Oreo, the Trading Post mascot, was waiting for us when we rolled out of our tent at the Trading Post. Since the security gates and the store didn’t open until 7am, Tom hung up the tent on Ditch Witch to dry out from the rain the previous night.
We had another all-pavement riding day today as we were on the Chaco Alternate Route and although we were on pavement, traffic was sparse nearly all the way to Grants until we got to historic Route 66 when it picked up just a bit. We were also able to once again avert a threatening thunderstorm.
Once in Grants we decided to make a quick stop at a local brewery before checking into our motel.
Henry, the owner of Junkyard on 66 Brewery, was kind enough to let us in early and we learned more about how he started the business. As an Air Force veteran we were especially happy to support his endeavor. 🇺🇸
While there we mapped out the next few days of cycling and discussed taking a zero day the following day. Grants is a historic little town and we had some extra time banked so why not? Plus we had a few items to take care of before the final push to Antelope Wells. We will start our last map when we leave Grants!
After checking into the Super 8 Motel we scooted over to Taco Bell (we never eat like this at home) for some dinner and then ambled over to Elkins Brewery which was also close. I mean why not? Zero day tomorrow! 🤙🏻
There we met Joe, a local who grew up in Grants, left and then returned and also Steve, a native Pueblo who spent the day canvassing for ancient artifacts in cooperation with a historical organization. We could have listened to these two all night. There’s so much to learn about our country’s heritage. My life is not long enough to learn everything I want to learn.
We said our goodbyes to Joe and Steve and realized we were still hungry. We have insatiable appetites these days so we ordered Pizza Hut and had it delivered to the room. Again… we just don’t do this at home.
We feel so welcomed and well taken care of. The folks at Chaco Trading Post were uber amenable to us hanging out during the thunderstorm yesterday and treated us to coffee in the morning. While cycling, several locals stopped to see if we needed water, food or a place to charge devices. The crew at the Super 8 Motel could not be more welcoming and helpful. We appreciate all of these people who take care of us. They are true ambassadors of human kindness.
Happy to sleep in the following day we quickly called it a night but not before making our to-do list for our day off. That included: laundry, haircut for Tom, grocery shopping at Walmart, drying the tent out, and not one but two visits to Denny’s (breakfast and lunch). We got it all done too. That and other visit to Taco Bell.
The next 3-4 days we will likely be remote with little access to services. As we’re starting the last map, we feel like we’re beginning the final push to the finish line in Antelope Wells with about 400 miles to go.
And oh most importantly… Happy Birthday to our daughter Missy who celebrates her birthday tomorrow. 🎉 Can’t wait to give you a big hug and your birthday spanks when we get home!
Click on the image below to view the video.
Keep Calm and Pedal On 