Groom, TX to Erick, OK

Thursday 3 May 2018

Today's ride was from Groom, TX to Erick, OK

My initial plan for this ride was to only to Shamrock, OK.  But Wednesday I checked the weather and saw that I would have a tailwind most of the day and a head wind on Friday.  So I added the extra miles to Erick, OK.  The day started out with a very good breakfast at the only restaurant in town, The Grill.  The people were very friendly and the breakfast really hit the spot.

East of the town on of Groom is a water tower that looks like it is ready to tip over.  It was actually designed that way as a way to attract tourists.  The Britten Water Tower

More miles of flat Texas. 

the first non-pancake flat  landscape in a couple of days

An interesting museum.  lots of different types of fencing used over the century's

Shamrock Tower Station and U-Drop Inn Cafe Museum.

Murals in Shamrock 

Texas fixer-upper for sale.  Minimal repairs required. 

Entering Oklahoma 

Can I please go for a ride?

 The ride today was lots of fun.  Good tailwind, time to stop in a couple of museum's and lunch.

Amarillo, TX to Groom, TX

Wednesday 2 May 2018

Today's ride was from Amarillo, TX to Groom, TX

The highlight of today's ride was I met two gentlemen from Stuttgart, Germany.  They were riding Route 66 from Chicago to Santa Monica.

Lots of miles and miles of ...

trouble when the windmill is pointing in the same direction you are traveling

Called VW Slug Bug Ranch.  A spoof on the Cadillac Ranch

another forgotten gas station

Today was an uneventful day.  The hard part was getting out of Amarillo.  It took almost 1 1/2 hours to travel 12 miles across the city because of the number of traffic lights.  Once outside of Amarillo there was lots of farmland.  I arrived in Groom at 2:15 the only restaurant in town closed at 2.  I went to Dairy Queen which is next to the Interstate and had a chicken salad.  Not to bad for DQ food. 

Adrian, TX to Amarillo, TX

Tuesday 1 May 2018

Today's ride was from Adrian, TX to Amarillo, TX

Leaving Adrian, TX another gas station closed because the traffic is now on the Interstate 40 instead of Route 66

Miles of straight...

over 25 miles of nothing on the north side of the road except the wind farm

In the town of Vega.

Cadillac Ranch

and just down the street

 In the west side of the town of Amarillo is a Helium Plant, now closed.

Today's ride was only on Route 66.  I did not have to ride on Interstate 40.  Tomorrow's ride starts out trying to negotiate my way across Amarillo to continue on Route 66.

Tucumcari NM, to Adrian, TX

Monday 30 April 2018

Today's ride was from Tucumcari NM, to Adrian, TX

Unfortunately, the WIFI here at the hotel has died and I'm presently using my phone as a hot spot so no pictures will be uploaded until tomorrow.

Today ride was very enjoyable. It started out in the mid 50’s with a crosswind and ended up in the mid 80’s with a strong tailwind.  It was the first day since I left Santa Monica that I did not need to shift into the granny gear to get up a hill.  YA!

I met 4 LAPD Hollywood division, police officers that are cycling from Hollywood to Washington, DC in memory of fallen officers.  They plan on being in Washington DC by May 15 for the annual Peace Officers Memorial Day 

I had stopped for a snack and saw this group coming with the last car being a police car with his lights flashing.  One cyclist had already passed by the time I got my camera out.  A few miles down the road I saw that the group had stopped so I went in and talked to them and found out they were from the LAPD on a ride to Honor Fallen Officers. 
I left a couple of minutes before they did and... being a guy I stopped pedaling like a touring cyclist and put it into macho mode.  The road was slightly down hill and slightly down wind by the time the droup caught up with me they asked me where the motor was hidden on the bike.  We rode together for several miles, until the New Mexico / Texas boarder.  Then they had a change of escorts.

Four LAPD riders, two chase car drivers, one New Mexico State Highway Patrol, and 4 Texas Highway Patrol

and me

In Texas and the group passed me.

The day started out with a good sunrise.

Many places along the route there have been places with old cars in many different stages of dis-repair

more flowers

note the large wind farm in the background

kind of hard getting lost

The last 20 miles or so there was a good tailwind. Note the direction the wind farm is pointing. 

Great riding when the WindMill is pointing in the direction you are coming from!

I had lunch at the MidPoint Cafe

Grilled Bologna Sandwich

Apple Pie

The end of a great day of riding