Winds howl, tires grip tight,
treacherous heat fills endless roads,
Amarillo nears
Today’s ride to Amarillo was around 500 miles, with temperatures reaching as high as 104 degrees F and Marshall plagued by intense cramps. As we approached Amarillo we were racing a severe thunderstorm to see which of us made it to Amarillo first, us or the thunderstorm. We won, sort of. We did stop to don rain gear once it became apparent that it was likely that we might not beat the storm. This caused its own issues given the 104 degree temp mated with riding gear the is good at repelling rain but performs miserably and passing air over your body. So the end result, Marshall and I one for beating the Storm, and the storm one for nearly giving us heat exhaustion. But we did make it, so all is well.
It dawned on me, reading over my trip posts to date that – a. The reader might be getting the impression that the rides may sound more tedious that fun and b. I spend an inordinate amount of time talking about food.
Speaking to a. – Marshall and I are enjoying the trip, but it is not without its hardships. It is supposed to be an adventure and adventures often have difficult times mixed with the good. We accept that. Also, this first part of the trip has been more about getting to a specific destination by a specific date and that has made achieving the end goal (reaching Bolder by June 10) take precedence over smelling the roses. After today’s ride things get less hectic and more geared to having a good time. So expect that future posts will begin to brighten up!
About b. – I am pretty sure I am not angling for a food channel sponsorship (although I certainly wouldn’t turn that down <smile>), it’s just we have been fortunate to have incredibly good dining luck on this trip and, well, it would be a shame not to mention such a positive component of the adventure. But it is not my intention to make food reviews a major component of the blog.
Well, and easy ride tomorrow to Roswell, New Mexico where we will revel in the pure schlock we expect to encounter.
Until then ………
Adventures of an Old Man 