A whirlwind adventure: Utah, Wyoming, Nebraska…

Dancing as fast as I can on this 2025 bike tour and rolling with some unexpected adventure.

Started in Salt Lake, touring the Olympic Training Rink, climbing a mountain, interviewing 5-time gold medal speed skater Eric Heiden, pedaling into Wyoming and then the unexpected.

I pulled into my cabin at the KOA campground in Rock Springs, WY and it was as if someone push me sideways. I was walking down the stairs out of the cabin and it was as if I stumbled out of a saloon. I caught myself and returned to my bunk to collapse and experienced vertigo.

Slept three hours, hoping it would go away and it didn’t. Was it the elevation? Bad water? It was a little scary; the heat was intense too in the mid-90s.

Later as temps cooled I went for a walk and started shopping license plates within the RV Park. I managed to find Minnesota and that’s how I met Randy and Lynn.

They were headed east the next day and were happy to have me tag along – just so I could get to an area where I would be more comfortable.

What a lifesaver. They dropped me in Kimball, Nebraska. I put my bike together and explored the small town.

The next day I finally found my groove pedaling 68 miles to Chappell, NE. I’m on Highway 30, also known as the Lincoln Highway. There’s a big shoulder, it’s paved, and far better than biking on the Interstate in Wyoming.

Stopped in Potter, NE which is home to the famous Tin Roof Sundae and Duck Pin Bowling. The Potter Sundry had a high ceiling and the wood cabinets with decorative brass pulls were from the previous tenant, a pharmacist.

The back counter featured an old-fashioned soda fountain.

Yes, that’s a small Tin Roof Sundae with two scoops of vanilla, one scoop chocolate, a ladle of rich chocolate syrup, covered in marshmallow cream, and topped with Spanish peanuts.

I’m sure my team at A1 Health and Fitness would approve.

Next door, was the Duck Pin Bowling Alley. If you wanted access the sign on the door read, “Talk to Hal at Potter State Bank or call his cell phone,” and then it gave the number.

You knew it was a comfortable small town when your waitress at the Potter Sundry knew the code to get into the building.

Richard Musil, the former town president, was my guide. There were three lanes and a series of six bowling balls. No finger holes in the balls and the colorful patterns made them look like large marbles.

“You have to have a partner setting pins,” said Musil. He raced to the end of the lane by the pins and demonstrated the nifty ball return.

The bowling alley was a nostalgic step back in time. A simple sign on the wall surrounded by a gold frame reads, “This sign was hanging in the original Duck Pin Bowling Alley. It was sold to an unknown resident living in Potter. Later it was found and purchased by Shawn Shoemaker and family to be placed back in its original home.”

A map on the wall is pinned with guests showing how far people have traveled to visit the unique bowling alley in Potter, NE.

Sidenotes….

Highway 30 runs parallel to the Union Pacific Railroad. In Potter, NE, there were 85 trains that passed through daily. While pedaling I will give an arching wave to the conductor. He normally responds with a lean into his train whistle. I respond with an enthusiastic thumbs up. It is our love language.

Chappell, NE really did a great job documenting its ties to the Lincoln Highway. Pedaling into the small community you can see the enormous granary silos from six miles out.

According to a plaque along the route, it was 1928 when Boy Scout troops across the US helped place about 3,000 concrete markers nationwide along the Lincoln Highway. “The markers were located at various points to assure motorists they were traveling along the United State’s first coast-to-coast highway.”

Was contacted by a friend this week who saw NBC’s Winter Olympics promo which first aired Friday night during the Macy’s countdown to the fireworks in New York. The commercial featured Alpine ski racer Lindsay Vonn, snowboard gold medalist Chloe Kim, and Kewaskum speed skater Jordan Stolz. WOOT WOOT! Be sure to jump on the Jordan train!

This year’s tour is intended to highlight previous Winter Olympics as we head into the 2026 Winter Games in Milan, Italy.

Local speed skater Jordan Stolz is expected to compete in four events and if you would like to be part of Team Jordan feel free to pledge your support by using the QR code below courtesy the Dan Jansen Foundation.

Jansen’s foundation is a 501c3 and he’s agreed to donate 100% of all support noted to Jordan Stolz. Be part of Team Stolz today.