Newton, KS to Macksville, KS — 92.6 mi, 1120 ft
250 years ago to the day, half of Britain’s colonies seceded from King George III’s grasp and the Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence, creating a permanent separation between the American and British people.
We have reinforced this separation, through the creation of rather distinct cultures. There are some things that are uniquely American; the Brits would agree, and so would everyone else on this tiny globe.
To celebrate, here is my own version of the most American things we’ve seen and done on this semiquincentennial.
The day started as early as we now normally do, at 5 am, afraid of the humid 95 degree weather we’d have to face at noon. After saying goodbye to our hosts Janet and Orvin, we set off on our first leg of the day.
Today, only four of us were biking: Nate, Drew, Aarushi, and I. Tatiana was driving, Caroline was taking her rest day, and Nunu was going to urgent care to address the ever present issue of chafing.
This first 18 mile stretch went by quite quickly. We drafted the entire time (beautiful), held a 17-20 mph pace (amazing), and just tried to go fast, since that’s the only entertainment this ride along highway 50 can provide.
- Hundreds of miles of a long, empty, flat road with a shoulder as wide as the driving lanes
Until about halfway through we had an ugly headwind, which then turned into a tailwind, and then into a diagonal ish crosswind. I could barely draft the last mile as I had to keep bobbing left and right to try and oppose it…
Our first rest stop was at a gas station. We were lucky we got there when we did, since it looked like a horrendous storm was brewing, only a mile or so in front of us. Drew is the one who normally calls the rest of us lame when we chicken out of biking in a thunderstorm. But when he saw this one in the distance, he even suggested we wait it out. All of us were so concerned we considered sagging out the rest of the ride, all 74 miles.
- Terrifyingly windy storms that last as quick as they arrived
- The audacity to bike on a hunk of metal through a thunderstorm with the belief that everything will be fine
Drew decided now was the perfect opportunity to go and play basketball with a local team for a July 4 event, even though he was the one who said it looked like tornado weather. The rest of us began to prepare for the worst. Tatiana started the hour drive to the church to drop off our luggage and free up sag spots. This time it was Nunu who got left at urgent care, and Caroline gallantly stayed at the church to ensure enough seats were open in the car.
While waiting for either the storm to pass or for our car to return, the four of us camped out in the corner of the gas station.
We bought every Peelerz flavor there was under the sun and tried them all together, while Nunu made a tik tok.
- Overconsumption, the incessant need for variety, and the availability of infinite options to choose from, even at a small gas station in the middle of nowhere in Burrton, KS
- Making a tik tok about overconsumption, the incessant need for variety, while choosing from an infinite number of options provided by a small gas station in the middle of nowhere in Burrton, KS
Miraculously, the weather cleared up after about two hours and then we were on our way. Not sagging out of this 90+ mile day after all.
Drafting means you feel less hot with the wind cooling you down, you go at a faster pace with less effort, and hours of biking shorten. But also you’re bored out of your mind, staring at the back wheel in front of you, your concentration narrowed down to the 6 inch gap you’re trying to maintain with your life because falling back means falling out of line permanently and biking alone for the rest of the 20 miles until the next rest stop. This may be an exaggeration, but illogically, sometimes, it feels this way. To tamp down this boredom we all, at last, decided to give in and join a Spotify jam. We listen to the entirety of Hamilton.
With this raw musical genius and patriotism rushing through my veins, I was propelled to the second rest stop, one of those small cafes that Nate and Drew love so dearly.
- Listening to Hamilton for hours on end, voluntarily filling our heads with red-blooded American pride
On our way in, the four of us were having that exact discussion: the merits of coffee houses. We were walking through the doorway, two baristas standing behind the counter staring us down, when Nate said something along the lines of “We’re just not going to get the same satisfaction as you when we stop at random coffee shops.” We stared at him, eyes raised. He turned around to face the barista with the neon green buzz and said, “but not this one” and laughed awkwardly.
- Having zero subtly
Drew and Nate then start ogling everything on the menu, saying “ooh that looks so good”, probably trying to save face. It was hilarious. I had to stop myself from laughing otherwise it would take away the sincerity they were trying to convey.
They ended up ordering 12 quesadillas each.
On our way to the third rest stop, we began to cross more and more cow territory. After Kentucky I’ve developed a fondness for cows, since they don’t try to bite our ankles. When biking by, we all noticed that if we MOO at them, every single cow will turn their head to look towards us. Hundreds of big black eyes stare at probably the most interesting thing they’ve seen all day.
At this point we’ve also created our own unique moos. The rest of us moo like normal people would, but Drew has decided to moo in a high pitched moan that manages to startle me more than the cows.
During this stretch, Drew also decides to show off his aerodynamic pose that he learned from a Tour de France champion. Incredibly skillful.
- Being less graceful than the French
At the end of the third stretch we finished all of Hamilton. As I was listening to his dying thoughts, the rest of us were also contemplating our deaths as we had to trudge through this horrible sand pit for several miles.
The next rest stop was at the Oasis gas station, where we met the new owners who had recently renovated the place. When we first walked in, the lady behind the counter immediately started making conversation with us, asking why we looked so coordinated. Two things first stood out to me: 1) that she was so curious and outgoing, and 2) that she had an accent I couldn’t place. We later learned that she and her husband (the owners) had moved from South Africa to start a life here in Kansas. They had a farm and had also taken on this business within the past few months.
- The American dream might actually be real. These two people uprooted their whole lives to move to a different country and now live on their own terms
By the time we were about to leave, our car finally showed up. They surprised us with bomb pops that we eagerly devoured in this sweltering heat.
On the second to last stretch we listened to the Mamma Mia soundtrack (we’re really into this jam thing now), while I hopelessly attempted to explain the plot to Aarushi, and usually just called in Nate to show off his extensive musical knowledge.
As we arrived at the last rest stop, we were surprised with a patriotic FEAST! Red, white, and blue everything: gatorade (limited edition Uncle Sam flavor I guess), those delicious plastic cookies, all the fruit we could eat.
What was even more beautiful than our lunch was the public bathrooms. Pristine. After being scarred from all sorts of smells emanating from dank holes in the ground, this clean, wintergreen scented restroom instantly made the next twenty ish miles bearable and me that much happier. I noticed this was unique to Kansas. Top tier bathrooms alongside roads in the middle of nowhere. Always a 7-8/10
- Roadside janitors
The last leg was uneventful but Tatiana made sure we’d remember our arrival to the church. She surprised us with her very best twerk while shaking even more red, white, and blue flavored drinks.
We were staying in the small town of Macksville; they’re so small they don’t host July 4th celebrations. Our contact for the church, Katrina, told us there was one in the next town over. So to not waste any time (relatively) we all decide to skip showering, change, and hop in the car, our stink masked by a build up of deodorant.
It had a wonderful vibe. It made me realize how important community is, especially in a small town like Lewis. Kids were playing at the playground, parents lounging on the field, families in the surrounding neighborhood chaotically setting off their own fireworks. Genuinely everyone and their cousin were lighting fireworks in the middle of their front yards. The sound and the smoke was intense, but really added to the MURICA of it all.
- Setting off fireworks from the trunk of your car
We got these utterly delicious barbacoa tacos and ate them on the grass while trying to avoid being eaten alive by bugs. And then, the next course of action was obviously to play a game of ultimate where we “randomly” divide up teams based on who has and has not played frisbee for MIT. I wonder who won.
Aarushi took some very cinematic photos of us, with the fireworks bursting in the background.
Finally the real fireworks show (put on by the fire department, not Gary from down the street) was about to start. As we sat down to watch, we got mauled by biting flies and mosquitoes. Throughout the show we (well at least I was) were just slapping ourselves. It got so bad that we had to ask the man behind us for his bug spray, and then proceeded to use up the whole can. Our generosity knows no bounds. Tatiana did try to pay for it but the kind man refused her offer.
- Gary’s fireworks getting mogged by the professionals
- Kind people willing to donate what they have without expectation of anything in return
The fireworks were beautiful, and from this photo it looks like they moved us to tears. Maybe we all were about to sneeze at the same time, I’m not sure.
At the end of the show, we decided we’d had enough of the bugs and escaped into the car. While driving back, we saw hundreds of kids on the side of the road throwing gunpowder popper bomb things at the ground, twirling sparklers in the air. In the small town of Lewis, Kansas it seems like July 4th is one of the major holidays they go all out for.
- Kids being trusted to not burn their fingers off
The next morning as we biked out of Macksville, the road looked like a battlefield with red, white, and blue shrapnel everywhere. In the daylight it was slightly dystopian. It’s interesting how that’s simply evidence of a lively community.
- Rural communities bound together in their local group through traditions and town-wide celebrations
This list is my realistically absurd representation of the American spirit. I hope it’s at least somewhat coherent.
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave,
Carmen
MIT Spokes 2026 
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