Odense Adventure (Cup O’ Dirt Metric #3)

It had been nearly two months since I’d added to my Cup O’ Dirt Challenge tally. For some reason, March and April had been dominated by short daily rides; no long rides to speak of. But with a lovely day promised, with light wind, abundant sunshine, and moderate temperatures forecast, it was time to rectify that.

I mapped out a ride to the southeast, heading towards a place called Odense. Located on the northern edge of Neosho County, Odense doesn’t really exist any more. It is not a ghost town, because there’s nothing left of the town. Odense had a post office in the late 1800s, but now, as far as I can tell, it is a name on a map, an extinct place. There is, however, still a nearby cemetery.

Nothing else of note along the route, other than lots of quiet gravel roads and beautiful green countryside. Luckily, that sort of riding is hard to beat.

Here’s a link to the Strava activity. I ended up with about 65 miles. I started strong, but began to feel fatigued after about 30 miles. Pushed on through. Soundtrack: The Secret Scripture, by Sebastian Barry.

Odense Cemetery
Turtle race about to begin…
I wonder how old this wooden oil tank is? I’ve never seen one before. According to this: “During the last two decades of the 1800s, wooden barrels were replaced by riveted steel tanks to store petroleum.”
Beautiful roadside flowers are beginning to appear.
The water tells the tale of the day … almost no wind!
A pretty tree-lined country road.
DirtBum Written by:

I enjoy riding bicycles all over -- city streets, suburbia, rural roads, gravel roads, dirt roads, rail-trails, and singletrack. I love exploring the countryside and finding the interesting and historical treasures hidden in plain sight. You can follow my rides on Strava.