June 10 Update

Benedict Kansas Store

I rolled into Ash Grove, Mo. on June 7th, after a long but very nice ride. Ash Grove is another tiny town with a two block main street that has seen more prosperous times. I was expecting to camp in the city park, but a lady named Milissa, working at City Hall, invited me in, took my picture, had me sign the Trans-Am lot book, explained to me how to find the park and gave me a key to the hostel in the park.

The hostel was a pleasant surprise. It has a nice shower, cots, towels, kitchen, and air conditioning. I met an east bound rider there, named Jim Bogeyman. We had dinner together and had a good conversation about touring and our mutual distaste for President Trump. We both got up early the next morning, went out for breakfast, and headed off in opposite directions, me looking at easier days ahead and Jim facing the hills of Misery.

On the 8th, I made it into Kansas and spent the night in a Patel Motel. I ate dinner a Applebees across the street and then went next door to the Wal-Mart for supplies (One of those bike seat cushions for my sore butt, Ice Cream, and beer.).

Benedict Kansas

Here's where my ride got a bit interesting. On the 9th, I rode about 75 miles and ended up in a really tiny community named Benedict, Kansas. The map said there was store there and I could camp behind the store or the church. The store was an old country store, probably built in the 20s, filled with all kinds of junk and an odd assortment of supplies. Looking at it from outside, I wasn't , at first, even sure it was in business. I go inside to be greeted by "Pastor Joe" who gave me an Ice Cream bar, something to drink, and started in on his life story. He invited me over to his house for dinner and a place to sleep, and a chance to hear about 150 years of adventures and misadventures crammed into his 76 years of life. This sounded better than sleeping on the ground and eating Beanie-Weinies, so I followed him home to his hovel.

Now, don't get me wrong, he was a really nice person, and I absolutely appreciate the dinner and a place to stay, but it was a strange experience.

The house really was a wreck, the roof leaked and some of the ceiling tiles were falling down. His wife had been dead for a number of years, and housekeeping had suffered. He had two small dogs running in and out, and a big hound tied out back. There were religion books and tracts everywhere.

He did fix a nice supper and we ate off real plates with a tablecloth and cloth napkins. He took a long time to eat because he had to continue his life story and to warn me of the perils we American are facing, all the while punctuating his remarks with Chapter and Verse and biblical names as commonly spoken and in Hebrew. You see, at some point after he found God, he also discovered he had Jewish roots, so he approached things in a sort of Jew for Jesus manner. About half way through dinner, there was a knock on the door, and a younger man named Wayne came in. He was a big guy about 40 years old and a bit high strung as in perhaps dangerously bat shit crazy. But nice enough otherwise.

I learned some things that I was not even remotely aware of, for instance, did you know that the Russians and Chinese have nuclear subs stationed off the East and West coasts and 30000 tanks propositioned in Mexico and 30000 more in Canada, and they are preparing to launch the missiles, destroy the coastal city's and invade the mid west.

I've seen a few unflattering comments about Pastor Joe in other bike rider blogs, but I really appreciate what he does. It seems that he who has the least often gives the most.

I have to stop now, the Library in Eureka, Kansas is about to close, I'll try to edit and finish this post later, but I feel it's important to go ahead and get this message out.