R17 20 RideOut Day 3: Nemahahahahahahahaha

Here we are

We pulled into Nemaha and wound through the tiny streets to the "downtown." I wondered if Hazel was still alive, and it turns out: yes! So we parked the bikes and went inside. Hazel looked a little healthier, like she'd lost some weight, but the store was the same, except, with less snack options, no coffee, and a single variety of soda: Squirt. 

Steven went to the bathroom and gave me that secret look she gives and a tiny "no" head shake. So we said goodbye to Hazel and did a bit of a beaver-leaver and headed to the very shady park on the other side of the street. We sat on the gazebo and got some snacks out of the fun-pannier and did some map-analysis. 

Nemaha ahahahaha

There was some lingering grumpiness from hotel-wasted-Mayor-gate the night before and none of us were ready to let it go. So we snacked and mapped and tried to ignore one another. 

Then we had a welcome distraction. The RM pulled up at Hazel's. We walked over and said hello and they brought their bikes over to hang out with us for a bit. We did some chatting about routes and finally decided we would head north out of Nemaha, then take 71 to the south side of Storm Lake and then wind our way into town on the bike trail. 

The RM was headed a different direction, so we wouldn't be seeing them until we got to Cherokee, we thought. 

Before we left town we stopped at the Co-op. Wow, was it nice! No one was in there, it was carpeted and quiet and air conditioned, with a brand new bathroom for chamois creme application. 

I decided to turn on an audio book to listen to for the long mid morning stretch. My selection was Hampton Sides, In the Kingdom of Ice. It is the tale of a group of explorers that decided to travel to the north pole, via the Pacific Ocean. They believed that they could break through the ring of ice on the pole and hit open water in the middle and then sail to the north pole. 

That, didn't happen. In fact, it ended in disaster. 

I'll try to remember approximately where I was as I was riding along, but my thinking was, that I wanted to at least get my brain into the head space of being very cold and listen to the tales of people who were more miserable than me. 

Bon voyage!