Morning woke up cool and almost sticky with humidity, but it didn't actually feel humid.
We waited to leave until I could have some hotel Waffles! They just about made my morning. Then we were on the road around 7:00.
As we headed east, there were very few other cars on the road and most of them were headed west toward town. Some fog could be seen which was a change from the last few days in the desert.
As we started down the road, the mountains loomed above. In the deep morning shadows, they almost looked imposing.
We curved around some of the mountains and started our way up. It was a gorgeous morning and I was glad we waited to do the last mountain run until early in the morning. It would have been a mistake to go farther the previous evening.
La Veta Pass was pretty mild compared to many of the other passes we've taken on this adventure. I kept a close eye out for deer and elk though since the cool morning would have been the perfect time for them to be out. Thankfully, I saw none. We saw few, if any, cars while traversing the pass.
Making our way past Walsenburg, I was reminded of our first trip out West in 2004. We rode CO10 from La Junta to Walsenburg as we entered the Rocky Mountains for the first time on a motorcycle - then a 2004 Electraglide. I was mesmerized by the looming mountains in the distance as they grew ever larger. On this trip, I watched them fade into the distance in my rear view mirrors on the same road.
Much has changed in the last 12 years of roaming the country on two-wheels. But much has not changed. I ruminated on this for much of the morning. The scenery change through La Junta is shocking. Safe to say, we knew we were in the plains.
We continued east. Elevation dropped. Temperatures rose. The scenery was still pretty in its own way, just not quite as majestic as the mountains. We saw many pronghorn antelope as we rode - many of them hanging out with the cows.
It was hard to stop the mind from wander back to home: how long the lawn probably is, how the dogs are.
By the time we crossed the state line into Kansas, it was getting hot. Humidity was just starting to build, but it wasn't oppressive ... yet.
We continued into Kansas and I noticed the turn off for Holcomb. Holcomb is where the Clutter's lived, and were they were brutally murdered. The murders were written about by Truman Capote in In Cold Blood. I have read another more factual book on the murders and I think the house still stands. Unlike Lizzie Borden's House, which is now a museum and Bed and Breakfast, the Clutter house, if it still exists, is a private residence and as I understand, the area does not like the notoriety that came from Truman Capote's book. As an aside, there is evidence the Harper Lee wrote as much of In Cold Blood as Truman Capote did - which may explain why it is so much better than Breakfast at Tiffany's.
Shortly after Holcomb, I think the GPS had a brain meltdown as it routed us way down to Dodge City. I chose my own route going in a more northerly direction. I think this was the better option.
We continued riding east throughout the afternoon. The heat and humidity grew to oppressive levels. The wind picked up to an unruly horror. The effect of the wind was that it felt at times like someone was trying to tear my head off, or beat me over the head with a sack of potatoes. At least the wind was from the south, had it been from the north, then every truck going by would have smacked us with a huge wind wall.
Between the heat, humidity and wind, the last few hours were not the most fun of this adventure. But we soldiered on, never even finding a good place for lunch. Snacks at the gas station it was...
Eventually we made it to Ottawa, Kansas for the night. Our reservation was accidentally made for one person. The hotel guy started to get into a big explanation of one vs. two guests. We were both tired and just wanted a room.
Dinner options were limited as neither of us wanted to get back on the bike to go eat. Papa John's pizza from the gas station next door tasted much better than it should have.
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