AROUND THE WORLD IN 54l MILES

Planning for the project started in early l986. Because it was believed to be a first, the
utmost secrecy was maintained. Announcement of the starting time was with-held, even from the
contestants, until the day before the event. I mentioned it to Betty on Thursday and she said,
"Sure, why not tomorrow?"

The plan was to stop brief1y in Palestine, Rome, Peru, Havana,
Angola, and Toronto, as well as portland, Atlanta, Cambridge,
Montana, Pittsburg, St. Pau1, and Buffalo, and to do it as
quickly as possible. We had to be back Saturday night for an
employee's club dance.

Friday 2/l3/87 - left Benton at 9:08 A.M. Started South toward
Sumner County. Closest to home was to be Palestine, Kansas. Not
on larger map (which is also the newest). Found the road which
is supposed to go through Palestine; seems to have too many
turns. No Palestine, but there is a settlement, abandoned, which
is probably it. The whole project looks bad now. May be a bit
too far South and East. Take picture #l, looking South. l0:06
A.M., 44 mi1es from home.

CLICK FOR LARGER PICTURES
Palestine, (KS not Jerusalem)

On to Rome, Kansas. Not hard to find, but not much there. At
least there are signs pointing to it. It a1so is not on the
newer map, but picture #2 shows we made it. l0:44, 72 miles from
home.

Rome, (KS not Italy)

Betty noticed on one of the older maps a town named Portland near
Rome, so off we go. First road is dirt so it must be the next.
This one is dirt also, but we'll try it; first mile not too bad
considering the recent rain, but second mile has some scary
slides and ahead looks worse. We go back to first dirt road.
It's some better. After two miles men working on road say
"Portland is only 3-l/2 miles ahead." Sure enough, it's there,
although no sign to prove it. Take third picture anyway. ll:l9
88 miles traveled.

Portland, (KS not Oregon)

Lunch in Winfield, l2;l5 to l;OO. l25 miles total.

Only 28 minutes to Atlanta (popu1ation 246) from Winfield. l53
miles from home. Picture number four.

Atlanta, (KS not Georgia)

Turn around at the edge
of town and backtrack 8 mi1es and head East again to Cambridge,
Which at NCR is synonymous with Cambridge, Ohio. There it is at
l:45 and just l67 miles. This Cambridge is population ll3. Take
5, 6 two pictures.

Cambridge, (KS not England)

Gas at Sedan 8.7l3 gallons @ .849 $7.4O 266.2 miles 3265.2 miles
(2l0.2 miles from home).
Next stop is Peru, near Sedan, Kansas. 2:50 P.M. and 219 miles
so far today. Two pictures. Peru is the biggest famous city we
7, 8 have visited so far today with 3O7 according to the l970 census.

Peru,(in KS not in South America)

Not far to Havana (population l67). l2 miles on the map. Arrive
there at 3:ll and l3 more miles on the odometer. Heavy rain al1
9 thru this area, and we resolve to not try any more dirt roads.

Havana, (KS not Cuba)

Next stop, Angola.
Looks like about four miles of dirt road to Angola, but the rain has temporarily let up and the road looks pretty good for dirt
(really has lots of good gravel on it, so "gravel road" is a
better description). Decide to 'Go for it'. Turns out to be no
problem; Angola at 4:O5 P.M. - 27O miles so far; picture no. ll.
10, 11 (Angola isnlt incorporated, so population is unknown.)

Angola, (KS not in Africa)

Still intermittant rain and were losing light for pictures. Montana,
here we come.
Looks like about 3O miles to Montana. Took the wrong road out of
Oswego and stopped a passing pickup for directions; all the way
back to Oswego and look for the VFW hall. Ask more directions at
the IGA. Everyone seems to be sure the street is Montana, and
all give good directions to VFW hall. Street next to VFW is
Vermont street and Montana street is nowhere near. Try Vermont,
we're running out or daylight. Stopped a half mile short to ask
directions; farmer very helpful, wants to know who we are looking
for - he can tell us where their house is. Had to admit we're
just sightseeing.

5:l9 - Montana, Kansas at last. Two pictures in last of winter
12, 13 daylight. Odometer says 3l3 miles. Map doesn't list Montana;
it's unincorporated.

Montana, KS (not the state)

Twelve miles to McCune and a ten minute rest stop in a family
tavern, then on to Pittsburg for a motel. Arrive at 6:25. Tota1
miles today was 346; total time, nine hours and l7 minutes, for
record-breaking 37.27 mi1es per hour. First use of our new AARP
membership almost payed the first years dues. Supper at Western
Sizzler, where the potatoes are too big. Excellent movie on HBO -
Silverado.

Forgot to take a picture of Pittsburg, the biggest city we visited.

Up at the crack of mid-morning and on our way, heading for St.
Paul. Arrive there at 9:08 after missing one turn in Pittsburg.
(It wasn't my fault; The sign pointed West and didn't say that it
was going to turn East in a few miles.) One picture, 396 total
14 miles. Gas at Chanute - 3480.2, 215.9 miles, $6.25, 8.02 gallons.

St. Paul, (KS not Minnesota)

Fifty-nine minutes later and 44 miles further down the road, here
is Buffalo, population 428; worth two pictures. (l0:07 and 44O
15, 16 miles.) lots of fog today, makes driving slower than normal.

Buffalo, (KS not New York)

Only thirty miles and 38 minutes to Toronto, population 483.
Last picture, minimum sight-seeing, and then on home.
17

Toronto, (in KS not in Canada)

Home at l2;45 and 54l miles, after lunch at the El Dorado McDonald's.

No controversy at all as to whether this trip set the record for the route taken; there seems to
be considerable guestion as to just what the old record was. Do the ll hours and 53 minutes we
stayed in pittsburg count? How about lunch time on both days? The Guinness people and the NCAA
will be fighting over this for a long time to come.

The plan was to stop brief1y in Palestine, Rome, Peru, Havana, Angola, and Toronto, as well as portland, Atlanta, Cambridge, Montana, Pittsburg, St. Pau1, and Buffalo, and to do it as quickly as possible. We had to be back Saturday night for an employee's club dance. Friday 2/l3/87 - left Benton at 9:08 A.M. Started South toward Sumner County. Closest to home was to be Palestine, Kansas. Not on larger map (which is also the newest). Found the road which is supposed to go through Palestine; seems to have too many turns. No Palestine, but there is a settlement, abandoned, which is probably it. The whole project looks bad now. May be a bit too far South and East. Take picture #l, looking South. l0:06 A.M., 44 mi1es from home.	CLICK FOR LARGER PICTURES Palestine, (KS not Jerusalem)
On to Rome, Kansas. Not hard to find, but not much there. At least there are signs pointing to it. It a1so is not on the newer map, but picture #2 shows we made it. l0:44, 72 miles from home.	Rome, (KS not Italy)
Betty noticed on one of the older maps a town named Portland near Rome, so off we go. First road is dirt so it must be the next. This one is dirt also, but we'll try it; first mile not too bad considering the recent rain, but second mile has some scary slides and ahead looks worse. We go back to first dirt road. It's some better. After two miles men working on road say "Portland is only 3-l/2 miles ahead." Sure enough, it's there, although no sign to prove it. Take third picture anyway. ll:l9 88 miles traveled.	Portland, (KS not Oregon)
Lunch in Winfield, l2;l5 to l;OO. l25 miles total. Only 28 minutes to Atlanta (popu1ation 246) from Winfield. l53 miles from home. Picture number four.	Atlanta, (KS not Georgia)
Turn around at the edge of town and backtrack 8 mi1es and head East again to Cambridge, Which at NCR is synonymous with Cambridge, Ohio. There it is at l:45 and just l67 miles. This Cambridge is population ll3. Take 5, 6 two pictures.	Cambridge, (KS not England)
Gas at Sedan 8.7l3 gallons @ .849 $7.4O 266.2 miles 3265.2 miles (2l0.2 miles from home). Next stop is Peru, near Sedan, Kansas. 2:50 P.M. and 219 miles so far today. Two pictures. Peru is the biggest famous city we 7, 8 have visited so far today with 3O7 according to the l970 census.	Peru,(in KS not in South America)
Not far to Havana (population l67). l2 miles on the map. Arrive there at 3:ll and l3 more miles on the odometer. Heavy rain al1 9 thru this area, and we resolve to not try any more dirt roads.	Havana, (KS not Cuba)
Next stop, Angola. Looks like about four miles of dirt road to Angola, but the rain has temporarily let up and the road looks pretty good for dirt (really has lots of good gravel on it, so "gravel road" is a better description). Decide to 'Go for it'. Turns out to be no problem; Angola at 4:O5 P.M. - 27O miles so far; picture no. ll. 10, 11 (Angola isnlt incorporated, so population is unknown.)	Angola, (KS not in Africa)
Still intermittant rain and were losing light for pictures. Montana, here we come. Looks like about 3O miles to Montana. Took the wrong road out of Oswego and stopped a passing pickup for directions; all the way back to Oswego and look for the VFW hall. Ask more directions at the IGA. Everyone seems to be sure the street is Montana, and all give good directions to VFW hall. Street next to VFW is Vermont street and Montana street is nowhere near. Try Vermont, we're running out or daylight. Stopped a half mile short to ask directions; farmer very helpful, wants to know who we are looking for - he can tell us where their house is. Had to admit we're just sightseeing. 5:l9 - Montana, Kansas at last. Two pictures in last of winter 12, 13 daylight. Odometer says 3l3 miles. Map doesn't list Montana; it's unincorporated.	Montana, KS (not the state)
Twelve miles to McCune and a ten minute rest stop in a family tavern, then on to Pittsburg for a motel. Arrive at 6:25. Tota1 miles today was 346; total time, nine hours and l7 minutes, for record-breaking 37.27 mi1es per hour. First use of our new AARP membership almost payed the first years dues. Supper at Western Sizzler, where the potatoes are too big. Excellent movie on HBO - Silverado. Forgot to take a picture of Pittsburg, the biggest city we visited. Up at the crack of mid-morning and on our way, heading for St. Paul. Arrive there at 9:08 after missing one turn in Pittsburg. (It wasn't my fault; The sign pointed West and didn't say that it was going to turn East in a few miles.) One picture, 396 total 14 miles. Gas at Chanute - 3480.2, 215.9 miles, $6.25, 8.02 gallons.	St. Paul, (KS not Minnesota)
Fifty-nine minutes later and 44 miles further down the road, here is Buffalo, population 428; worth two pictures. (l0:07 and 44O 15, 16 miles.) lots of fog today, makes driving slower than normal.	Buffalo, (KS not New York)
Only thirty miles and 38 minutes to Toronto, population 483. Last picture, minimum sight-seeing, and then on home. 17	Toronto, (in KS not in Canada)