Pilgrim Farmer John on The Mother Road, Route 66

Just to mix it up a bit, we’ll start out with the end point of today’s travel, Tucumcari, New Mexico. A Native American derived name, as opposed to the predominance of Spanish derived names of most of the towns we’ve traveled through, as in Santa Rosa, the place we left this morning. A totally cloud-covered sky as I rode out the front gate of our Campground, stopping to thank the owner, again, for finding and returning Izzy’s lanyard containing ALL her essential things (including Credit Card!). He took a few minutes to list some of the more “interesting” things he has found at the park. The most memorable was a handbag containing $18,000 cash accompanied by a fully loaded (as in, full magazine and a round in the chamber!) semi auto pistol! Needless to say, the local police were very interested.

It was my turn today to make use of the dual-use dry wash culverts. I was relieved that Cathy wasn’t following my exact route at this point as I’m sure she would have been MOST uncomfortable piloting Bridget through these Interstate shortcuts. If you note, the highwater marks on the walls would have made it an exciting transit at some point 🙂

 

I consider myself fairly astute at interpreting the sights I see in my slow speed travels, but this one had (has) me stumped. I’m presuming some kind of mining activity, but the steepness and ruggedness of the approach road would limit the size and capacity of any trucks transiting it. More research, I guess.

We were touched by this extensive family cemetery in very remote ranch country. We are outside the border fence, so didn’t feel like we were trespassing. Several of the stones were obviously hand hewn from the local rock and the inscriptions were lovingly chiseled on the faces of the stone. Some sadly young, and very young folks buried here, and their ancestors nearby. One of the earliest dates we could read was 1868. When politicians declare willy-nilly that the cattle industry needs to be “eliminated” to create a “green revolution”, there is little thought given to these centuries-long stewards of this fragile landscape as they attempt to make their living raising calves in a very difficult environment. They have my utmost respect.

Tucumcari markets itself primarily as an Original Route 66 town. This Blue Swallow Motel is listed in all the Essential Route 66 landmarks. Note especially the “100% Refrigerated Air” enticement, AND TV!! The late forties vintage car out front gives a good idea of when this establishment was new. It says there is a vacancy, but that is often not the case.

My route into town took me through the entire “strip” that was the original Route 66. Sadly, there are at least a third of all the businesses along the route that have failed to survive. I’ve decided not to add any of those pictures, but instead focus on the positive of those that have lasted all these many years.

Cathy took the kids to the TeePee Curios Shop and got some really nice pix, but, yet again, we can’t find a way to get them accessible to the WordPress site for adding here.

Our Bridget is swaying noticeably as winds are howling outside at 40 plus mph, and some forecasts for even stronger winds later tonight and rain. Going to be an interesting Night Along the Mother Road.

Thanks for coming along!

 

 

Our camp last night was directly on the combination of Routes 66, The Santa Fe Trail, and the Old Las Vegas Trail. The map recon before jump off this morning showed that within 7 miles, I would be climbing the Glorietta Pass, site of the furthest west battle of the American Civil War. I had Just time to get “warmed up” before a significant 1300 foot climb out of this valley and headed for the Pecos River Valley. Still being above 6000 feet, the morning was very cool, with promises of strong winds developing by mid morning. I opted for the “mid-range” clothing selection, leaving bare legs and no windbreaker jacket.

There is nothing particularly significant about this table-top mountain off in the distance, other than it was the furthest point I could see as I headed out on the road after getting Cathy and Bridget all checked out and ready to move out ahead of me toward our goal today of Santa Rosa, New Mexico. As often happens out here, there aren’t  many choices of stopping points if we want to actually be in a place that has one or more campgrounds and some supporting businesses. The ninety miles today between Santa Fe and Santa Rosa contained exactly zero of these requirements. I rode the first 60 miles enjoying an early tail wind boost over the aforesaid Glorietta Pass. The clothing choice was the right one as the long sleeved cotton shirt was sweat soaked by the time I crested the pass. Today was another case of the only roadway available in some sections being Interstate 25. The traffic this far east was not particularly heavy. The downside is that on a very windy day such as today, the wind blast from the passing semi trucks is a force to be reckoned with. It will move the bike (and me!) at least a couple of feet sideways in the instant that the air blast comes from the passing vehicle. The remainder of my riding time was spent on the combination 66/Santa Fe Trail and as long as my direction of travel was east or northeast, a joy to ride! Any veering off to the west or south was met with 25-30mph winds nearly head on.

Another very non-descript picture, but highlighting the degree to which I have entered into “really rural” New Mexico. The use of the culvert drains for the normally “dry washes” is a good dual use of highway structure, i.e., they are both drainage structures and road beds for the mostly unpaved roads of this part of the State. Works great as long as your vehicle is less than 10 feet high and 9 feet wide.  🙂

Wanting to arrive at Santa Rosa in time to secure a camp spot and do some Route 66 exploring, Cathy picked me up at the point where I would have started riding on Interstate 40. That thoroughfare is ALWAYS heavily traveled, and the wind was more than I wanted to deal with.

One of the often mentioned things to see in our Route 66 Book Library is the Classic Car Museum in Santa Rosa. After getting settled in at Santa Rose RV Park, we took the short drive there to investigate.

There was a sizable collection of neat old cars, and we decided we would each peruse the collection and pick out our favorites. Here’s how that went:

Classy Cathy chose a very classy 47 Chevy Convertible, immaculately redone with enough modern accessories to make it truly delectable!

Izzy surprised us all with her choice of this totally tricked out 34 Ford Coupe, flames a flying every where! I was a little jealous that she got to it before I did.

Colin had a hard time deciding, but, not unexpectedly, settling on this meticulously redone 49 Chevy pickup. He hit me up for a loan to buy it! He thought it was ridiculously high priced at 28 grand, but I actually thought it was a fair price for this jewell.

My choice was this 31 Auburn Touring Sedan, which was also for sale at $85,000! I felt a little guilty picking it as all my Model A Ford Club Friends would think i was “outclassing” them.  🙂

We unanimously voted as Best In Show this 47 COE Ford converted from over the road semi to whatever it is now. It was just too wild to deserve less.

Lots of stars from the 50s and 60s gracing the big exhibit hall, and Izzy thought she and the Original Rebel, James Dean, were soul mates, even though she had never heard of him until today.

Leaving out some interesting info on Native American history of the area, but will try to get it in on a slow day down the line. Wifi very ‘iffy’ here, so will cut this off.

Done in time for supper in the campground restaurant and enjoying MUCH warmer temps here at the lower elevation.

Hoping for Tucumcari as home tomorrow night.

Thanks, as always, for coming along.

Izzy and Colin ready to start a day of sight-seeing at the New Mexico state Capitol

A pleasant over-night in the Santa Fe KOA, with plans to spend all of today enjoying the the sights of this oldest State Capital city in the USA. Seems a little odd since New Mexico was the 47th state added to the Union in 1912. But the claim stems from the the city’s age, ranking as second oldest city in the United States following Saint Augustine, Florida. It also boasts a very impressive permanent display of all genres of art in its 4 -storied structure. It surprised us that we were treated to a personally led tour (with just the four of us) with a very friendly, knowledgable guide that lasted for over an hour!

I was hailed with a robust “Semper Fi” from this old WW2 Marine Vet who was making a visit to the Capitol. I requested a picture with him, and he graciously agreed.

The Loretto Chapel was a non-missable destination. We have both been long-intrigued (too mild a word, but can’t think of a more appropriate one at the moment) with the story of the Miraculous Staircase within this relatively small Chapel. Those of you who know the story, and, or have seen it yourselves can attest to its uniqueness and universal appeal.

An abbreviated version is here provided for those not aware of the story (legend?). The Chapel itself was designed and mostly built by a father/son architect team from Paris, hired by the local bishop, Frenchman Jean Baptiste Lamy. The father became ill and returned to Paris before completion of the Chapel and left the work to his son. The Chapel was completed under the son’s supervision, but missing a glaring piece of construction. There was no way to get from the floor of the Chapel to the Choir Loft 20 feet up at the back of the sanctuary. This was still the situation when the son died in 1879, leaving the good sisters of Loretto with no access to their Choir loft. The sisters had placed the construction of the Chapel under the patronage of St. Joseph, the patron saint of carpenters and builders. So they did the only logical thing: They began a nine day Novena to St. Joseph asking for his intervention. On the ninth day, an old, itinerant man riding a donkey came to the sisters and offered to build the staircase. His only tools (as listed in the Mother Superior’s Daily Book) were, a saw, hammer, carpenter square, and some wood chisels. It is not recorded how long the construction took, estimates are eight months, as the carpenter would never allow anyone inside to see his work as it progressed. There were absolutely no nails, screws, or center support used in the original construction. When the Carpenter finished the job, he left as mysteriously as he had come, leaving behind no bills and accepting no payment from the sisters.

This is an artist’s sketch of what the staircase would have looked like prior to adding the balustrade and railings. There are no known photos of the newly completed staircase. It remained without the railings for eight years, being used by nuns and students alike to get to and from the choir loft for that time. The staircase is no longer used, it’s uniqueness too valuable to endanger.

The Loretto Chapel itself is no longer a consecrated church, as it was sold to a private entity in 1968 following the closing of the school that the Sisters of Loretto had run continuously since 1853, It is now used frequently for weddings, but, ironically (sadly?), Catholics can’t be married there if they want to have a Sacramental Marriage.

Kind of a big deal to make this claim! A tiny little church and still has daily Mass. Our Colin was majorly impressed that they had the giant 700 lb cast bronze bell just inside the entry door, and yes! The proctor/volunteer would allow him to strike the bell with the bell mallet AS HARD AS HE WANTED TO SWING IT!!!  Holy Happiness for a hands-on-everything-teen-age boy!!  🙂

The Basilica Cathedral of St. Francis of Assisi was next on the Visit list. It is a magnificent structure in its own right, also built at the time of Bishop Lamy’s term of office. It stands out dramatically within the Spanish/Colonial/Pueblo styles of architecture that dominate the rest of the city. Bishop Lamy was French to the core and was adamant that his church would look like the churches of France. He imported French carpenters and stone masons and they in turn taught the techniques to the local artisans.

It pleased me greatly that one of the two Saints honored with beautiful stained glass was of St. Catherine (with a “C”, thank you!)

Our third stop for the day was the newly built New Mexico History Museum. We were a little put off by the entry fee of $12/person. But the receptionist took a look at my USMC cap and asked if I was a Veteran. After showing her my Veteran stamped Iowa Driver’s License, she politely said “No Charge for you and family, sir. And thank you for your service”. Great feeling, that!!  And a very fine museum it was too. The connection between New Mexico and all things Atomic and Nuclear is astounding. The highlight of course being the site of the design and creation of the world’s first atomic bomb, which took place within 35miles of Santa Fe. The detonation of the bomb was also in New Mexico at Alamagordo, 200 miles south of Santa Fe.

A great deal of “Balanced Presentation” was seen in the historical timeline of the state. From the natives of pre-written history, through the exploration by the Spanish, the influence of the Catholic Church, the battles of nationality between Spain, Mexico and the United States, America’s own Civil War, was all was covered without showing glorification or condemnation. The viewer was given all the facts and pertinent information, and could come to their own conclusions.

It was a hurried departure to be able to make it back to the Basilica for the 5:30 Ash Wednesday Mass. The 4th Mass of the day, and the church was FULL! A woman cantor with a heavenly voice singing all Mass responses in both Spanish and English,  seven women attendants to assist with ashes and communion distribution, an excellent homily, and a mostly female choir had me really impressed with the inclusion of women in the sacrifice of the Mass in this diocese.

Expecting moderate enough temperatures to be back on the bike tomorrow. Think warm thoughts!

Thanks for coming along!

 

 

 

 

Our RV Camp last night was just half a mile from Route 66 so I was able to ride directly from the campground to begin the ride. The sun was shining warmly and brightly, but the air temp was still a very cool 45F. I opted to take off without the long pants and jacket, knowing that I could always stop and “suit up” if the riding was too frigid. The optional goals today were to visit all the National Sites available at Petrified Forest National Park and Painted Desert. By riding just a little harder than normal morning speed, I could ramp up enough body temp to make riding without the extra clothes possible, if not totally comfortable.

From the entry gate to the National Park (where our Lifetime Senior Pass got me on my bike, and Cathy with kids in Bridget, the RV, in for zero dollars! Entry price; $55!} it is 48 wandering miles across both parks. I was reasonably sure I could do that in the time allotted (park closes at 1700) but I probably wouldn’t be able to spend as much time at the many sites along the route as Cathy and kids could. So be it.

The incredible “stone logs” of the Petrified Forest were a source of fascination and awe. That they are still here after so many millennia is a wonder in itself. This area did not receive Federal Protection until the 1930s, and much of the highly sought minerals had been pilfered and removed from the area.

This immediate area and the surrounding countryside has been a rich source of fossils and paleontological finds. Grandson Gunner Goode is totally fascinated and immersed in all things dinosaur related and would have had a grand time here with his vast knowledge.  🙂 The cataclysmic climate change that saw these creatures disappear was also the event that laid down the giant rain-forest trees, eventually covered with river-borne sediment, that had their very cores changed into the solid mineral artifacts that we could enjoy today.

The constant climate changes and continually shifting  techtonic plates that ever so slowly change the entire landscape have moved some of these tree specimens far out into the surrounding desert.

The afternoon sun worked against me getting the multiple colored hues that were so evident in the constantly changing geography of the area. It couldn’t keep the similarity of this giant “head” from reminding me of The Great Sphinx of Egypt! Cathy and kids made at least four other “off the main circuit” stops for views and info, but I’m not able to get the pix off her phone and the kids cameras to show you here. Maybe they’ll get published on a “slow day” off in the future travel.

 

Eons of change graphically displayed in an amazing palette of colors.

There was a time much more recent than the these earth altering events when Americans realized that they could get in their Model As, or, as in this case, their 1932 Studebakers, and actually drive to this part of the country on Route 66 and see the wonders for themselves. This relic is parked directly on a section of that early route, which was laid out and confirmed in 1926. The “comfort level” of that travel would have been FAR BELOW what these two present day travelers would deem acceptable.

Those that did make that adventurous journey often stayed in this luxury “Desert Home” made available for travelers. It even had the famous “Harvey Girls” of Hotel Fame as hostesses! The building has undergone several metamorphisms over the years, including being totally rebuilt by the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1936 into the Navajo Modern style. It is now staffed by the National Park Service for tours and special events.

The home was built before there were restrictions on using the materials and minerals from the Petrified Forest, so much of that was incorporated into the home. The skills of the local Native American craftsmen and Early Spanish Settlers influence can be seen in the construction.

RV Camps were non-existent from here to the border of New Mexico, so it was a short run down I40 to Gallup where the USA Camp RV welcomed us in with a big smile and a Veteran’s Discount, always appreciated. The welcome included the notice that overnight temps will be in  the mid 20’s, so no water hookups may be left on overnight. Yeah, I know, it’s still below zero and single digits at home, so no loud complaining. And we know tomorrow will warm up quickly.

Glad to have you all along! We’ll listen to the trains go by again tonight that were in your backyards yesterday.

Thanks for visiting!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The irresistible pull of visiting with long-time friends, Sheryle and Charlie Kaluza of Cornville (you read it right, though the name itself is “wrong” as the application for town limits in 1882 was made with the name “Coneswell”) was the reason for jumping off Route 66 and heading south from Flagstaff. They are a small town in the same valley as Sedona, with lots of neat things to see and do.

The confluence of the Verde River and Oak Creek is just a couple of miles from their home. There are some fascinating rock formations relatively rare in this part of the country as they are limestone formations interspersed with cavities created by rising mud. This pic is of the Verde river which was in full, raging flood a couple of weeks ago due to the snow and flooding all the way north to Flagstaff. The other side of this promontory is the many miles long Oak Creek, which comes off the mesa and is primarily clear water all year. The 40’s we had left in Flagstaff were replaced by warmer, but still chilly 50s.

An unanticipated BIG HIT at the Kaluza house was the discovery of their Three Wheel Bikes that the kids could NOT get enough of! We had to lock up the machines at dark as they were totally reluctant to call it quits. Note to both parents, they DID put their helmets ON after getting accustomed to the operation of the machines.

Having Sedona this close made it impossible to resist a return visit here. We had made the same excursion on the Southern Tier ride in 2017. It had been a totally grey and overcast day from sunup all day, but this very brief break in the clouds perfectly spotlighted Bell Rock and Courthouse Rock just as we approached town! It was gorgeous! Charlie provided all of us transportation there and we took a late afternoon hike up on to the lower elevations of Bell Rock. Izzy was eager to discover the “Vortex” that inhabits this extremely popular rock destination. To make it more believable as to her experience, Charlie didn’t tell her it’s exact location. 🙂

A wonderful meal out together at eclectic “Country Club Lounge”, and then a short drive out of town to park Bridget in the wonderfully pristine desert environment of Kaibab National Forest Land totally alone under incredibly clear skies. I actually had to unlatch an old-school “wire gap” barbed wire gate to gain entrance as the land has BLM grazing on it. It gave us a great opportunity to stand outside in some of Arizona’s “Class One Dark Skys” (well wrapped up in warm coats!) to do some “sky gazing” and Constellation searching. It was one of the very few nights camping that we were out of ear-shot of those constant BNSF freight trains.

Mass this morning in beautiful Plaza of the Immaculate Conception Church at Cottonwood. Fr David had a professional quality singing voice and sang many of the Mass parts. We rejoined Sheryle and Charlie for our first ever “Barbecue Breakfast” at the Colt BBQ in Old Cottonwood. It was spectacular! The helpings were big enough to satisfy the teenagers. Enough said.

A heartfelt “Farewell” to the Kaluza’s, and then back north to rejoin the always waiting Route 66. That route is precisely the same as Interstate 40 from here to the New Mexico border, so mounting up just past the I17 and I40 junction, I donned as many clothes as I’ve ever ridden in for the low 40s temps and brisk winds and joined the fast moving traffic as far to the right on the shoulder as I could get for the planned ride to Winslow, AZ.

Charlie had promised me a full day of ALL DOWNHILL AND TAILWIND, and it was close to being just that. There was indeed about a four mile stretch that was a nice downgrade and a perfect Ten Rated Tail Wind (guessing 25 mph! and directly at the stern!) That may never be duplicated again. The asphalt roadway is very smooth almost everywhere here, and the segments of red-gravel asphalt make me wax poetic in their smooth surface perfection 🙂 🙂 🙂

I’m almost positive this scene was used to inspire one of the scenes from the great kid’s movie, Cars. The irony with all the teepees is, of course, there were no Native American’s using teepees in this part of the country. You can see the “old road” directly in front of these structures. The short distance between the Interstate and the structures now may as well be a hundred miles when it came to drawing customers off their high speed traveling.

“Standing on the Corner in Winslow, Arizona” was a big hit, musically in 1972, and was a big hit with all the Route 66 travelers moving along the route today. It came as a shock to Cathy and I that The Eagles came out with it (Taking it Easy, actually song title) so long ago!

The kids got into the spirit as well, especially after spending a significant amount of time in the “Taking It Easy” paraphernalia store directly across the street.

My own “Good Looking Girl in her Flat Bed Ford coming round to take another look at me.” Sweet!!!

From Winslow, more wind aided miles to Holbrook, and our KOA for tonight, and a good night to all. Predicted morning temp, 32 crisp degrees. Looks like another day of bundled-up riding!

Send Warm Thoughts!!

Thanks for coming along.

 

 

We went to the Grand Canyon Caverns and got a guided tour. The original hole that was use was sealed off because there were two native Americans who had fallen down a few hundred years ago. The tribes wanted the resting place to be where they died so they were buried next to the original hole. the first chamber is called the bridal chamber and they have had about 6 weddings down there.

People can reserve the cave for $900 a night for two people. Since there is no wifi or cable they have over 100 movies on DVD/BlueRay. There are many places where  was created by so much pressure and they can be over 150 ft high.

The Caverns have been declared a fallout shelter incase of nuclear warfare, and the military has stored much food and water down there. These canyons are not part of the Grand Canyon National Park but are privately owned. They had some fantastic pie at the cafe as a treat when Grandpa got there.

 

There are also places where rocks have formed into little snowball shaped blobs. that is why they call it snowball palace. Izzy and I really liked going to this attraction.

 

 

Sometimes I need to remind myself that this is what I was doing just a year ago, recovering from coronary artery bypass surgery. Quite a change, and a lot to be thankful for. The ol’ ticker is doing exactly what it’s supposed to be doing, and there aren’t any other physical problems impacting my riding. That’s all good!!

This is part of today’s map segment for the route from Kingman, AZ to Seligman, AZ. Easy to see there was a lot of UP in the day’s ride. There has never been this much elevation change in a single day on any of the dozens of Ragbrai’s that I’ve ridden over the years! That’s OK when most of the other riding variables are favorable, as they were today: weather; quite cool, high low 50s, fairly strong and consistent winds mostly from rear quarter, while riding east anyway. Any veering off to the south was met with some fierce resistance from the wind gods. Road surface; very good and with a nice shoulder for riding. Traffic: light to moderate with very little heavy truck traffic.  In other words, as the sage Dave Dickey would say “It doesn’t get any better than this”.

This section of the route was inundated with snow in the storms of a week ago. The remnants of that event are still very evident on the north facing slopes at these higher elevations. Seligman also has still melting piles where they were piled up after street removal.

I somehow missed getting this gem in on the day we spotted it in the desert east of Amboy, CA. This solid marble, finely crafted, incredibly heavy statuary Foo Dog (Guardian Lion) was a mate to another just like it a thousand yards away. No explanation, no notation no Google search query answered, it’s going to go down as a “major mystery” on this journey. They were both 50 yards from the highway, and several curious souls had left tokens of (?) on the pedestal; postcards, notes, two full beer cans, flowers. At least no one has yet to deface them with paint or chiseled graffiti. And now, you can all wonder about them as well. 😉 My guess is that they weighed at least 2000 lbs.

The above four pix illustrate pretty well the “quintessential” aspect of this route. Every type of hokey advertisement to lure riders off the road is put to use along this stretch, including the nearly full-sized dinosaur replicas and teepees for rent! So many have tried and failed, and their sad remains are interspersed with the stalwart survivors. The infinitely tiny burg of Truxton had, at one time or another in the past, four fairly large restaurants on the road’s edge vying for the travelers food dollars. One remains. The others silently continue to advertise their Biggest Burgers, and Clean Rest Rooms. And the road goes on.

Colin and Izzy added to their Route 66 adventures today by touring the Grand Canyon Caverns while Grandpa was pedaling his way east. I hope to get some pictures and stories from them to post as well.

Staying warm and well fed along the Mother Road.

Your company is most appreciated!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Adventure Cycling Map Set for Biking Route 66 covers eight states, using six separate Map Sets. Today we crossed the Colorado river border of California and Arizona. There are 108 individual segments in these six map sets. Today, we “retired” Map Set Six after passing through Oatman, AZ and opened up Map Set Five, ending the day here at Kingman, AZ on map segment 88. I know, that’s a lot of info on maps, but they are the “glue” that keeps this expedition on track and coordinated. Cathy and I do a LOT of map recon to decide on stopping places for lunch, overnight camping, and “must see” places along the Route.

The ride out of Needles took us through the first ag land we have seen since leaving Santa Monica. It was primarily irrigated alfalfa and either wheat or barley, hard to tell at this early stage of growth. I was primarily focused on (avoiding!) the rumble strips that the Arizona DOT placed in the center of the 12 inches of roadway that I’m supposed to be riding on. I figured there must be some DOT commissioners that have moved here from Iowa and brought their “Don’t want bikes on the highway” mindset with them.

I can’t imagine how many acres it would take to support a cow and calf out here, but the ones I do rarely see seem to be in good condition. If the road ahead looks like it’s rising, that’s because it is.

Hair pin turns aren’t much of an issue when your forward speed is less than 4 mph! Cathy and the kids did a great job negotiating Bridget on this mountain. The posted speed limit was generally 20 mph, or less, and they would pull over (when they could!) and allow any cars/motorcycles to pass.

Nearing Oatman, AZ, Cathy was pulled over and questioned by an official Burro. She decided it was a scam when the burro tried to eat her drivers license.  😉

The burro obviously had some accomplices who were learning the trade. This was our “welcoming committee” as we entered Oatman, several thousand feet up from our start at Needles.

There was “shoot out” right smack dab in the middle of Route 66, in the middle of town. It didn’t end until there was only one of the three antagonists upright. Shocking!!  😉 Traffic was held up for 20 minutes until the smoke cleared. Which we thought was an excellent time for some ice cream snacks!

Yes, they were HUGE, which is why they substituted for lunch today.

I would like to say that I biked all the way up this long and winding and steep road, but my conscience wouldn’t allow that (and besides, somehow, Ken Brust would find out and, oh the crap I would take!). Let’s just say I went as far as I could.

This brings up another stark realization I made today. As I was cranking along on an”average” section of today’s ride and I realized the speed I was trying to maintain, 10 mph, was a full three mph LESS than I was doing on the same type of terrain on the Lewis and Clark Ride 14 years ago. Age takes a toll. And it’s measurable! 

Cruising on down the other side of Seitlege Pass (4500 feet) wasn’t as affected as much by age as pedaling up the front side. Proving, I guess, that good sense isn’t necessarily affected by that Old Age Thing. This used-to-be-gas-station is still open, but they can’t sell you any gas. At one time, there were a half dozen “cottages” for rent here as well. I met Dale Walker here, a self-supported long distance rider who, he says, has been on the road without going back home (which used to be Ames, Iowa!) for over three years now. He has ridden as far south as Panama, and is currently, vaguely, on his way to Alaska. More power to him!  He identifies himself as a “penniless Pilgrim pedaling for Peace”.  It was a nice chat.

And, with that, a good evening to you all from chilly Kingman, AZ

Thanks, as always, for coming along.

My Facebook Friends saw this post earlier today. We hadn’t actually decided we were going to climb to the top of the cone when we left the parking area 2 miles back. But on arriving there, Izzy felt the challenge and, totally on her own volition, decided it could be done and she could do it. Right there. Up that treacherous looking slope. To the top.

Somewhat concerned that she might not make it to the top and need to come back down again, I followed in her trace, and it was very dicey going. She stopped often to get a better foothold, and as the route steepened, to catch her breath.

This view gives a little better perspective of the slope and footing conditions .

AND!! Triumph! One proud little Iowa Girl, and a genuine Mighty Girl today. Hot, tired, and just a little scuffed up, but On The Top!

Proud Grampa. Happy Granddaughter. Life is GOOD on Route 66!

 

The loudest noise in Shady Lane RV Park last night was a barking dog and a very early rising Eurasian Dove. Temps drop quickly after sundown and the mornings are quite chilly, but recent experience has shown that warm up comes quickly. Our camp was not very far from the bike route, so I was on the road earlier than the first several days. Barstow is the home of the Marine Corps Logistics Command, and they cover hundreds of acres with every manner of USMC gear, from portable potable water points to 8 inch howitzers. Lots of tanks!  Lots and LOTS of tanks! Route 66 is neatly tucked between Interstate 15 and the mainline of the BNSF, which I’ve decided is the busiest freight line in the USA.

Both I on my bike and Cathy in Bridget, the RV, have been happily surprised by how little vehicular traffic there is on this road this time of year. That happenstance makes it easy to quickly exit the highway when something of interest pops up, like the Bagdad Cafe.

Marcella from Atlanta, GA is the current owner and has been part of the Cafe in one form or another for “too many years to tell you”. She was a sweetie, and invited me behind the counter where her equally charming great granddaughter, Halo (how about that for a unique name?) took our picture. I felt bad that I didn’t have any of my Pilgrim Farmer John cards to stick on the wall for her. There are no “choice” spots left, but I could have found something. While I was there, a congenial couple and their two young daughters from Paris, France stopped to look around and have a morning coffee. Such is life on the side of The Mother Road.

Route 66 crosses back and forth over Interstate 40 also in this part of the desert. You need some judicious pre-planning for fuel-ups to avoid paying these “middle of nowhere” prices. Not really clear in the pic, but Regular is $4.79 per gallon! Cathy had filled up in Barstow yesterday, and though high by midwest standards, the price was much better than this.

This may not be the Exact “Middle of Nowhere”, but I’m pretty sure you can see it from here.  🙂 When we were stationed at Twenty-Nine Palms Marine Corps Base (about 50 miles south of where we were today), the saying was “This Base is Miles and Miles of Nothing but Miles and Miles”.

The line in today’s title about Roads not fit for Riding, refers to a twenty plus mile segment that literally was NOT fit for a bicycle to ride on. The cracks and ruts were so severe that my odometer reader could not be kept from sliding all the way down the spokes to the rim of the tire. And the brake tensioners would pop off their pegs and effectively set the brakes. And that’s just the effect on the Bike. The effect on PFJ’s posterior was a little too graphic to describe here in a public forum. Usually, I can find a rideable track somewhere in my entire lane, but not so today. Yeah, I called Cathy, and she picked my sorry self up. The road was a beast on the RV as well, but it has lots more springs and shocks than my bike.

The DOT tried to make up for that stretch with a silky smooth section of 20 some miles. It was like heaven! You knew there was going to be a “but”, didn’t you? At the end of that section was a very bold and unmistakeable Road Closed to All Through Traffic section that we hadn’t known about. So, loaded up again and set off for another of the “must see” stops of the Route.

It was a three mile hike through the desert to the Cone, and we set out afoot see what we could see.

It was a most excellent adventure, and well worth the effort. Seeing the miles and miles of basalt lava rock that had spewed from this one opened vent in the earth is something that the kids would never be able to experience on a screen or in a book.

Izzy was the “Star of the Day” here, and I’ve given her a “Special Edition” of the blog to memorialize it.

Thanks for being here! Tomorrow gets us out of California and on to Sunny (we hope!) Arizona