Our plan to get to Santa Rosa included postponing the ride for a day (see yesterday's post) and then getting up and on the road early so we could take advantage of the favorable winds. And were they ever! We had a great day on the bike today - averaging 14.1 mph while climbing up to Santa Rosa.
Right on schedule, the winds started swinging around to face us about 11 am. But by that time, we'd gone 55 miles, and had only a few miles to go.
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| Great red rock buttes begin to show up |
The landscape today got a lot more interesting, with mesas and arroyos and red bluffs coming into view. We are seeing mesquite trees, locusts and juniper as we ride along. I love the desert landscape!
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| Canyons and mesas |
Santa Rosa has a few old motels on Route 66 still operating, and many more that have been abandoned. As in Tucumcari, the route crosses Interstate 40 several times. If you get off the freeway, you can see the old hotels, restaurants and taverns that once welcomed cross-country travelers. On the freeway, it's the Super 8, Comfort Inn, Holiday Inn, and such. We've certainly stayed in our share of those, but I do like the mom-and-pop hotels as well.
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| Midcentury furnishings |
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| The real deal |
Our room tonight includes some great old mid-century furniture that I am sure has been here since the motel was built! It's cozy and comfortable and fun to stay in one of these old inns, like the La Loma Motel.
The day's report: Tucumcari to Santa Rosa, 60.9 miles/8397 to date
The route
for the day
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