Our Last Day on the Road

Alanreed, TX to Sayre, OK
65 miles

Katie needs to return to Chicago to be with Bud's business partner (and through the years, a close family friend) who is seriously ill.  As a result, today was our last day to ride Historic U.S. Rte 66.  The bike ride from Flagstaff, AZ to Chicago, IL is "to be continued!"  Katie will fly from Oklahoma City to Chicago tomorrow (Friday).  Lisa and Scott will continue to explore, bike, camp and visit friends on their way home.

Lisa and Katie with total miles completed!

Best of Day:

4 lane frontage roads!

Worst of Day:

Making decision to end the ride with concern and worry

Quote of Day:

"You be safe now and write when you get home and let me know you are safe!"

(Dixie Jo in Alanreed when we left this morning)

Memorable Moments:
Best Campground:  Black Canyon Campground (Santa Fe)
Best Welcome Center:  Texas
Best Ice Machine:  Santa Fe Motel & Inn
Best Bike Shop:  Beeline Mobile (out of Albuquerque)
Best Snack:  Erin's Oatmeal/Chocolate chip cookies
Best Treat:  Snickers ice cream bars
Beat left overs:  Subway sandwiches
Best end of day "wind down":  Summer Shandy and potato chips
Total states:  4
Total miles:  781
Greatest Ascent:  3,169 ft.
Greatest Descent:  3,885 ft
Coolest Temperature:  54 degrees
Warmest Temperature:  120 degrees
Longest distance:  68.02 miles
Shortest distance:  28.92 miles
Longest "pedaling" time on bike:  5 hr/4 min
Shortest "pedaling" time on bike:  2 hr/20 min

Memorable Pictures:

 Scott changing tire

Kelle and Lisa on way to Winslow

Bike for Kicks on Rt 66 sticker on T @ B

Historic NM Rte 66 sign

Lisa checking tires in underpass

Wire in tire

Welcome to Texas!

Katie in Red Rock Canyon

Our day of rest!

Rest day....

Scott & Lisa's Camp Site at Lake McClellan Campground

(and laundry!)

Best of day:

Air Conditioning in Alanreed

Worst of Day:

Weather predictions for Oklahoma

Quote of Day:

"My husband liked seeing the clothes line used today!"  (Dixie Jo)

Leap Frog Day

Vega, TX to Amarillo, TX
29 miles
Amarillo to Lake McClellan/Alanreed, TX
Drove the remaining 25 miles

Katie's Hotel - Alanreed Travel Center

Owner of hotel, Dixie Jo Crockett, runs the gas station, gift shop, liquor store, snacks, ice cream and post office!!

Best of Day:
Great frontage roads in morning
Bike shops and grocery shopping in Amarillo

Worst of Day:
No laundry
NoWiFi

Quote of Day:
"You are very brave to be biking!"
(Dixie Jo Crockett, owner of Alanreed Travel Center)

Happy Birthday to Christine "Kelle" Lemley!!!

Tucumcari, MN to Vegas, TX
Biked 54.3 miles
Sagged 23 miles (after headwinds increased and temp 95 degrees)

Arriving in our Third State

Famous Adrian, TX (midpoint of U.S. Rte 66)

Best of Day:

Frontage road without traffic

Less debris on interstate (no wire removed from tires today)

Worst of Day:

Strong headwinds after lunch

Quote of Day:

Bud (on phone):  "The Southwest is experiencing record heat."

Pedaling Downhill

Santa Rosa NM, to Tucumcari, NM

38.4 miles in 6 hours against headwinds
(Sagged the remainder 15 miles)

Blue Swallow Motel in Tucumcari, NM where we stayed 

(1950's/Route 66 nostalgia)

Best of Day:

Claw-footed bathtub in our 1950's/Rte 66 motel!

Cooler Temperatures

Worst of the Day:

Northeasterly headwinds - UGH

Quote of the day:

"This wind from the East is very unusual at this time year!"

(motel owner)

Blue Hole Day! (See Note below)

Romeroville, NM to Santa Rosa, NM
60.5 miles

Note:  This was a Blue Hole Day as there was a Natural Spring 80 ft deep/60 ft circumference/constant temp of 62 degrees which we all jumped in....but didn't have a camera!)

Lisa (along with Scott) decreasing her core body temperature in Santa Rosa Park Lake!

Best of day:

Water in which we could sit and/or jump!!

Worst of Day:

Temp 109 degrees

Quote of Day:

Q. How do you stand the heat?

A. Scott meets us with SAG vehicle every 10-15 miles with water and gatorade, provides shade and snacks, and gives us a break!

Hot Hilly Day!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MEGAN O'MALLEY!

Santa Fe to Romeroville, NM
59.7 miles

Gatorade consumed!

Best of Day:

The end of the day!

Worst of Day:

Temp 111 degrees!

Quote of Day:

Two gentlemen in parking area:  "Where are you guys headed?"

Scott:  Chicago....Chicago, IL

Gentlemen replied:  "Did you say Chicago.....and we thought we had come far!"

Rest Day in Santa Fe, NM

"Coyote on the Rooftop" (the best Southwestern cuisine in Santa Fe!)

Making a toast:  "Two weeks and we have arrived....and in the groove!"

Camping:

National Park at El Morro National Monument

"Playing with the Big Boys!"

SAG Stops:

Super Scott transporting extra water

US Route 66

Old/New Roads

"Remember When....."

The Journey:

Our Maps

Hills and More Hills!

Albuquerque, NM to Santa Fe, NM
51.9 miles

Lisa's 5 mile climb!

Best of Day:
Steel Cut Oats for breakfast!
Long downhill into Madrid, NM

Worst of Day:
5 mile climb
Disc Brake "stuck" on Lisa's front wheel first 10 miles of the day
(wondering why it was so difficult to pedal!)

Quote of the Day:
Katie's motel clerk in Santa Fe:  "Oh honey, it's too hot to be biking today"

Thule Day

Grants, NM - Albuquerque, NM
68.2 miles

No internet service (again).
Today's blog will be posted tomorrow evening.

Updated Post:

"Packing Up"

Best of Day:

New Thule Cargo Carrier for SAG car (see picture)

Tail winds and less heat

Miles of great frontage roads

Worst of Day:

Dramatic "dust devils"

Last 9 miles uphill

Quote of Day:

Lisa:  "OMG, I'm so glad I get to see this!"

(riding into a red rock canyon on Old Route 66)

Downhill and With The Wind!

El Morro National Monument to Grants, NM
45.6 miles

Crossing the Continental Divide!

Best of Day:

Finding "Beelines" Mobile Bike Shop (fixed Katie's odometer!)

Second Day no flats!

Worst of Day:

None!

Quote of Day:

Camp site neighbor asked how many miles we were doing today and commented, "At least you're not crazy!"

Hilly Headwinds

Gallup, NM to El Morro National Monument
52.7 miles

Camping in a beautiful national park.  No internet connection!  Will post for both days tomorrow!

Updated Post:

Lisa and Scott riding into El Morro National Monument

Best of Day:

Finding pristine camp site

Worst of Day:

Walking around camp site hoping for phone/internet connection!

Quote of Day:

Scott:  "If it isn't cute, it isn't worth bothering with!"

(commenting on our umbrella "shade" at lunch on side of the road)

Rest Day

Spent the day in Gallup, NM, busy with housekeeping:  Laundry, Bike Shops (purchased tubes!), Grocery shopping, Cleaning bikes,  Organizing/re-organizing bags, Van and T @ B

Pictures of our first week:

Preparation Fun!

Bikes Fit!

SAG  T@B

                 

Supportive Family!

Dinner in Flagstaff

   

Flagstaff Send Off

On The Road!

 Calling it a day in 100+ heat!

Lunch stop at AZ/NM border

TGFTW = Thank Goodness for Tail Winds!

Chambers, AZ to Gallup, NM
47.5 miles

                                          Crossed our first state line!

Best of Day:
Frontage Road (scenery without traffic & road debris)
Tail Winds

Worst of Day:
Cattle Crossings on Frontage Road
Beautiful Arizona Welcome Center closed due to budget cuts

Quote of the Day:
Scott:  "You guys have to read signs - you gotta watch the signs!"
(after we went down a dead end road, following the AC map!)

Uphill All Day!

Holbrook to Chambers AZ
34.7 miles (sagged remaining 35 miles at 3 p.m.)

Happy Birthday Lisa Lemley Bezold!

                   Creating our own shade for a water/snack break on the road!

Best of Day:    Spectacular Petrified Forest and Painted Desert
Worst of Day:  One more flat!
                           Hills and 40 mph wind gusts
Quote of Day:
         Lisa to Katie  - "You must feel pretty empowered by these hills"
         Katie to Lisa - "It's really ok, I don't need to be!"

One Long Short Day!

Winslow AZ to Holbrook, AZ
44.7 miles

No services means no services! (Lisa and Scott at intersection)

Best of Day:  Oatmeal/chocolate chip cookies
                      Super SAG support (started the day changing a tire)
Worst of Day:  Two more flat tires (and only 2 PhDs available (however we are getting quicker)
Quote of Day:  Scott:  "A guy in a pick up truck told me you were still in Joe (Joseph) City!" (while Scott was waiting at intersection in picture!)

We Are On Our Way....

Flagstaff to Winslow, AZ
62.6 miles

                                  "Standing on The Corner" in Winslow, AZ

Best of Day:  Our journey on Route 66 has finally begun!
Worst of Day:

• Kelle's flat tire
• Lisa lost the screw in her cleat and couldn't get that foot out of her pedal
• Katie wasn't concerned with the heat until Lisa said her odometer was reading 100 degrees

Question:  How many PhD's does it take to change a flat tire?  

(answer - three)

Quote of Day:  "Don't mean to be nosy, but where are you ladies really going?" (gentleman at Rest Area)