Kansas bikers visit scenic area Lewis and Clark sites
By Daniel Arens
Marsha Wilson and David Kass hail from Merriam, Kan., a suburb of Kansas City. This summer, they are fulfilling a long-term dream to cross the country via bicycle, giving them an opportunity to see different scenic locations along the way.
“This was just a good stop because we wanted to see some of the historic Indian stuff,” Wilson said, referring to the Knife River Indian Villages in Stanton and the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center in Washburn. She added that some of the route follows the trail of the Meriwether Lewis and William Clark journey.
Wilson and Kass arrived in Hazen July 13 and spent the night at the Lewis and Clark RV Park on the western end of town. They spent the morning of July 14 in Hazen, moving on to visit the Knife River Indian Villages in the early afternoon and get to Washburn later in the day.
Their bike trip began June 12 at Seaside, Ore. They hope to finish the trip sometime in mid-September at Yorktown, Va.
“It’s beautiful country, we’ve really enjoyed some of the views,” Kass said. They described the Columbia River Gorge as being particularly spectacular. They were also grateful for the weather along their trip, saying they avoided some of the larger storms that have passed through this area.
“We’ve been very fortunate. We have gear, and we’ve missed these hail storms,” Wilson said.
“How far we go really depends on services along the way,” Kass said. They hope to average around 60 miles each day for their trip.
“People are great, everybody’s used to seeing cyclists,” Wilson said. The two bikers are following an official bike trail guide for their own adventure.
