day 25: Norfolk to Blair

First off: TODAY IS OUR HALFWAY POINT!! WOOHOO!

So another hot day was forecasted in Nebraska, which meant another early morning wake up call. We were downstairs and eating breakfast by 6:30 am when they set it out. Jac & Soph worked on the route (trying to avoid more gravel roads) while the rest of us ate and watched the morning news. The weatherman said we were in the worst heat wave of the year, with insane humidity and winds. Not *exactly* what we wanted to hear.

Thankfully, we got an early enough of a start to enjoy the morning weather. The first 30 miles were actually the most gorgeous experience we’ve had in days. We had rolling hills, but honestly, we missed them. Flat ground means that we literally pedal EVERY mile, verses rolling hills where we may have to work harder to go up, but we get the satisfaction of the downhill. Plus, the hills block a lot of the wind!

We rolled over the hills, enjoyed the gorgeous greenery and farmlands that surrounded them. Eventually, we all had to use the restroom, so we stopped at a little gas station in Wisner.

Before even walking in the door, we met a man named Wayne. He was asking about our trip, and just making small talk. I could tell Jac was staring at the cinnamon roll in his hand, and she eventually asked if he bought that inside. He responded with “Yes, I did. Wait, could I buy you guys breakfast? You can just put it on my tab with Shelly at the register.” HOW SWEET.

Wayne was actually in a hurry, but he said he would try and come back if we were still here AND potentially get the newspaper to do a story on us! The lady at the register, Shelly, was also so sweet, and asked to take a selfie with us. She later messaged us on Instagram and said she would like to donate $100 & her daughter would love to donate and meet up with us on the east coast! It’s crazy what a little stop at a gas station can do.

After coffee, donuts, and fruit (thanks, Wayne!) we were on our way once again. Miles later, we stopped again to refill our waters. We ended up in a McDonalds in West Point, and once again, all eyes were on us. We got talking with the manager and other locals, and they were so intrigued. We took a picture with them, and the manager ended up contacting us later on Facebook to encourage us and thank us for stopping by. I’m absolutely loving all of these small town connections we are making.

We finally met up with Em & Rach at mile 55 at another gas station. We took our lunch break, bought some more treats (we are honestly hungry 24/7), and then tried to get back on the road. Ash had some tire issues prior in the day, so she tried to pump them back up at the rest. Her tire ended up blowing. TWICE.

Multiple tubes later, and we were out of luck. We had used all of our spare tubes up until this point, so we began to patch them with our free patch kits from a bike shop back in Wyoming. The first patched tube blew, AGAIN.

Three hours later, and we finally got her tire to hold a full pump. At this point, though, it was SO hot and windy and humid (as usual). It took a lot to get us back on the road again.

Also, Nebraskan roads are poopy… we can’t wait to get to Iowa (it’s known to be a good cycling state)!!

We rode some more rolling hills with lots of green fields, and even a good ole’ possum that had been ran over. The amount of roadkill we’ve passed on this trip is repulsive. yuck.

Our finish line for the day was in a quaint little town called Blair, only 2.5 miles from the Iowa border. Blair reminded me a lot of Glendora, and the ride in was full of big green trees and the cutest little homes that looked like they belonged on the east coast. My heart was happy (and not just because we were finally getting out of the sun).

We hopped in the car after packing up in a church parking lot, and drove into Omaha. Can we just take a moment to appreciate big towns? These 7 girls have been deprived of real people and real places. These towns with populations of 4 & 10 are killin’ us.

Although we don’t ride through Omaha, our house for the night was there. We explored the city for a bit, including FINALLY getting boba (I think I’ve been talking about it for the past 25 days, and I don’t even usually like boba?) and stopping in a bike shop. Thanks Green Street Cyclery for donating 10 new tubes to us!

After getting our big-city fix, we headed to our house for the night. Ashley’s old roommate, Taylor DeCosta, had a grandmother in Omaha. We pulled up to Grammy Anne’s house and were welcomed with open arms. Her son, Taylor’s father, was also in town for the night.

When I entered the house, I immediately felt at home & I wasn’t quite sure why. Then, I realized… they layout and decorations of the home were IDENTICAL to my Gram’s in Philadelphia. It made me so much more excited to keep cycling to the east coast where I will get to see my Gram in a few short weeks. Gram, if you’re reading this, I love you & can’t wait to see you! xoxo

Grammy Anne & her son, Wayne, made us a delicious meal consisting of sloppy joes, fresh fruit/jello, macaroni salad, beans, and chocolate milk! We were in heaven with this yummy home-cooked meal (followed by ice cream and homemade brownies)!

We were even more thankful when we found out that Grammy Anne is moving soon AND it’s her birthday tomorrow! She took in 7 young girls during a really stressful/busy time, and we were in awe at her willing to serve us.

We cozied up on the beds & couches in our home for the night, thankful to have met such kind Nebraskans before we leave the state tomorrow morning. Thanks Grammy Anne & Wayne for making our stay one to remember!

day 25: 88.89 miles, 2171 feet of elevation gain