Day 14- Mb2Cb Tour- Anton, Co. to Sterling, Co.

As bad as yesterday was, today was great. Bright skies, wind still in my face but just 8-12mph which is not so bad, good roads, a bean and cheese burrito in Akron, and an excellent stopping point. I'm sitting in the Crest Motel in beautiful Sterling, Co. If you are ever in Sterling, be sure to to stop at the Crest. Denny, the owner, is a good carpenter and an even better host. He and his partner are remodeling this motel which was built in the 50's, and doing a great job. I feel like I'm staying at the Four Seasons, and the room is only 50 bucks. Is this a great country or what? One other thing about Sterling. There's a Mexican restaurant, Delgado's, that has been located in the basement of an old church for the past 38 years. The thing is, for those 38 years there has been no sign, no advertisement, no way of knowing that Delgado's even exists, unless you are a local or you know someone.  I know Denny, and you know me. So if you're ever in Sterling Co., after checking into the Crest, stop by Delgado's for dinner. The enchiladas are to die for.

I am in great spirits tonight as tomorrow I cross into Nebraska and go over 900 miles. Sadly, the 900 mile mark also means that the tour is half over. What am I going to do with myself when I don't have to wake up at dawn and pedal 60+ miles? Will my life ever be the same? When I used to have a real job, working as a semiconductor process engineer, the first day after returning from a vacation, I would start planning the next vacation. Maybe I should start planning the next tour. I'm curious how many of you would ever consider doing a long distance bicycle tour. Let me know.

Oh, for all of you riding the MS 150 from Houston to Austin this weekend, GOOD LUCK!!!

Day 13 Mb2Cb Tour Seibert, Co. to Somewhere on Hwy 63 Between Anton and Akron, Co.

For those of you who think cross country bicycle touring is all glitz and glamor, you should see me now. I'm hunkered down in my tent somewhere along side Colorado hwy 63. I smell like a goat, have only a half pack of skittles to eat for dinner, and it looks like rain. Today I  pedaled like mad just to make 55 miles. I don't know what I did to upset the wind god, but must have been something serious as he/she/it launched a steady 20-25mph wind at my face all day long. Tomorrow will be a better day.
On the bright side, I do have 1 bar on my Verizon tab so I should be able to publish this post. Also, thanks to the wonders of modern science and the wonderful folks at The Best Little Library in Texas (the MCL), I have just checked out 2 eBooks from our Lone Star Digital Library. That means I'll be able to read and eat skittles at least until the battery or the skittles run dry. If you haven't done so already, I really recommend you look into checking out eBooks from our digital library. Who knows, you could be stuck out on Colorado Hwy 63 one day with nothing to read.

P.S. 1 bar didn't provide enough internet connectivity so I had to publish this post 24 hours later.

Days 11 and 12- Mb2Cb Tour Springfield to Eads to Seibert, Colorado

Days 11 and 12 have come and gone and I am about 150 miles closer to Canada. I'm sitting here, beside my tent, at the Shady Grove Campground in Seibert Colorado writing this post, listening to Texas Rangers baseball and getting ready to witness a spectacular Colorado sunset. I shouldn't have to come all this way on a bicycle to enjoy a sunset. Unfortunately, life gets in the way, and unimportant little things like sunsets are pushed aside. Well at least for today, this sunset is the most important thing happening. Colorado has been good. The countryside is beautiful with endless green pastures, rolling hills, and interesting rock formations. Generally speaking the weather has cooperated, with cool mornings, warm afternoons, and clear skies. The wind, which is the most important factor in how much progress I make and how much energy I have to expend, is completely unpredictable. This morning the wind was blowing 10-15mph in my face, making life difficult. By noon the wind had shifted and was blowing me down the highway. Tomorrow promises to be tough day as the forecast is for NW winds and I'm heading NW. Nothing to do but put your head down and pedal. Have to sign off now, sun's about to set.

Mb2Cb Tour Day 10- Boise City, Ok. to Springfield, Co.

Day 10 of the Mb2Cb Tour was excellent. I left Oklahoma, entered Colorado, enjoyed great weather, a wind at my back, and a great road surface. The highlight of my day was meeting a fellow lone bicycle traveler. Sergio Aguilar passed me on the road shortly after entering Colorado. Sergio was riding a beautifully restored , circa 1950's, Peugeot bicycle, with 28" wheels!!! I think the bicycle must have been hand painted. It had a red frame with yellow and orange wheels. This was more of an art cycle than a true touring bicycle but Sergio had it loaded down and was obviously distance touring. I was zoning when he blew by me. I was so intrigued that I put the hammer down and finally was able to catch up with him and introduce myself. We road together for 5-6 miles and I was able to capture part of our conversation on my handlebar cam. Sergio and his bicycle escaped from Camaguey, Cuba on a fishing boat a few years ago. He and his bicycle came ashore in Nantucket and he's been on the road every since. His mission is to visit all 48 contiguous states on his bicycle. To date he has visited 26 states and he said he averages 125 miles a day!!  He is on his way to Missoula, Montana where he hopes to hook up with the Adventure Cycling Association folks and land a job as a bicycle tour guide, bicycle mechanic, or cook. He says he's good at all three, and I think he's probably telling me the truth. I asked him why he was doing this and he said, " because I couldn't in Cuba but I can here".  Is this a great country or what??!!!

Starlite Motel Springfield,  Colorado

Blogging at the Starlite

Mb2Cb Tour Days 8 & 9- Vega, Tx. to Boise City, Ok.

Day 8 of the tour brought me from Vega to Dalhart, Tx. Everything about this day's ride was good. The roads, temperature, the winds, the terrain were all working in my favor. I reached Dalhart early and was able to check into a motel and Skype call my dad during his 92nd birthday party. It was great seeing and speaking with my dad and family. Bicycle touring is great fun but it can get lonely.

Day 9 took me out of Texas and into Oklahoma. Everything about today's ride was difficult. The roads, temperature, winds, and terrain were all working against me. There was a steady 20-25mph wind in my face, a cold rain, tons of hills, and (as Mark Glover warned) the Oklahoma roads are terrible (potholes and no shoulders). I was pretty whipped when I finally reached Boise City. The good news is that this part of the Oklahoma Panhandle is only about 35 miles wide and I've already biked over 20 of those miles. Things are looking up. The Weather Channel informs me that the winds will shift back to southwesterly tomorrow and that it will be warmer and sunny. I will enter into Colorado tomorrow and have great expectations take road conditions will improve. Also, today I reached the 600 mile mark which means that one third of the tour is completed. Seems like I just started. See the video for pictures of Days 8 & 9.

Mb2Cb Tour Days 6 & 7 - Levelland to Dimmitt to Vega, Texas

Hello Mr. and Mrs. America and all the ships at sea. I'm here at the Boot Hill Bar and Grill in beautiful Vega, Texas where Bob Wills is Still The King. I'm kicking back with a Blue Moon listening to the soulful sounds of San Antonio Rose and Steel Guitar Rag. Danielle, the barrista, a native of Vega, loads the jukebox with quarters and the magic just keeps pouring out. The past two days have taken me through Levelland, Littlefield, Dimmitt, and now Vega. Littlefield is the home of the great and legendary Waylon Jennings and (the equally great and legendary) Medina Community Library's own,  Dr. Don Wilson. It is not possible for me to bike through this part of Texas without thinking of the great singer/song writers who hale from this fertile land including Wills, Waylon, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Ponty Bone, Joe Ely, James McMurty, and of course the original Texas rocker Buddy Holly.  The past two days I've pedaled keeping cadence with Holly's Maybe Baby and Ely's Down on the Drag. For a Texas music fanatic this was pure heaven. I'm interested to know who your favorite Texas singer/song writers and songs are. Comment and let's talk about it.

Day - 5 Lamesa to Levelland, TX

I am writing this post on my tablet since the charger to my netbook mistakenly went back with Skeets to San Antonio. The charger is being shipped back to me and if all goes right, it and I should re-unite in Boise City, OK. this coming Sunday. In the meantime I will continue to post but probably not with pics or video since the tablet has limited capabilities to transfer photos from the handlebar cam or to compose video.
Day 5 ride was great. The weather has been perfect, clear, 75deg, and with a strong wind at my back.  The people I've met have been friendly and every single one of the thousands of motorists that have passed me, considerate.  It's easy to be jaded when we hear about all the bad in this country. However I chose to remain positive. For every mean, cruel, stupid, racist, there's 100 or even 1000 wonderful and caring folks out there. I know, because I meet them on the road and on this blog every day.
I am a native Houstonian and long time Hill Country resident and I'm here to tell you that this part of North West Texas is nothing like those places. This place is not so cosmopolitan as Houston or so beautiful as the Hill Country, but it's BIG. I'm not a drill baby drill kind of guy, but being here in the middle of the West Texas oil patch, it's easy to see why so many are. People are working hard. They are dirty and dusty and busy. This is BIG country, that spawn an American president, and that, for better or worse, still defines what people think of when they think of Texas. I would never live here, but understand why hard working men and women might chose to.
It's 2:29am here at the Levelland Motel in Levelland, Texas. I was awaken by a text from my old friend Al in Houston and haven't been able to get back to sleep. Life is simple on the road. All your cares and responsibilities are left behind. There's time to think about stuff. I'm thinking of my buddy Al and the crazy things we did as kids. I'm thinking of my family, my friends, and all of you. Most of all I'm thinking of the fun I'm gonna have on my bike in just a few hours. Good night.