it's a western town. For example, last night as we left the bar where we had dinner (it was taco night, and they were good - all 9 of them!) we saw two other patrons riding away on horses as the sun was setting.

We're staying in a lovely little cottage that is available for rent to cyclists like us. We've not met the owner, only chatted on the phone, but she never asked for a credit card number or the rent in advance. Instead, she simply told us to leave the $ and the key when we depart tomorrow. They may not have many of the things that we enjoy in urban areas, but I don't think anyone here worries about drive-by shootings, home invasions, child abductions, etc.