New Mexico!

I’m up early this morning. The air conditioner in our motel room doesn’t work that well, plus I’m also about two feet from it, so when it is on, my nose gets stuffy.

We rode into New Mexico a couple days ago, and boy, are we glad we’re here for just three nights. I mean, I like the state so far, but the roads have been too bumpy and littered with debris, and the wind has been a total blunder. Our first full day in New Mexico, on the ride from Las Cruces to Deming, the headwinds were so bad I wished I could kick them in the face. I was actually the first of my roommates to show up at the hotel, but that’s ’cause 1) I didn’t eat breakfast with the big group thy rode seven extra miles to eat at an overpriced pancake house before the ride, and 2) while riding with Davide and Chris (yup, Chris was finally slow enough from the wind that I could keep up with him), I fell behind on an uphill and or film guy, Frederic, let me draft off his scooter; I even skitched at one point, but I felt too unsteady to skitch for too long. I was so thankful that he let me do that; the wind was just so bad.

Deming to Lordsburg was yesterday, and while the wind was much better, the roads weren’t. We were on Interstate 10 again the whole day, which is usually OK except these roads are so bumpy. I got a flat just as we (Lauren, Crystal, and I) got to the second van stop and luckily was able to fix the flat after drinking a bunch of water and noshing on some tasty snacks my mum sent me. As for the flat, I had to pull a 4 mm piece of wire out of my new Gatorskin front tire with tweezers.

There has been one amazing part of New Mexico: White Sands National Monument. Our drivers Red and Judy were so kind to drive us the hour each way so we could see it. We went on the sunset stroll, where a park ranger talked about the geology and biology of the area. It was so awesome, and we all got some great pictures.

In about a half hour I’ll start getting ready for the ride to Willcox, Arizona. It’s a 74-miler, but we have a huge reward at the ride’s end: Our drivers are taking us to Tombstone, Arizona, for the evening!

 

I LOVE Marathon, Texas

It was actually a bit chilly today on the ride from Sanderson to Marathon, Texas, which made the ride so great today. Sharon, the owner of the Roundhouse Café in Sanderson, opened her shop early to serve us breakfast, so I got started on a very full stomach. I started out on my own while most of the others were still eating; I was trailing Bennett, Blaise, and Fred. I rode about 15 miles before catching up to Fred, who, like me, had been enjoying the views and taking pictures. We rode for just a bit together before he dropped back to take it easy. After stopping at Judy’s van for a banana and some water, I rode with Crystal, Brian, Callie, Ash, Davide, Dan, and Allison for the rest of the day (with a few breaking away at one point). We played 20 Questions and named infamous people in alphabetical order to keep ourselves occupied. The last 15 miles were just amazing; I was averaging 20 mph and the scenery was like the desert vistas seen on TV. It was awesome.

In Marathon (which now joins Lander, WY, and Missoula, MT, as my favorite towns), I shopped at the local bookstore and bought a couple good reads, checked out our awesome motel (the Marathon Motel and RV Park), and had lunch at Johnny B’s. I talked to several locals and other visitors (Joan and Bill, Alta and Rick, Angelo, and Deborah).

Today was great. Tomorrow’s ride is to Marfa, which will be about 56 miles.

 

The scenery makes the whole trip worth it

Today was just amazing. The past couple days have been pretty miserable for me emotionally and mentally, and I was thinking that I just wanted to go home (not that I would’ve…just that I wanted to). I sagged in the van from Austin to San Antonio and San Antonio to Uvalde because I needed a break mentally. Two days after Uvalde, when we were riding from Bracketville to Comstock (yesterday, actually), I started feeling ill on the ride and decided to hop in the van at mile 25. The stress of all this coupled with lady issues is probably what caused me so much misery. The good news, though, is that today was awesome, and today’s scenery was beautiful.

Fred and I got an early start this morning (we left at 4.52a), about half an hour earlier than most other riders would’ve started. We were riding in complete darkness, and at one point, I heard a squelchy screech that scared me so much that I called out to Fred and caught up to him. I felt a little disappointed that we literally couldn’t see the views during the first 20 miles, but we were beating the heat.

We rode past the town of Langtry, home of Judge Roy Bean, and Fred told me the story of the “hangin’ judge” (which turns out to be fiction).

I stopped a couple times to take pictures, one of the sunrise over the miles and miles of sagebrush and another of … miles and miles of sagebrush.

I think one aspect of today that made my ride better was that I wasn’t worried about people catching up to us. Though I’m not competitive, sometimes I feel like I get sucked into that mindset, which really makes the ride less enjoyable. I start comparing myself to the other riders and I feel less confident in myself. It’s almost lIke middle school all over again. So leaving this morning ahead of people and knowing that we could stop for two minutes and not be passed by six people made things better. We did end up being passed by three riders at mile 25 or so and two riders at mile 60, but it didn’t really matter.

Our stop tonight is in Sanderson, which is located in a beautiful canyon. I arrived at about 11.45a and immediately took a shower before setting out in search of food. Most of the town’s restaurants were closed until 5p for siesta, but the Roundhouse Café wasn’t. All I ate was a ham and turkey sandwich with a couple Sprites, but I was so drunk from the food that I barely made it back to the motel for a nap.

Speaking of the motel, we are staying at the Budget Inn, which pretty much lives up to its name. It is, however, an upgrade from the motel we stayed at in Guin, Alabama.

A couple photos from today’s ride:

 

Remember the Alamo!

I have to come back to San Antonio. I’m really interested in United States history, so imagine my elation when I got to the hotel and discovered that we were directly across the street from the Alamo.

As in, I could see into the fort from our second-floor room. As in, if the windows opened, I could lob something across the street and it’d land within the walls of the Alamo. I called my dad to tell him about it, and I think he was just as excited as I was.

Later that night, I wandered around the city after our event and went to the River Walk area. River Walk is this section of town that’s below street level and has restaurants lining the San Antonio river (but it’s really like a canal). The area is lit up with dim lighting, and it’s got a very romantic feel. It reminded me of what I’d envision Venice to look like.

 

A night indoors in Austin

Call me lame if you want, but honestly, I’m not sure if I want to go out tonight. I just got back from the 42 Below event at Six Lounge in downtown Austin, and I had the opportunity to either stay out or get a ride back to the hostel. I chose the latter.  I’m totally indifferent to Austin. I mean, I know that Austin is the capitol of Texas. And yeah, I know that Austin is the “music capital of the world” (or something). I’m just not feeling like wandering around an unfamiliar city with fellow cyclist who’ve drunk far more than I have and who don’t really care how they’ll feel at 5a.

I think Austin is a place I might come back to someday, so maybe I’m feeling less pressure to “enjoy” it.

Whatever.

 

Southern route itinerary updates

I’m in the process of updating the southern route itinerary page recently to reflect our accumulated mileage, link days to blog posts, and correct destination information, so if you haven’t checked it in awhile, go take a look. Oh, and please forgive the issue I’m having with the columns not lining up correctly. There’s only so much perfectionism I’m allowing myself on this trip.

 

It’s iPhone time

Today is the day, folks—it’s the day I become reconnected to the world of technology. As I mentioned in a previous post, my phone had many issues in its lifespan, and last week’s thunderstorms were the end of it. And now the ride to Oklahoma City is upon us, where an Apple Store awaits. In order for me to ensure enough time to purchase an iPhone at said Apple Store before tonight’s event , I have resigned myself to sagging it with Red (the truck driver) today; riding with Red means we’ll get to the destination very early but we’ll leave much later than the riders (much later, in this case, means 10a or so).

I’m not the only one sagging today. We woke up this morning to severe thunderstorm warnings for many parts of Oklahoma. The Weather Channel was also reporting penny-sized hail in a few counties. Outside, the rain had already created miniature lakes in the Seminole Best Western parking lot, and the sky was alit with lightning. By 5.30a, Nick had sent us a text message announcing an hour delay in packing our luggage in the truck. It’s more than an hour later, and the thunderstorm and rain have now stopped, though several riders have already made up their minds about sagging it for the day.

I’m still crossing my fingers for a tornado warning.

 

104 miles, a water-tower shower, and saying goodbye to a rider

I’m making this quick because it’s another long day tomorrow (estimated at 105 miles). We’re staying just outside Holly Grove, Arkansas, tonight, at a campground called Maddox Bay in Lawrenceville. Apparently the campground we had reserved in Clarendon is meant for RVs—meaning no bathrooms or showers—so we found this campground in Lawrenceville in the past couple days.

Today’s ride was 104 miles, but I honestly could’ve ridden much farther today if I had had to. It was a good day with a couple sour points, but by the end of the day it had turned into a pretty great ride. I almost got into another crash early on; my tires got stuck in a deep groove  and I just barely made it out without toppling over. It was pretty scary, I must say, and I rode about five miles past that and then had to hop off the bike and clear my head.

I rode with Tyler and Brian for quite awhile as well. The big news is that Tyler is leaving the trip. He decided yesterday that with the way the trip is set up, he’s just not having that much fun and therefore it’s not worth staying. I think we’re all bummed that he’s leaving, but we’re glad he’s making the best decision for himself and his wife.

At about mile 60 or so, I started riding with Blaise, Callie, and Fred, and soon after joining up with them, the four of us spotted a water tower off to the right of the road that was spewing water from the side. It was freakin’ hot out there today, so without too much discussion, we all decided that we’d try to see if we could get closer to the tower and possibly get an afternoon shower.

Once we got off our bikes, Blaise noticed the many signs on the (open) fence surrounding the tower that said something to the effect that crossing the fence boundary is equal to a federal offense. He shouted the news to us and Fred promptly walked over to the building next to the fence and charmed the ladies inside. They told us they wouldn’t call the cops on us if we passed through the gate, and they gave us five minutes, so the four of us hustled through the gate and over to the freezing cold shower. It felt amazing, and it was totally worth the 40+ miles of riding with soggy shoes.

Observations: I still have not seen a live armadillo, but I’ve seen plenty of dead ones. The area around the Mississippi River has tons of dragonflies. I saw my first bayou today, and then it seemed as though they were everywhere I looked. Arkansas is the most humid state we’ve been to yet. I saw a fish doubling as roadkill today just inside the Arkansas border.

Now, off to a bunk bed (with a supplied pillow and linens!) in an air-conditioned cabin. In Arkansas. That’s right, folks—I can now say I’ve been to Arkansas. Awesome.

 

Back on the saddle…and the storms are a-brewin’

After sleeping at the creepy motel in Guin (pronounced GYU-in), Alabama, I woke up excited to get back on the bike. My leg still hurt, but I didn’t think I could ride another day in the van. It can just be so boring, and seriously, one can only sleep so much in a car.

I rode the first 16 or so miles by myself (which isn’t uncommon for me), and then I stopped at a roadside restaurant (Gilbreath’s Country Cafe, I think) for some breakfast. Chad, Crystal, Bayla, Ash, and Allison had just sat down to eat, and soon after I arrived, Blaise, Callie, and Fred showed up as well. I just had to try the mysterious “chocolate gravy” on the menu; we couldn’t figure out if it was just chocolate colored or if it actually had chocolate in it. Turns out that chocolate gravy is just a bit thicker than Hershey’s chocolate syrup and tastes very similar. Almost everyone had a bite, and Fred asked if I was going to finish it. He ended up eating about half of it (I’d already eaten some French toast).

I took off by myself again after breakfast; by my next break, at mile 25 or so, my leg had started to ache, and I was about out of water. Luckily Judy and the RV (with Frederic and Sebene, our camera peeps) had both stopped, so I was able to fill up my water bottles, be interviewed by Frederic, and dance to some music by Prince that Sebene had blasting in the RV. While I was there, Callie and Fred showed up (Blaise had stayed behind to help Chad with his seemingly neverending flat tires), and we ended up riding near each other for awhile after. I ended up getting pretty far ahead of them and was on my own again for awhile when I found Nick pulled alongside the road in Red Bay, Alabama.

I took a picture of the Mississippi sign (as well as a sign with the “Alabama state line” sign, ’cause I kinda missed the last one) with Blaise, Callie, and Fred, and the four of us ended up stopping at the Belmont Cafe in Belmont, Mississippi. The cafe was packed with people who had probably just attended church, and it seemed as though everyone in there turned to look at us when we walked in. The food was delicious, and the owners and employees were especially kind. We took pictures with them and told them about the ride (while also missing a rainstorm) and then we were off.

The ride was about eight miles longer than we thought it would be at the beginning of the day, but it was a nice one. We stayed at the Piney Grove Campground in Dennis, Mississippi.

There was a HUGE thunderstorm last night, which started at 3.30a and lasted for about three hours. There wasn’t any silence for about an hour and a half. I’ve never heard a storm so loud, so near, and so long in my life, and at times the thought of getting struck by lightning actually crossed my mind. Also, since yesterday was so hot and humid, I (like many other riders) decided to go to bed without using the rain fly on my tent, so not only was the inside of my tent pretty wet just 30 seconds after the storm started, but my bags, shoes, phone, and all of the clothes I had hanging on a clothesline to dry were absolutely soaked come 6a.

I tried to think of the advice my dad would give me, and I really didn’t think he’d think it’d be a good idea to ride in a thunderstorm (though the rain had stopped by the time we were getting ready to go, the sky was still filled with thunder and lightning), so I, like 14 other riders, decided to ride in the vans. Good thing I did because even though the day seemed to clear up, when we got to Hickory Flat, there was a cloud in the sky that looked like an enormous tidal wave. I actually asked Bayla, “What if this is Armageddon?” to which she repled, “Finally! I have been waiting forever!”

The eight riders who cycled today were Blaise, Fred (who no one can seem to track down, since he doesn’t have a phone on him and was riding alone), Doug, Davide, Bennett, Chris, Matt, and Francesca.

Oh, and since my phone was in the rain for awhile last night, it’s pretty much out for the count at this point, so don’t worry if you don’t hear from me for a couple days. I’m going to buy an iPhone and have it shipped to one of our upcoming hotels, I think. Maybe then I’ll be able to take more photos and upload them on the blog, as well as blog more in general.

Tonight we have a sort of impromptu event in Memphis, Tennessee. I’ve never been to Tennessee, so I’m really excited to go to another new state. It’ll be about a 50-mile drive there, and Francesca’s brother, who works at the bar we’re going to, has offered us free dinner. We probably won’t get back until 10.30p or so, but we only have about 60 miles to ride tomorrow, so it shouldn’t be too bad.

I really appreciate the comments, so keep them coming!

 

Tales from the Georgia-Alabama border

(Written on 9 July 2009, at about 12.15p)

I’m in the van again today. Judy and I are just driving back through Tallapoosa (the “dogwood city,” according to its water tower) to check on the sweeps and replenish their water. We still haven’t made it to Alabama yet, but we did stop about two miles away from the border to talk to Nick. He had stopped there but didn’t have reception. While we were pulled over, I hobbled across the street to use the restroom in Hutcheson’s Quick Stop. Curiously, there were ashtrays on the tables in the store, but a waitress the other day told me that all of Georgia was nonsmoking now. Hmm. I talked to a few gentlemen before limping across the street; one of the men, William McElroy, told me a bit about his family’s land on the border of Alabama, crazy motorists, and how to pronounce the highway we were on (“sebenty-eight”).

1:25p—Judy and I just responded to a call from Lauren, who said that Chad needed to be picked up. She didn’t give Judy any other details about Chad’s condition, so we sped through the last of Georgia, slowing down slightly so I could take a picture of the “Welcome to Alabama” sign out the window, and about eight miles into Alabama before finding Lauren, Chad, Francesca, and Brian along the side of the road. Not unlike Lauren’s seatpost accident from P2S2007, Chad’s seatpost broke in half. Thankfully, though, Chad was able to walk away from the accident unscathed, but he obviously isn’t able to ride the rest of the day. So now Chad, Judy, and I are sitting in some shade along the side of the road and waiting for riders to pass.