Tucumcari, NM

Sunday 29 April 2018

Today I rode around the town of Tucumcari.  At one time this was a very busy town primarily catering to the traveling public.  The town is noted for the  many neon signs from days gone by but also for the over forty murals painted on the sides of buildings.  Here is a small sampling of those murals

Santa Rosa, NM to Tucumcari, NM

Saturday 28 April 2018

Today's route was from Santa Rosa, NM to Tucumcari, NM

On the route today, there was almost no traffic until I had to get onto Interstate 40 for 8 miles just prior Tucumcari.  The road was ok except for one section of 2.5 miles of very poor dirt road about 15 miles outside of Santa Rosa.

On the way out of Santa Rosa more closed businesses because the interstate bypassing the town.

Almost every town has a collection of old cars and trucks along the side of the road.  Note the old trucks in the background.

The road not far outside of Santa Rosa.

Only 10.5 more miles until I make a left turn

The top of the next hill is 8 miles away

dirt road

Cuervo, NM

Newkirk, NM

There have been a few questions about flowers.  The last couple of days I have started seeing flowers beginning to bloom.  There were close together so I stopped.  But there are some areas where these flowers were very large bunches.

Last years flowers.  Would look good in a dried flower arrangement

Same plant with this years flowers coming

And of course the place is closed

Remember "Put a tiger in your tank" ?

Tucumcari is a town that thrives on tourism. Interstate 40 and 54 intersect in the town. In its heyday Route 66 went through downtown.  There are a large number of businesses have since closed since Interstate 40 goes around the town.  There are still lots of hotels, restaurants, and curio shops for the travelers that want to get off the interstate for a break.

Moriarty, NM to Santa Rosa, NM

Friday 27 April 2018

Today's ride was from Moriarty, NM to Santa Rosa, NM

Today's ride was the longest to date.  I covered 83.1 miles.  I left Moriarty at 7 and headed east.   I arrived at the hotel in Santa Rosa at 3:00 PM.  The first 10 mile or so were on the "Old Route 66"

about 8 miles from town looking west

and looking east

There are a few businesses that closed because of Interstate 40 took all of the traffic off of Route 66

At one time I guess this was mileage markers

Just past this point the route took me to Interstate 40.  I rode I-40 for 68 miles, until Santa Rosa exit.  A long gradual climb from outside of Moriarty.  At the elevation  the cedars started to reappear. 

6500 foot elevation

The climb continued to 7200 foot elevation then started a long gradual decent

 The ride along the interstate today was very noisy.  There was lots of truck traffic, people heading out for the weekend pulling boats, travel trailers, people in a hurry to get somewhere. 

People ask what do I think about while traveling on the interstate.  I look at the surroundings, look for odd things that have fallen off of vehicles, switch between information screens on the Garmin cycling computer, try to guess how far off a certain point is then track the mileage until I get there.
Sometimes I get a tune stuck in my head keep hearing the same verses over and over.

Big problem on days like today, when the weather is cold, it was 34 degrees when I started, is to drink enough fluids.  I find if I don't drink at least one bottle of water per hour  I will be exhausted in a few hours.  So, if I have not drunk my fluids I stop hourly and make sure to get the fluids and have a snack.

Cedar Crest, NM to Moriarty, NM

Wednesday 25 April 2018

Todays ride is from Cedar Crest, NM to Moriarty, NM

As I left the campground I had a little more climbing to do then I stopped in a Shell gas station that had a small restaurant in it

I had a breakfast burrito that was excellent.    And like most things in New Mexico there were green chilies in it.  A little spicy but not too bad.

The temperature, when I started out, was 46 degrees.  An hour later it was only 41 degrees and I had a headwind.  I was sweating going up the hills and still cold.  I had to stop and put on another shirt, thicker gloves and my fleece helmet liner.

After a decline of a few hundred feet of elevation all of the larger trees are gone.  Many more miles of high desert lie ahead.
I'm staying in Moriarty, NM to catch up on my blog and because there is suppose to be strong winds coming out of the east on Thursday and I have 80 miles to travel, east, to get to Santa Rosa, NM. There are no places to camp or hotels to stay at between Moriarty and Santa Rosa.  I will leave Moriarty on Friday when the wind should be coming out of the south.