GreatPlains2012

Day 11

Saturday, 23 Jun 2012
Topeka, KS to Lawrence, KS
36.6 miles, 3h39m, 10.0 mph
Elapsed Time: 5h00m, Max speed: 28.0mph
Total Climbing: 1541ft, Max elevation: 1100ft
Total mileage: 719.7

Normally I would consider a ride of less than 40 miles to be a rolling rest day. But with the hills, wind, and dirt roads, today was no rest.

It was raining when I woke up, so this was a good day to get a late start. So I watched the Formula 1 qualifying and waited for the roads to dry. I hit the road around 10am.

I rode across the city of Topeka and visited a few tourist attractions.

Topeka was where the Brown v. Board of Education lawsuit originated.
And this is the school that was integrated.
Now it's a civil rights museum.

Then I rode over to the capitol grounds. They have a statue of Abe Lincoln.

They are working on the capitol. I've been here before so I didn't go in.

Here's an intriguing relief. Not sure what it means.

I left town on a bike path that was not particularly scenic. Then it ended and dumped me on to a road. I believe this is the Kansas Capital Trail or some such thing--since it connects the original territorial capital (Lecompton) and the current capital (Topeka)--but there are no signs or anything.

But watch out for the fog!

Eventually it turned into dirt. For a while it looked like it might rain,

I'm no meteorologist, but that looks like a front.

I climbed a big hill and found myself in Lecompton during its annual "Territorial Days."

This is Constitution Hall, where the infamous Lecompton Constitution was drafted.
It would have admitted Kansas as a slave state, but it was defeated. The anti-slavery
people moved the capital to Topeka and now Lecompton is a very small town.

This is the Territorial Capital Museum. I don't think it was ever actually the territorial capitol building.

From Lecompton is was a lot of hills and headwinds until I reached the big box store district of Lawrence. Then I had a serious jones for a Starbucks frappuccino, so I stopped and put one of those away. After that it was up and down until I reached my motel.

Tonight I have to figure out what I'm doing Monday. I'm thinking about redirecting southwards to hit the Katy Trail a half day sooner and avoid some hills. Tomorrow will be all about getting through Kansas City while doing as much tourism as possible without getting my bike stolen. Should be fun.

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