Day Zero: September 12-14; Fort Collins to Nebraska City

It is one-day drive to the starting point of our cycling. We broke it up into 2.5 days to give us time in Red Cloud, Beatrice, and Nebraska City. 

We drove to McCook, Nebraska on the 12th, staying at the Horse Creek Inn. We did our usual drive-by of the Frank Lloyd Wright designed Sutton house. We discovered it there decades ago only because the architect is so obvious to the eye.

First stop on the 13th was the town of Red Cloud where Willa Cather lived for a decade of her early life. After a day and a half of driving we finished listening to the Librivox audio recording of her O Pioneers, as we arrived. Her home is closed to inside tours while they create a handicap-access ramp that preserves the historic look of the house. However, the visitor center on the main street downtown--a few blocks away--afforded us ample opportunity to learn more about her. We know a little about McClure's magazine where she worked in New York City but want to learn more about its associate editor, Willa Cather.

We drove on to Beatrice, Nebraska where we stayed in the Victoria Inn after an informative two hours at the National Park Service's Homestead National Historic Park.

 

The short drive to Nebraska City on the 14th gave us time to prepare our bicycles and get ourselves organized at Whispering Pines bed-n-breakfast, as well as to visit the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center at the edge of town and the Kregel Windmill Factory Museum downtown. The latter was especially interesting. Bob found a well point there made at Johnson Well Screen Company in St. Paul, Minnesota. There is a one-in-several-million chance that this is the second time he touched it. He worked at this well-screen factory during the summers of 1962-3-4.

 

 

 

We arrived later in the afternoon at Whispering Pines Bed & Breakfast, a lovely renovated 1878 home with modern comforts, a sweeping lawn in back with gardens, pond and a small  waterfall. Jeanna Stavis, the marvelous innkeeper, just back from a bike ride herself, graciously allowed us to leave our car there for a week, provided wonderful information about the area, and we felt immediately at home here.

 

 

 

Nebraska City has reasons to consider itself the point of origin of Arbor Day (Look it up!). They hold an annual two-weekend celebration. By chance, we will bicycle out of town on the day the annual celebration begins and then expect to drive away before its second weekend.

Day 1 Friday, September 15: Nebraska City to Glenwood, Iowa; 34.5 miles

to Arthur Hotel, 707 S. Locust St.

 

 

After a delicious gourmet breakfast on the wrap-around porch, unpacking and setting up the bikes, and posing for Jeanna to take our start picture, we were off.  We first crossed the  Missouri River from Nebraska City into Iowa, smoothly making two tricky turns.

Friendly Iowans, for examples: There was Reinhardt who exited his pickup and then waited for us to make our turn and tell our story; there was the ex-army-airborne and jeep hobybyist who (though likely called by a neighbor because we were hanging out in the shade by the once auto-repair shop where he told us he has two of his jeeps) offered us some good advice on roads to take.

We learned that Google can fail to distinguish gravel roads from asphalt when suggesting bicycle routes. Also, this part of Iowa is returning some asphalt roads to gravel and happens to be laying down some large, crushed-rock that challenged us. 

Despite this, we were afforded beautiful views of farms, the Loess Hills, and the yellows of the sunflowers, golden rods, drying soybean plants.

We found ourselves on portions of Adventure Cycling's Lewis and Clark bicycle route. 'saw signs of recent floods and high winds.

Predicted rain never came. Temps in the high 70s. Both sun and overcast.

Marney saw a praying mantis on the highway

 

Loess Hills scenic byway

Day 2: Saturday, September 16 to Omaha, NE, 29 miles [63.5]

 to Embassy Suites by Hilton, 555 S. 10^th St.

 

We awoke to dense fog, slow to clear; thunder began followed by rain. 

We dressed for rain but wisely decided to wait. The rain stopped and the fog lifted. Starting late fit our mood. We enjoyed beautiful weather the rest of the day.

 

It was all up-hill (not really but nearly) from Glenwood. We were still in the Loess Hills. The narrow shoulders were rumble strips. We took our place in the car lane. Courteous drivers gave us a wide birth, sounding the center rumble strips as they passed--not a bother but a helpful sound cue. This describes most of the first 18 miles or so of the day. After that we were mostly on bike trails in Iowa and city streets in Nebraska.

At one point a flashing red light appeared in Marney's mirror. Police? We stopped and waited as a funeral procession of cars with lit headlights passed us. !!! 

The Omaha-Council Bluffs bike network is maturing. We were able to cross the Missouri River bridge back into Nebraska on a separated bike trail. Multiple bike trails lead us to the bridge, and over and under roads and railroads. It is a mature, well-engineered approach to a city . It must have required extensive planning and funds. 'not yet perfect, but already impressive.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We even sampled a few miles of the Wabash Trace Nature Trail that we will cycle on Monday. The ground stone surface, in this area at least, is quite conducive to comfortable cycling.

We had routed ourselves to the Lauritzen Gardens (Omaha Botanical Garden) but arrived too late and too tired to sample much. We were also too late for the cup of coffee we had both been craving all day. Admission was free because of our membership at Gardens On Spring Creek in Fort Collins. Marney did do a quickie circuit of a couple gardens and the conservatory. Bob enjoyed the ambience of the main building.

We know this is a must stop for a longer visit.

Our nice urban arrival from the Gardens to the Embassy Suites felt like "coming home" because we had stayed at the same hotel in Minnesota two years ago for the Komives family reunion. 

Sunday is a rest day for us, perfectly timed.

We have proved that we can still cycle, but we know we are still getting into shape. The end of each day feels wonderful. We judge our free drinks and snacks at Embassy Suites to be our just reward.

 

Day 3: Sunday, September 17, in Omaha, 3 miles [66.5]

We had a lazy day and got onto our bikes only to explore the Old Market area (not the active-old market which is only open on Saturdays). We like the area's brick streets, walks, and repurposed historic buildings. Among the shops and restaurants  we found a little convenience- store-coffee house where we bought picnic food for Day 4. We fueled ourselves at the Spaghetti Factory.

We also explored the nicely-evolving, newly-dedicated, riverfront with access to the bridge named "Bob" where we begin Day 4 by crossing back into Iowa. Sitting far below the bridge along the access path is Omar, the Blue Troll. He will grant your wish if you touch one of his blue toes.

 

Day 4: Monday, September 18: Omaha to Malvern, NE, (Wabash Trace Nature Trail), 33.5 miles [100]

               to Malvern Depot 305 W. 5TH   

Our early morning departure (7:45)  and the crossing of the Missouri River back into Iowa provided us with beautiful views with the recently-risen sun as the backdrop. Council Bluffs, Iowa has, like Omaha,  created a beautiful, landscaped, walkable riverfront.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Just past Harrah's casino, we encountered an early surprise--a 1 mile detour. Unable to go under I-29, we follow a detour; it even took us onto I-29's very wide shoulder for 1/2 mile. We then followed the 8 mile route to the Wabash Trace Nature Trail easily-but-not-pleasantly (truck route).

Our next 22 miles were a pleasant, shady ride on the crushed limestone (paved with concrete near some towns) Wabash Trace Nature Trail. It is  a convertion of a railroad right-of-way. Completed in 1997, it runs 63 miles over 72 bridges through scenic southwest Iowa countryside. Special details for us were "adopted" bridges, dedicated benches, the crunch of fallen leaves and black walnuts on the trail, as well as a large 'picnic' area ,"Margaritaville." The tradition of local riders, spring through fall, is a Thursday Night "Taco Ride "from Omaha/Council Bluffs, to Mineola for dinner and back. They often gather in "Margaritaville" for a refreshment break.

After  Mineola (population 220) , we arrived in Silver City (population 245). Riding slowly around the village, we were invited to a cup of coffee and conversation with Rich in Rich's Man Cave, a former gas station packed to the brim with all his collections. He has lived in Silver City for 63 years, served on village council for 35 years, was fire chief for a while. He is a dedicated Shriner and is the proud owner of blue Corvette convertible for Shriner parades and more.

We arrived in Malvern (population 1,046) about 12:45--in time for lunch at the Classic Cafe before they closed at 2. We ate good chicken salad sandwiches for lunch and left with the pulled-pork and salad we enjoyed for our dinner. (No restaurants are open here on Monday and Tuesday nights.) We are staying at the old Malvern depot which was converted to a cozy, delightful Air BnB  right on the trail. Apparently it was built to be the depot, never served as such, got preserved by volunteers, and was finally put to use as a fun AirBnB.