Total - 4500 miles
When I woke up this morning I decided to postpone making any decisions. I was in Winslow, AZ, with lots of options to get home but they all started with heading east on I-40. I was on the road at 8:00 AM.
The two options that made the most sense included staying on the interstate all the way to Amarillo and going home the normal way. Or I could head south on US 84 from Santa Rosa. When I saw that US 84 would take me through Muleshoe, TX, my decision was made. This was the only picture I wanted to take today:
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| There really IS a Muleshoe, TX! |
The most irritating moments today were claimed by someone in a Ford Explorer. There we are, flying down the interstate, when this person passes me and then slows down. I pass them. They pass me. I pass them. They pass me. Finally I had it and upped my ante from my normal speed limit +4 and left them in the dust. What's with that? I had my cruise control on the whole time. My speed didn't vary. I KNOW they have cruise. Why in the world wouldn't they use it?
As far as I'm concerned, when I am out on the road like that, big trucks can do whatever they need to do. They are trying to make a living and have a schedule to keep. Sometimes they are fully loaded and sometimes they are empty. Often the limits of their trucks are electronically controlled. They can do whatever they need to do.
And that Econoline van pulling 5000 pounds of household treasures on a trailer designed for 2500? Give them a break. They are doing the best that they can.
But a perfectly good Ford Explorer? Pick a speed and stick with it!
The countryside definitely changed when I headed south on US 84. A two lane road heading miles into not much. I thought, "This is like the experience people have when they are driving across North Dakota and they feel like they are in the middle of nowhere." That's how I felt. But I never feel like that in North Dakota. No matter where I am, I am right there, I am somewhere. Somewhere that sparks memories and stories. Somewhere that matters.
I'm sure that the miles between Santa Rosa and Clovis matter to someone because there sure were a lot of cars and trucks passing that way. It made it fun. Passing vehicles on a motorcycle is fun.
Then I got to Farwell, NM. Not having been that way before and without access to a map as I was riding at the time, all I noticed was that we got stopped by a train. I asked the guy waiting to my right, driving his white dually pickup and pulling his mega-long horse trailer, "How far to Texas?" I didn't understand his answer and felt too foolish to ask again. He might have been from New Mexico and I didn't want to offend him with my swelling Texan pride.
Turns out the railroad tracks mark the border. I had to turn around after that and repeat the experience for video (click to watch it.)
Then, 20 miles later, I got to Muleshoe, TX. The interesting thing to me is that there didn't seem to be much going on out in the country on the New Mexico side. That changed immediately on the Texas side with huge feedlots, huge dairies, and soon the sights and smells of black gold. Muleshoe is quite the community. I got a picture of my bike at the city limits and was tempted to take another in town as I passed a church. The sign said, "Muleshoe Cowboy Fellowship". I thought that would make a great picture if I added a caption, "So what do people do around here for fun?" but it was a church so I thought better of it.
As I headed toward Lubbock I could see weather up ahead and plenty of signs that a rather serious rain must have passed through recently. It was also getting closer and closer to dark. More decisions to make.
I knew US 84 would take me to I-20 west of Abilene. From there I would have several options to cut across the heart of Texas. I could have stopped for the night but I smelled the barn and I wanted to get home. But which way?
As much as I don't like interstates on a bike, I love them in my truck. They are relatively safe. You can count on regular gas stations, rest areas, etc. Most importantly, they have a buffer to keep you safe from ditch critters that two lane country back roads don't have.
I've been all the way across Texas on Hiway 6 and Hiway 36. I've ridden on 183 and 281. I wanted to get home and I didn't want to mess with any of those roads so I decided to take the long and safe way around. I stayed on I-20 to Fort Worth, south on I-35 to Waco, and then home on Hiway 6. I probably added an hour and a half but I was paying for the gas and I decided I would rather soldier through Sunday night darkness than deal with Monday morning traffic.
So it was that the Odyssey of the Seat ended with me rolling into the same garage I left a week ago. I saw more country, rode more roads, killed more bugs, and ended up with a seat that could take me from Northern California to Houston, 2216 miles, in two days, without causing any pain or discomfort. Thanks for joining me on the trip.
And if anyone out there wants to help Kelley and I get ready to move, would you be interested in buying a piano?
1 comment:
Thanks for sharing!
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