April 29, 2007

White Cloud shows on some maps as a small town in southwest Iowa. However, it is not on any Iowa maps. No matter; I've been to White Cloud, Kansas so it only made sense to ride to White Cloud, Iowa.

Kansas

The Main Street Cafe in Durham, Kansas is a couple of blocks off the main highway (KS 15). I doubt they get many non-local customers. The menu is basic (it's posted on the white board on the wall), but the food is always good.

I saw this 1982 Honda CX500TC 500 Turbo in Clay Center.

Leonardville, Kansas

Wheaton, Kansas. Note the gasoline pump on the sidewalk (next to the mailbox). It's the kind of town where kids can just drop their bicycles in front of the hardware store.

Nebraska

Missouri

Iowa

Malvern, Iowa is not very far from White Cloud. I'd be checking the GPS fairly often to make sure I was on the right roads (all unpaved).

I'm very close, now; park the motorcycle and start walking.

White Cloud, Iowa. At least the GPS says so. I spent some time looking for evidence.

This was the best I could find. The remains of a foundation next to the railroad bed (the tracks were gone).

Glenwood, Iowa for the night.

Nebraska

Crossing the Missouri River near Plattsmouth.

The toll was $1.00.

Plattsmouth, Nebraska on a Sunday morning.

The courthouse in Plattsmouth.

Wilber, Nebraska, the self-proclaimed Czech capitol of Nebraska. I bought a dozen (poppy seed) Kolaches. I didn't really need a dozen, but that's how they're packaged.

The Wilber Hotel is still used.

Near Fairbury, Nebraska.

Rock Creek Station State Park. Just after I arrived, several motorcyclists from York rode in (though I never did see any of them walk beyond the visitor center).

Coincidentally, I took this picture from nearly the identical spot as the original photographer of the image, below (which I didn't see until after returning to the visitor center). The old photograph was used to help guide the placement of the reconstructed buildings.

This photograph was found in the archives of the California state archives in Sacramento. It shows a good staff that someone in California found the photograph with just the name, and made enough calls to make the connection.

A pine tree looking like an oak.

It would not have been easy to cross this creek with a loaded wagon. For reasons that are obvious (when you think about it), the smaller streams were often much more difficult to cross than the larger rivers.

[note: I left the remaining ten Kolaches with the lady in the visitor center--she was pleased to have them.]

Steele City, Nebraska is just north of the Kansas line. I wasn't sure if the road south was paved, but the gents in the saloon told me it was (and it was).