Day 18: Windmills, Flying Water Bottles, and Vending Machine Victories
Yesterday was a classic, unforgettable transit day—the kind of day that reminds you why you travel by motorcycle. We watched the endless horizon of the Kansas plains slowly give way to the rolling green of Missouri, packed in some classic Americana history, shared a powerful roadside moment with a local stranger, and wrapped up the night with an absolute jackpot at the hotel vending machine.
From the wide-open prairie to Springfield, here is the breakdown of Day 17.
The Morning Log: The Open Void and the Ultimate Kansas View
We woke up in Colby looking at a sky that threatened rain once again. Yet, despite what the local radars were hinting at, the sky only managed to squeeze out about 30 solitary drops of water onto our windshields around eight miles down the road before drying up completely.
From there, we rolled out into the absolute nothingness. If you’ve never ridden a bike through western Kansas, it is a sensory experience like no other—just a massive expanse of haze, a steady broadside wind, a low overcast sky, and that familiar, rapidly alternating conveyor belt of country smells hitting your face shield as you hammer down I-70.
[ ROAD-SIDE ATTRACTON REPORT ]
————————————————————
Location: I-70 Eastbound, Mile Marker 218
The Scene: We spotted an abandoned homestead that just absolutely screamed “Kansas!” We pulled the rigs over onto the shoulder to capture the perfect postcard shot: an old weathered house, a rustic windmill, a decaying storage shed, and an endless, wide-open pasture stretching to the horizon. It was stark, quiet, and beautiful.
————————————————————
While we were parked on the shoulder taking photos, a local sheriff pulled up behind our touring bikes. He just wanted to check on us and make sure we weren’t experiencing mechanical trouble. We ended up standing on the blacktop talking with him for quite a while—he was an incredibly nice guy and a class act.
Flying Bottles and Daredevil History
Back on I-70, the cruise was rolling along smoothly until a rogue piece of debris created some sudden cockpit chaos. Somewhere along the highway, one of Dean’s heavy water bottles flew straight out of his handlebar cup holder, caught the high-speed draft, and sailed backward—hitting Pete right square in the head! Luckily, it hit his helmet, but it gave him a serious surprise at 75 MPH.
We maintained our eastbound heading toward Topeka to visit the Evel Knievel Museum. It was an incredible stop. The place is packed with a massive collection of his legendary jump bikes, leather stunts suits, and tons of rare, early photographs documenting his death-defying jumps and crashes. It’s a goldmine of pure, vintage Americana.
After getting our fill of motorcycle history, we grabbed a quick, classic lunch at Culver’s and pointed our front fairings southeast toward Springfield, Missouri.
The Wrong Hampton and a Powerful Encounter
By the time we rolled into Springfield, we navigated by memory toward our lodging and pulled the bikes into the parking lot of the Hampton Inn South. As we were cutting the engines, the hotel manager walked outside to greet us.
Turns out, he was a fellow rider who owned a classic Harley-Davidson Panhead. We stood by the bikes swapping stories for a while, but as we went to verify our rooms, he looked at our reservation and laughed. We were at the completely wrong hotel—the Hampton Inn West was located just a half-mile down the road. (Who knew a town would have two hotels with the exact same name practically across the street from each other?)
Before we fired up the bikes to leave, the manager, whose name was Jason, opened up to us. He shared his life story, telling us how he had been saved while serving time in prison and was working incredibly hard every day to stay on the right path. We ended up having a deep, powerful conversation about motorcycles, faith, and spiritual encouragement. Before pulling out of the parking lot, we all gathered around and prayed for him.
The Vending Machine Jackpot in Springfield
We finally made the short half-mile trek to the correct hotel and checked into our rooms. Right as I walked through the door, my phone buzzed with a text from an old friend, Greg Burns. I hadn’t heard from him in quite a while, and he sent over a bunch of awesome pictures from a motorcycle trip through Utah that he and his brother had just finished up themselves.
We decided to keep things easy for the night, ordering a big spread of Chinese food to be delivered straight to the hotel lobby.
On the way down the elevator to grab dinner, Dean’s sharp eyes spotted a major tactical opportunity: a Snickers bar was hanging precariously from the coil, caught inside the glass of the lobby vending machine.
The Hotel Lobby Heist: Dean took the first crack at it, hitting the machine square from the front to loosen the coil, but it wouldn’t budge. I stepped up to the flank, gave the side of the machine a heavy, well-timed shoulder hip check, and the physics worked perfectly. The vibration released the logjam, and the machine dropped a double payout: we walked away with a free Snickers and a Payday bar!
We sat in the lobby eating our dinner, laughing about the vending machine victory, and recounting the entire cross-country run. It was a phenomenal night of talking about the road, checking maps, and reflecting on just how awesome this entire trip has been.
Next Stop: Pushing closer to home! Keep the shiny side up, watch out for airborne water bottles, and keep the rubber side down.