65 miles (105 km) – Total so far: 1,607 miles (2,586 km)

My amateur meteorology and veteran touring strategy proved extremely valuable as the heavens were apocalyptically torn asunder at around 8:00 this morning. We had to wait until almost noon to get going, but once the storm front finally passed through we experienced some really cool cycling. Kansas had the smell of a fresh scrubbing as we started rolling along with strong tailwinds. The sky was torn into tatters from the recent storm and water was everywhere. As we screamed along at over 20MPH from the tailwind we saw the firmament gradually reknit. Fortunately there were no flooded roads, but several bridges were a close thing.



I’m on to Wichita for some much needed rest. My lovely, amazing, and beautiful wife is flying in for a couple of days to reconnect right here in the middle of this grand adventure. In case I hadn’t mentioned it yet, she is a queen among women. This trip to Wichita is off-route, so I said goodbye to Tuan and Jess and launched into a Google mapped path. The road to Wichita is a US highway, which are best avoided. Barring that, selective amnesia is a good plan.
US highways are tough on the nerves. Combining that with a late start, I opted for a cute little historical hotel in Beaumont, KS. The eponymous Beaumont Hotel has been around since 1879, where it was once a stage coach stop. Since the mid 20th century, it has found an incredibly unique niche: it caters to aviators. A grass landing strip nearby hosts regular single engine planes. The hotel even has airplane parking. Fortunately, they still cater to the occasional horsebound traveller, so Persephone sidled up to the drinking trough while I saw the proprietor about a room.

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