Day 43 Albuquerque-Grants NM

October 4, 2018

Lost in Albuquerque long day on the road

The hostel owner ,Joel opened up the Bike Locker early for me, I got up early to eat and get going. I'll give you a guess if it happened that way, if you guess no, you'd be right. I started writing yesterday's journal entry, and before I knew it it was 7:30. Oh no I've got to go, I was following the maps and ended up in a shopping center. I ask a guy for directions his name is Manuel, he showed me how to get out of town. Great and funny guy.

Don't go food shopping when hungry, I overbought so the food pannier is heavy, but I've got food for a couple of days. It was a long day, average amount of climbing not a lot. The scenery was beautiful and of course there was wind. Between the later start, the map screw up , and my too Long first break I was doing an individual time trial Against the Wind and daylight for the last 28 miles. I didn't win that race I pulled into Grants after dark. I was about a mile from the RV Park that I had planned to stay at, and I hit Hotel row. I said to self, let's see what these cost, not bad. A little more than I'd like to spend, especially after staying an extra day at the hostel. I called the RV park and asked what their rates were, $28 plus tax for a tent site. Okay that's pricey. I had to spend a lot at the KOA in Romeoville, but I had no choice and I knew it would be expensive so I bit the bullet. Here I had choices, I found a room in an older hotel from the 50s for $31 plus tax I chose the motel it had pretty good reviews. Was a nice room they had a continental breakfast.

I'm not going to be near I-40 for a couple of days so it may be slow two post for the next 2 days.

Two things to add, on my first break it was too long, but there was a reason. A guy came up and wanted to pick my brain about bike touring, but of course my trip also. We probably talked for 30 minutes, good talk though. The second thing I get a lot of toots of encouragement, when I was in Oklahoma City for example it seem like every fifth car would toot and give me a thumbs up.

Manuel the man who showed me the way to get out of town

Look at this Minefield of a truck shrapnel,It's not the big pieces they're easy to miss,It's the tiny pieces you can barely see in the pictures that'll get you.

These three Brainiacs decided to unload their Harleys in the middle of the road

They could have done it at the truck stop two miles up I-40 or at the rest area

I made it, this was taken the next morning

Today's ride: 84 miles (135 km)
Total: 2,412 miles (3,882 km)

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