I looked ahead at the map and realized that if I went beyond Eureka, there wouldn't be a legitimate place to stop for another 80 miles, so I checked out the WarmShowers website and saw a host family in Eureka and decided to just take an easy day and take advantage of a good opportunity.
Tomorrow I will shoot for 104 miles to Hutchinson.
I actually got wrapped up in conversation and free food and forgot to write tonight, so I'm just checking in. I made it another day, didn't see or do anything extraordinary, and got a free place to stay. All in all, it was a decent day.
I passed through one town, Toronto, where everything was closed down. The main street was lined with once flourishing businesses, all shut down and forgotten. Even the Post Office was closed down. It was as close to a ghost town as a place can be before everyone actually leaves.
I stopped in the only establishment still running which was a deli/market. Contained within the store was a tiny deli case and a few shelves of basic groceries, mostly canned. This was indeed the only store of any kind in the town. The owner/sole employee explained that the town had steadily been losing people and jobs and it was only a matter of time before he would close his doors and, along with them, the only reason for anyone to ever stop in Toronto, Kansas.
Arrival in Eureka was very satisfying even though it was a relatively quick day. I spent about an hour in the Toronto deli and made it to Eureka by 2 pm. Relaxing for a few hours will surely pay off tomorrow when I hit the flatlands. I hear that it can be quite tiring to pedal continuously across flat and straight roads, so I'm not taking anything for granted.
It's time for bed. I could really use a massage.
Location:Eureka, KS
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