The Night Before
Wednesday, May 21, 2025
Lisa: I got smart(er) this time and split the drive in two. I left Denver on Tuesday around noon and drove to WaKeeney so that I could stop every hour and walk for a ten-minute half mile. So Wednesday I wasn’t deliriously exhausted after driving 500 miles from my house in Littleton, Colorado, to Marianne’s in Overland Park, Kansas. And this time, there was no wedding! We were excited to get to spend the night at the same Airbnb we did last time–the refurbished old city hall.
Marianne: I left my fleece on the couch at home, so we had to go to Walmart to find a replacement. The only thing left from the winter season was an oversized Venom fleece (photo below). We both packed way too much, so tomorrow morning, we will separate what we need and what we think we need.
Ottawa, Kansas
Airbnb, Old City Hall
Last night off the trail
Ottawa
Lisa: So happy to see Ottawa and the old City Hall Airbnb. We even had our same apartment from last October.
Marianne: It feels homey and exciting at the same time in Ottawa. So cool we get to stay in the same place with our own rooms and beds. This will be our last bed for a while!
Click on the yellow crosses to the right to read the sections below
Downers
Lisa:
- The anxiety that comes with the week’s forecast of daily rain and some thunderstorms
- Having to go to Walmart several times for things we forgot, even though we brought so much more this time!
Marianne:
- Forgot my fleece and my coat
- Had to work until 4:30 p.m. and couldn’t get out of town quick enough!
Highlights
Lisa:
- Our dinner at PrimeTime Grill
- Listening to Metallica’s “Enter Sandman” at top volume on our second trip to Walmart
Marianne:
- Dinner was delicious!
- Hitting the road always feels good
- Getting to sleep in my old bedroom at City Hall!
Photo Gallery
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Day Six: Happy Trails
Day Six Tuesday, May 27, 2025 Lisa: Mistakes were made. Mostly that we stayed up listening to music and drinking Jack Daniel's until about 5 a.m., something we hadn't done since college (or at least since our 20s). Then we headed over to the Bijou Confectionary where...
Day Five: Iola to Humboldt
Day Five Monday, May 26, 2025 Lisa: We were going to get wet, so we rigged up our strollers so they were covered by tarps, put on our rain gear, and set out from America's Best Value Inn.HumboldtThe mythical town loomed large in our imaginations after reading about it...
Day Four: Colony to Iola
Day Four Sunday, May 25, 2025 Lisa: We woke to pouring rain after spending a pleasant night on the carpeted floor of Colony Methodist and decided to attend services after speaking to Pastor Welch. So glad we did!IolaThe only mileage we got in was in Iola, heading down...
Day Three: Garnett to Colony
Day Three Saturday, May 24, 2025 Lisa: We met two Rail Trail boosters at the Country Market in Garnett before we hit the trail. They were handing out paper flowers to shopper to commemorate Memorial Day. We were looking down our longest mileage day not only on this...
Day Two: Richmond to Garnett
Day Two Friday, May 23, 2025 Lisa: We looked forward to less mileage as we started out toward the rocky road from Richmond City Lake. Marianne: We didn't eat before we left, trying to stay ahead of the rain.Garnett[dsm_block_reveal_text block_reveal_text="Click on...
Day One: Ottawa to Richmond
Day One Thursday, May 22, 2025 Lisa: It took us longer to pack the strollers—we had somehow brought more stuff for fewer days (including spare tires and tubes that weighed a lot!) The sun intermittently shone, the only day that it did. We started out listening to...
Prepping for the Prairie Spirit Trail
Prepping Lisa: Marianne and I are both thinking we're nuts to try the Prairie Spirit Trail during peak tornado season, but that's just how we roll. This time around we're rigging umbrellas to our strollers and are hoping for the best. I've also purchased new tires and...
You’re off to a great start! The blog feature is awesome!
Looks like fun!!!
Still watching!! Hope you have good weather for the rest of your trip!