Route 66 end
This has surely been an epic adventure. I am blessed in being able to ride the entire
Route 66 on a bicycle. I did lots of
complaining about the wind and the poor road conditions in some places, but as
I look back and contemplate about the trip, as a whole, I have had a super
marvelous adventure.
I probably had more days with a tailwind than a
headwind. A couple of the days that I
rode over 60 miles were only possible because of the tailwind in the afternoon
of the ride. The days of poor road conditions were disappointing because I
spent way more time watching for potholes than looking at the scenery. And yes,
there were days of endless nothing to look at. But pedaling through the diverse
scenery is what made this trip great.
I did a lot of complaining: Terrible wind, cold, rain, poor
road conditions and sleepless nights due to this or that. It helped tremendously to have someone to
talk to. I would call Maria and tell her about the progress of the trip,
discussed challenges, shared the disappointments and the days. I sent her lots of pictures using the phone
so she could get a little sense of the trip. On the days I had a long distance
to travel she kept encouraging me.
By far, the best part of the trip were the people I met along
the way. From people in the diners, gas stations where I stopped for drinks and
snack, places I stayed, all curious and wanting to talk about my trip. (One time, I even got a restaurant recommendation
for Chicago from a hotel clerk in Tucumcari.) Meeting other cyclists and
comparing notes about the route, go this way not that, don’t follow the ACA map
in this area, go here, there is a good museum in this town, and most
importantly there is a great diner about 20 miles down the road.
And, thank you everyone that sent me comments about the
blog. Even a little note was
reassuring. THANK YOU!
OK, enought of that sugary stuff, get back on your bike and start riding! It’s been fun following along on your journey.
ReplyDeleteI'm insanely proud of you Bob! So happy that I was able to have a few "rest" days with you. I still have indigestion from the fabulous food we ate. Chicago is a fun city!
ReplyDeleteKeep on moving, sharing your pics and stories. 🚴🏼
I’ve followed you all the way. Really enjoyed seeing the blog every day. You did an amazing job in capturing all the nuances of your trip. I began wondering if I had ever traveled that particular stretch of highways. I was especially hooked when you were first starting out. Berry’s brother was a maintainer, signalman for Santa Fe and lived/worked the rails via highways around Barstow. He had a house in Cady/ Cadiz. Right on the tracks.
ReplyDeleteDarn spell checkers; Betty’s brother lived in Cady
ReplyDeletePeople always bitch about the weather and they aren't IN it for 8 hours a day. Definitely didn't remember the complaining as much as the pictures and stories of people you met along the way. Thank you for blogging along the way uncle! I share with my coworkers and they are all cheering you on as well. Love you lots! Congrats on the accomplishment!
ReplyDeleteThinking back honestly the story I remember most is the town you went through with country music playing on all the light posts...the horror!
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