Day 299
George Washington Carver
‘He could have added fortune to fame, but caring for neither, he found happiness and honor in being helpful to the world.’ – words from the tombstone of George Washington Carver.
Tom let me sleep in! Even though the Derrick Inn was next to Highway 96 it was really quiet. I also think building a motel then putting a roof over the building helped. It was a crazy place, I guess the idea of sitting by the pool, being battered by the wind didn’t make a lot of sense but put a roof over it? Sorted!
I did Ness City a disservice in yesterday’s post, as we cycled out, past grand old buildings it was clearer why it was a called city.
Our plan for the next few days is to get to Pueblo in the foothills of the Rockies and have a proper break for 3 or 4 nights. We will be able to get some kit for the bikes and ourselves, get the blog and films updated but also REST!
Just the small matter of nearly 300 miles to go after yesterday’s mega effort. To start with it was pretty easy and we had 15 miles in the bag without really trying. All along the roadside throughout the US are signs bearing the words, ‘Historical Marker’. We have cycled by dozens of these but shame on us we don’t often stop. So today Tom had seen on Google Maps this one was titled ‘Homestead of a Genius’, which sparked our interest. We ensured we stopped and I am so glad we did. We were just a mile or so North from where George Washington Carver had built his sod house and farmed for a few years. He was an incredibly talented man, a former slave who developed farming methods to improve yields whilst also preserving the soil. He overcame so many disadvantages to gain an education and use his knowledge to selflessly help others.
Reading more details about his life later in the day Tom and I were deeply moved by what he went through. We have popped a link above if you want to know more. If ever you think you’re having a bad day, just read this guy’s story and try not to be completely humbled. Eating our lunch in a ditch for shelter, again, we felt so very lucky.
We returned to the road, and entered Lane County. The road curved slightly and the headwind became a side wind for a couple of miles. It was fantastic, but it was tantalisingly brief, and soon we were back to grinding out the miles. We had hoped to make Scott City, a ride of 60 miles but as the powerful gusts repeatedly hit us, we decided to stop at the next town, Dighton. The town has never been large, the population peaked in the 1940s at around 1,500 but has been steadily declining and is now less than 1,000. It’s hard to see if many of these small rural towns will survive. An earlier claim to fame is that in the 1920s the ‘Fleagle Gang’ robbed the local bank. One of the gang was shot so they kidnapped the local doctor, then after he treated the wounded gang member, they shot the doctor and dumped his body in a ravine. They got their comeuppance, the FBI used the newly developed technique of finger printing, and they became the first people to be convicted using this technology in the USA.
Deighton seems a calm safe place today, we checked into the local motel, we had a choice of 2, and this one won out due to it having glass in all it’s windows!
Now just 260 miles to Pueblo!
