Omaha to NYC Day 2
The Hitchcock House
Animated Map: https://www.relive.com/view/vr63zdKr48O
My first night on the road was peaceful, but not quiet. The night was full of insect noises and a screech owl. I welcomed the company. So much life and none of it directed at my food or tent. Despite a time zone change that should have had me sleeping in, I woke up at 5:15. I decided not to fight it. The plus was seeing the sunrise. I ate and broke camp by 6:30. The walk back was much easier than the walk in. Lumbering back I jumped when I heard Neil Young looking for a heart of gold followed by a jogger. People get up early!
I dithered a bit and at 7:51am I was moving. The morning was exceptional. Some humidity makes the air feel soft. That’s what it was like. Soon I was on gravel roads heading to the town of Underwood. I was thinking a second breakfast of pancakes. I assumed Underwood was a small town with a nice cafe. When I arrived I realized it is really a bedroom suburb for Omaha sitting as it does on I-80. I guess commuters don’t need breakfast. Sadly, I pushed on.
More gravel, more corn, and more hills. Everywhere was a sea of rolling corn topped hills pierced by gravel roads. The family are smaller than further west. I was amazed how many houses I passed. And they were all houses. I didn’t see one trailer. They must be there, but I didn’t see any. The houses were all neatly kept. The few rusty, old pieces of farm equipment looked like decorations and not a burial ground.
By noon I was at Oakland. I was surprised that the first person who said hi was black and had an African accident. He was figuring out how to load some equipment in a pick-up with another guy (not African). It reminded me not to draw assumptions.
I biked over to Pour Choices, the only place open. Even at noon they had a breakfast buffet. I was chicken and waffles all the way. The folks were super nice. In fact everybody has been nice. The cars have been nice. I biked a couple of ‘busy’ roads and often cars would wait patiently behind me until it was safe to pass when there wasn’t a safe shoulder.
After lunch the next stop was the Hitchcock House, a station on the Underground Railroad in Lewis. I learned about this place while I was researching my trip and knew I had to go. When I rolled up, Kim greeted me with a warm hello and then gave me an hour tour. The Hitchcocks moved to Iowa in 1855 to be part of the Underground Railroad. The house is built of thick stone with a secret room in the basement to hide people. No one was caught here.
The tour included a special bonus, because when Kim saw the bike, she invited me to stay at her house in Atlantic. Wow, just wow! She likes hosting cyclists, including 54 all at once for RAGBRAI, the huge ride across Iowa that happens every year. I am writing this on Kim’s dining room table feeling very thankful.
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