553 miles, 8 days, heat, cold, sun, rain, wind — we had it all on the Biking Across Kansas ride that just finished last Saturday.  It was a great experience, and an adventure of the best kind.  800+ riders travelled from the Colorado border across southern Kansas to the Missouri border.  We stayed in small towns that rolled out the red carpet for this mass of hungry cyclists.  The wheat in western Kansas was golden and beautiful, and the Flint Hills of central Kansas were lush and green.  Wildflowers were in bloom throughout the state, benefiting from the abundance of rain in the past few months.  And I can attest to the fact that Kansas in NOT flat;  the rolling hills of the east side of the state gave us our toughest workout.  This was a perfect way to see and experience my home state.  Bicycling puts you directly into the landscape, and you meet the locals face-to-face.  Everyone (and I do mean everyone) was friendly, giving me a real taste of mid-western hospitality.  This was the 35th year for the BAK ride (www.bak.org), and I tip my helmet to the BAK committee.  The ride was wonderfully organized, the food was fabulous, and the entire experience was a great adventure!