Like Willie Nelson - I'm On the Road, AGAIN....

6/08/08



I got worried when the music went from SR to JR, but about midnight they turned the music down to where the earplugs shut it off completely and there was no gunplay or yodeling, so it was ok. Very warm, though. It would have been nice to sleep without the fly, but there'd have been precious little privacy.



Up at 0730, showered and on the road by 0830, with a stop by the office to admit cowardice and suggest some education for the family before they left. Funny how the names matched the ages: Baby, T.R., Lynda Sue, Mamma, and Daddy. Still a south wind of 25-30mph.



Stopped in Clarendon for gas, and breakfast at the Clarendon Steakhouse - a great cafeteria place with a wide open floorplan and vinyl seats. No credit cards and closed on Wednesdays.













End of the day in Trinidad SP CO as planned. Same ol' Same ol' up 287 to Amarillo and I-40W, then at Bushland veered north per Maps.Google on 2381 to 1061. Whoa! GREAT roads, NO traffic, and did I mention the slowly dropping temps? In Dalhart the bank said it was only 82, and in TexLine a mere 77!



Route 84 from Texline to Raton passes through some eerie geography. The whole area was covered in venting magma 3 times in the past, resulting in the mounds and mounts you see as you ride through. The most recent and perfect is Capuline Volcano National Monument. A real pity I haven't had (taken/made) time for this before. I guess the headstart up to Quanah helped. 5$ fee to ride a corkscrew around a perfect volcano cone, then hike 1 mile around it's rim and .2 into the vent! Wow! Hope the film/photo's turn out!

I headed out 84 again, still beautiful and all, but straight to Raton, then noticed on the edge of the GPS a little squiggly line - NM72 starting at Folum, which I'd seen on a post leaving Capuline. Should I go back or go on? It was a Loggins & Messina moment (like: "we may never pass this way again...."). Fortunately I chose to go back past Capuline entrance through the cow grates and the cows on a road NOT on the GPS into Folsum, and when I got there couldn't find the connection to NM72!! The Folsum Museum curator, a sweet little old lady, gave directions (as you come into 'town' turn left just before the museum, cross the bridge, and left again on 72).
Wow, oh, Wow. Just the kind of road I love - unmarked, smooth, clean asphalt twisting through and diving through absolutely gorgeous high plains scenery. Breath-taking! Clouds moving through patches of BRIGHT sunlight, prairie pastures and rock cliffs, streams and trees. It went on that way for miles and miles to Raton, just 25 miles south of Trinidad, 225 south of Denver, making tomorrow (hopefully) a piece of cake.

In writing that I have sealed my fate to dead battery, flat tire and rain.

Trinidad SP is a little pricey at 20$, but most CO SP's are the same. Instead of T.R. and Baby I got a family with children actually making Indian 'Whoo-Whoo-Whoo" noises as they moved around the pine trees, an old geezer (careful, that might be me behind those whiskers) in a VW Camper (see what I mean?), and a couple on a Goldwing pulling one of those 4x8 trailers that sets up into the Taj Mahall. All were quiet by 7pm

Dinner in T-dad was to be a treat, and I found the Italian place in the old Church Bruce D had noted years ago. It was very nice, but pricier than I care to spend if I'm not gonna get 'lucky' later. Sunday night much of town was either Closed or Out of Business, so KFC it was.

Back in camp watching the sunset and clouds, drinking scotch and wondering how cold it's going to get - Presently 68 oops, 66.

A very good day.