No riding today! We spent the day in Atchison Kansas, the birthplace of Amelia Earhart. The town is not much to speak of. In its heyday it was an important rail hub linking West to East before Kansas City became big. The rail line is still fairly active, with 30 or so trains coming through every day, but I’m sure it is nothing like in the early steam engine days.
We visited Amelia Earhart’s home where she was born and where she lived until she was 12 years old. This is Atchison’s real claim to fame. It was actually her grandparents home, it sits up high on a bluff overlooking the city- very nice spot.
I went to the rail museum and visitor center by the rail yard which was interesting. A steam locomotive and various old rail cars in various states of disrepair. Talked with one of the docents there who let me in to one of the cabooses in the yard. Nothing like the Scranton rail museum which has all those locomotives including several that actually operate.
I passed by a giant concrete feed silo complex and went in to the office area to inquire about it. Turns out these giant concrete silos are no longer used, but it is too expensive to tear them down so they just leave them standing there. Probably still be there 200 years from now- they are BIG and I’m sure super expensive to tear down and get rid of all that concrete.
The day was beautiful- the wind calmed down and it was sunny skies and in the high 70s. I wanted to go to the Amelia Earhart hangar museum at the airport 5 miles away, but couldn’t get there. NO Uber service, NO taxis at all in Atchison, NO Lyft service. I would have taken my bike out there, but we got back to the campsite too late, the museum closed at 4:30. Oh well- next time I pass by Atchison Kansas I will surely go to it!
It was nice to get a day off the bike- we had a great dinner of eggs, bacon and pancakes! Prepared by Tom- he’s from Australia so breakfast was more appropriate for his time zone. It was quite delicious!
Biking across the USA with Mike 
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