It was a fine campsite last night, without a dew. It was mild and calm when I stepped back out on the road and headed north.
I was soon walking in shirt sleeves (and pants) cranking out miles.
Turkey vultures were sunning themselves on this barn roof. The road turned west. Ahead loomed bluffs on the other side of the river. Kansas!
Turkey vultures sunning on barn
It takes me an hour to do three miles, and I reached the bridge in an hour and a half.
The bridge signs said:
KANSAS
WELCOME TO ATCHISON
BIRTHPLACE OF AMELIA EARHEART
There were wide shoulders and light traffic so the crossing was enjoyable.
Railroad bridge, Kansas border, Missouri River
I immediately liked the town. My enthusiasm zoomed when I saw a buffet at a pizza place, opening in… 5 minutes!
It was a fine salad bar and good pizza. The pizza ladies asked what I was up to and were excited about the trip.
With over 50 miles of no resupply ahead of me I headed over to the grocery store then started walking through town. There were dozens of cool old houses, porches, columns, turrets.
A guy mowing the roadside ditches with a tractor hopped off to talk to me. He’d seen me way over in Missouri and said he’d just texted his friend, saying I must have done 20 miles today already. Not yet, but a trip like this is his dream.
I was getting lots of waves and was offered a couple of rides. The friendliest stretch of the trail so far!
At about 21 miles I was feeling perky but I’d looked at the aerial photo and there was nothing for camping for nearly 10 more miles except for this nice patch of woods. And here I camp.
Clark
30th June Satturday 1804 Set out verry early this morning, a verry large wolf Came to the bank and looked at us this morning,
July 1st 1804, last night one of the Sentinals Chang’d either a man or Beast, which run off, all prepared for action…we delayed three hours, the day being excessively hot, Turkeys are plenty on the Shore, G. Drewyer inform that he Saw PueCanns Trees on S. S. yesterday great quantities of raspburies an Grapes
July 3
…we halted at an old Tradeing house, here we found a verry fat horse, which appears to have been lost a long time a butifull Small run passes back of the Tradeing house near the high land, we came to at a round bend on the L. S. and Camped
July 4th Wednesday 1804…a Snake bit Jo. Fields on the Side of his foot which Swelled much, apply Barks to the wound…as this Creek has no name, and this day is the 4th of July, we name this Independance us. Creek…The Plains of this countrey are covered with a Leek Green Grass, well calculated for the sweetest and most norushing hay-interspersed with Cops of trees, Spreding ther lofty branchs over Pools Springs or Brooks of fine water. Groops of Shrubs covered with the most delicious froot is to be seen in every direction, and nature appears to have exerted herself to butify the Senery by the variety of flours Delicately and highly flavered raised above the Grass, which Strikes & profumes the Sensation, and amuses the mind throws it into Conjecterng the cause of So magnificent a Senerey in a Country thus Situated far removed from the Sivilised world to be enjoyed by nothing but the Buffalo Elk Deer & Bear in which it abounds & Savage Indians
Trip overview and route map with position updates:
https://bucktrack.com/Lewis_and_Clark_Trail.html
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