NM-TX-OK ROUTE 66 ADVENTURE
Day 9--Santa Rosa, NM to Tucumcari, NM
Today's Distance: 60 miles (97 km)
Total Distance so far: 423 miles (681 km)
From Shelley Brothers Cycling Adventure Facebook page (written and published in almost real time):
AM--Our tire pump broke early when Kent was pumping up his tires. (Not saying it was HIS fault...🤔) Which meant that if we got a flat, there were only enough CO2 emergency cartridges to do ONE tube (maybe). No bike stores in Santa Rosa... ugh.
Rode 31 of our total miles (50 km) on old sections of Route 66. Saw 5 cars in 3 hours. 😁
Were chased by yet ANOTHER thunderstorm this afternoon. The sky broke open just as we were unlocking our motel room door. Rained for over an hour. We dodged a BIG bullet.
The cycling "community" is made up of some amazing people. We stopped by the only bike shop in Tucumcari, hoping to replace our pump. Brandon, the owner, was off doing a spin class, but the guy with the auto shop next door called him so we could talk. After his spin class, he brought a pump right to our motel room!!
Due to recent weather events in Texas and Oklahoma, we have decided to forego our scheduled rest day in Amarillo, shortening the mileage on our remaining days to try to beat the afternoon "severe" weather. We'll keep an eye on things and try to make wise and safe decisions!
Today's journey.
Even as a child travelling from our home in California to visit family in Texas, I appreciated the greenness of New Mexico. Though not an Amazon Jungle, New Mexico green feels welcoming to travelers.
Santa Rosa certainly embraces their historic connection with Route 66. Throughout the town of 3,000, one finds beautiful restored and original condition vehicles and Route 66 "Shops."
Unfortunately, they were all closed as we pedaled out of town just before regular business hours commenced.
Definitely a "Grapes of Wrath" vintage vehicle.
When movie director John Ford filmed Steinbeck's classic novel "Grapes of Wrath" in 1939, he choose Santa Rosa as location for the significant train scene when Tom Joad (Henry Fonda) watches a train cross the Pecos River bridge as it chugs into the sunset.
"Hi again, Mater!" We're old friends. Saw this guy back in Seligman, Arizona :-)
He gets around pretty good for his age, doesn't he?
I post this not to show we are breaking the law.
I don't think we were, but I can't remember the justification we had for ignoring this sign.
It was probably because legal exceptions are made for cyclists when there is no other reasonable alternative route between the cyclists' destination. A quick glimpse at a map confirms this is indeed the situation we find ourselves today. However, we always make it our policy to get off the Interstate as soon as a reasonable alternative becomes available.
I post this photo because it demonstrates the extremely chose connection old Route 66 has with the US Interstate Highway System. In this instance, old Route 66 constitutes part of Interstate 40's eastbound on-ramp.
In the new few minutes we watched the old Route 66 pavement disappear underneath the concrete of the Interstate.
How's that for watching the historical disappear before your very eyes?
We cruise with the cars across the level landscape.
Can you see Mark, the Dot, in the distance in the centre of the photo?
A truly large and beautiful landscape and sky.
At the side of the Interstate we across an Antelope. (It was much closer before I was able to snap the photo.)
Just like the 1874 classic song, "Home, home on the range, where the deer and the antelope play" (and hopefully avoid the Interstate traffic all day).
A lot of these "Eat Big In Texas" signs. Very effective for increasing one's appetite.
Is this iconic not so Old West, or what?!
So does one ask the Horse, "Would you prefer Queen or double bed?"
Leaving the Interstate is always refreshing in that we immediately find ourselves in the real culture of the land we travel.
We pedal a long stretch of relatively untouched and noncommercialized old Route 66.
We pass many abandoned gas stations, motels, and restaurants that once provided relief for travellers as well as a strong business backbone for thriving local economies.
Along these stretches we heard only the wind.
We saw only 6 cars in three hours.
Ghost Town after Ghost Town on old Route 66.
Once a gas station and restaurant for the travelling families.
A beautiful ride today. One of my favourite day rides along all of Route 66.
See Bro Mark blazing a trail ahead?
Classic Southwest, New Mexico, and Route 66 scene.
An old but well maintained section of Route 66.
With hardly any vehicles, a paradise for cyclists.
One of the few vintage 66 stations, still in business in this area.
I'm not sure how much this Old Fart cyclist is actually fueled by natural gas, but Bro Mark remains essentially unstoppable when it comes to long distance bike touring.
Another haunt for Ghosts on the Old Road.
Yet another. (I take and post these pictures, because despite a growing sense of need to preserve these establishments from old ago, I feel it will be too late for many of them. So at least these pictures preserve something of their once vibrant role in American history and life.)
I always wonder what it was like for the families and communities that served this vital cross country link across the USA.
Old home connected to newer trailer.
Once a busy Motor Court.
While pedaling Route 66, we are seldom far from the sights and sounds of the railways that preceded the Mother Road.
Once the local "watering hole" for the farmers and ranchers of the area.
This community cemetery predates Route 66 by 16 years.
Constructed as part of the massive works projects designed to help Americans pull through the Great Depression.
Notice the Interstate (right) paralleling 66.
Appreciation to the Interstate engineers who built over Route 66, rather than burying it.
Water collected on the road. No surprise. It seems to be raining some everyday.
"Share the Road" becomes a very wise idea when it comes to this slithering creature making its way across.
Entering Tucumcari we see the economic impact of the Interstate Highway bypassing the community.
Abandoned businesses. Couldn't be sold. Just walked away from.
For the past 45 minutes we have been racing ahead of a thunderstorm.
Fortunately, the stormfront created a substantial tailwind that actually pushed us towards the town of Tucumcari's 5,000 residents.
We stopped briefly at the only bike shop in town to inquire about purchasing a pump that would be essential to any future tire repairs we might experience.
The shop was closed, but the auto repair shop owner next door called the bike shop owner for us, and we arranged to have a pump delivered to our motel room that night.
Such are the good hearted people we frequently meet on our our journey across America.
Just as we were unlocking the door to our vintage Route 66 "Americana Motel" room, the sky released its deluge. Huge drops of rain pounded the pavement and roof as we gratefully stepped inside our room.
It has been a long, good day.
We welcome the showers, food, and hours of rest.
As you can see, even though our ride took us downhill, we had enough uphill segments to accumulate some significant elevation.
