Sore in Santa Rosa

Date: April 29, 2014       Miles Today:  81.25            Total Miles: 500 (Milestone)

Day 11                             Moriarty, NM to Santa Rosa, NM

We started the day with a great breakfast at the Comfort Inn in Moriarty.  We met a nice gent (dressed like a cyclist) & we chatted a bit.  He was previously a professional cyclist and now he is the one that drives the photography/video motorcycle during races.  You see those guys at the Tour de France and being experienced makes all of the photographers want to be on his rig.  He was from Iowa City, so of course we talked about our upcoming group ride in the RAGBRAI.  The people you meet 🙂

Getting kicks

We put most of our clothes on because the temps this morning were in the 30’s.  It still doesn’t make us wish we didn’t send those cold weather clothes home.  The wind shifted from 50 MPH gusts last night, to a 10-20 MPH headwind, that stayed in our faces all day.  The prevailing winds are supposed to be from the west…but

Warning sign

On the way out of town we saw them replacing the Whiting Bros Gas Station Sign.  This is the last Whiting Bros left on Route 66.  We stopped by Lisa’s truck stop but didn’t make it to the brewery that makes my new favorite Alien Beer.   We did see an alien near the Roswell sign.  That is another side trip, someday.

Whiting Bros Gas
Looks like they’re
Remodeling!

Lisa’s Truck Stop

Roswell…

About 12 miles in we needed a break, so we pulled into the rest stop at the top of a hill.  That is where we met three cool guys and their dogs.  Jerimiah (sorry Dudes, I can’t remember your names) was super friendly, they were trying hard to get a ride to Ashville, SC to play music and hang out.  We had a great chat, they were interesting, had a great “way” about them,  and on a great adventure themselves.  We wished them well and they promised to beep if they passed us.  Later in the day a semi passed us and beeped, we both hoped it was the “guys” on their way East.

Cool Guys

We stopped by the famous Clines Corners, they carried every Route 66 trinket & trash ever made.  When we were parking our bikes to get some lunch, we saw one of “our people.”  We waved and have an immediate commonality, bike riding.  We met a rider named Tom von Kaenel, who left SC eight weeks ago and was riding all the way to Alaska.  He told us about a terrible accident he had in the Pyrnese Mountains in France four years ago.  It was life altering because an Army Major got him medivaced to a place that could get him the care he needed.  Tom went on to tell us that he is riding to give back to those who have served in the armed forces.  There are some incredibly sad stories about our service men & women returning with PTSD.  Tom was a special person, and when we have some time, in the next few days we want to read about his foundation http://www.sea2sea.org.  We shared a nice lunch and some stories and big goodbye, wishing each other a safe journey, with blessings.

The sights along our journey today were long hills, and much less dramatic views…

Clines Corners Billboard

Clines Corners, NM

Tom von Kaenel

Not much

Looking North towards Las Vegas, NM

East Towards Santa Rosa

The day was full of winds, more climbing that we were ready for, and some terrific people.  In addition to that we had our first flat.  Jeff took care of it and we were back on the road in 45 minutes.  We rode and rode and rode and finally saw Santa Rosa signs.  YAHOOOOO!!!!!  We took the first exit for picture opportunities along Route 66, after spending all day on HWY 40.

 

 

Dr Flat Fixer

He DA Man

R66 Car Museum

Back HO

 

Route 66 Car Museum
Santa Rosa, NM

We had 5 miles to our hotel and were spent after 70 plus miles.  My bike started shaking and I had a flat tire. Ahead of us was the biggest hill we’ve seen all day, and our hotel was miles down the road.  Jeff filled up my tire and we made it to the hotel in time to throw in a load of laundry and have a nice meal at the Silvermoon Cafe, operating since 1959.

Silver Moon Cafe

We rode for 9 hours and 4 minutes.  We climber 2,400 feet.  We had headwinds of 10-20 MPH.  We rode 82 miles and burned 3,100 calories.

Two days in a row of personal bests for Ellen; yesterday, climbing over 4,000ft, and today, over 80 miles.  We also hit the 500 mile mark today.  That’s 25% of the way already!

Off to Tucucari in the morning, and the Blue Swallow Motel, a Route 66 Treasure.

Tucumcari Billboard
Outside Santa Rosa
We’ll be singing that tomorrow!

 

Getting our kicks

Income today = $0.00  Must still be in a recession!