Let's start in Abilene. The morning I awoke there, my host took me to Sharon's BBQ. The food was quite good. As I understand it (and I understand that I understand very little) there are 2 things to do in Abilene: Eat at Sharon's BBQ, and eat at Harold's BBQ. The places have an interesting back story. Apparently Sharon and Harold used to be married and ran Sharon's BBQ together. They went through a divorce bad enough that now you've all heard about it, and Harold opened up a competing BBQ place two and a half miles away. So which place you like better is kind of a thing in Abilene. If I swing through again I'm going to have to try Harold's.
Here we are!
After a sliced brisket sandwich which was good enough that now you've all heard about it, I loaded up my bike and headed west as so many pioneers before me and after a good 7 hours passed, I was in Roswell, New Mexico: Supposed site of a UFO crash landing in 1947.
Something interesting I noticed is that as you go west of Dallas, the available Octane ratings of gasoline go down, but the prices stay the same.
Anyway, when I got to Roswell, I ask my host "What's the most Roswellian thing I can do here?"
He told me about White Sands and that it would probably be best to get there just before sunset. Meanwhile I'll have the first part of the day so he tells me about the art museum and it sounded like it would be worth a go but I only have 1 day here.
"I'm not really in the mood for art. What is the kitschiest tourist attraction in Roswell?"
He hands me a card describing "The Roswell Spacewalk".
He tells me the "UFO Museum and Research Center" is pretty good too, but this one definitely takes the cake.
Behold some of the scenes:
It was fantastic. Well worth the $2.00 admission fee.
Ok, so the first part of the day over with, I saddled up and rode the 3 hours to White Sands National Monument across the beautifully scenic US-380. I kept stopping to take pictures.
When I got to White Sands I was a blown away. I got there just as the sun was kissing the horizon and as I rode between the huge dunes lining the path, I must admit I was filled with giddy excitement because this kind of environment is so vastly different from what I've been through so far. So different that it feels like you could be on another planet. The fact that there was nobody around just left the imagination free to wander wherever it will.
Everything is so beautiful out here. The sky is a little higher; the horizon is a little wider; and at night the stars don't just show up and mingle, they throw themselves a party.
It pains me that I only scheduled one full day in the South of New Mexico. Had I known, I would have scheduled 3 nights in Roswell. The first night would be arrive and sleep. The first day would be spent exactly as I spent my day, only I would have camped in White Sands. Leave early the next day to return to Roswell and then spend a few hours in Bottomless Lakes. It's a nearby park and it just sounds so cool. Take the rest of the second day to do anything else around town, and head out on the third day.
Oh well. Maybe next time.
Now here I am in Santa Fe after grueling 4 hour ride. Out here in the desert 3 weeks into autumn, it's hot during the day, and near freezing at night. When that sun goes down it cools off incredibly fast. Today at sunset I put in my jacket liner, donned my chaps, put rubber bands around my pant legs so air doesn't come in, and put on thin little knit gloves, slightly thicker wool gloves, and my old slightly beat up doeskin gauntlets. I wrapped a bandanna around my face to keep what little wind crawls in my helmet out.
I am on US-285 between Vaughn and Santa Fe. There is nothing on 285 between Vaughn and Santa Fe and I'm not exaggerating in the least. It is almost 100 miles of absolutely nothing but pavement. 50 miles from either place, I pull over because what wind was making it through my three pairs of gloves was making my hands feel like they were holding ice. I pulled over a little too far into the shoulder however and was at the point where the road bows down a little..."It's probably fine" I think to myself before deciding I don't need to change position. I couldn't even lean the bike onto the kickstand because it just hit the ground. "It's probably fine" I think to myself as I turn the handle bars to the left to put what weight I can on the kickstand. It wasn't fine because just as I start to dismount, the bike falls over. And since the road was declining toward the outside, my bike wasn't just on it's side, it was almost upside down. Both wheels in the air.
I didn't even try.
Panic: I'm going to be stranded out here for a week!
Salvation: Lights on the horizon! Better flag them down.
Frustration: They seriously just drove by?
Realization: I'm wearing all black head to toe. Better hold my helmet while I wave to people because it has reflective material all over the back.
What?: Oh thank New Mexico, he stopped! Let me set this helmet down and take my ear plugs out so I can talk to him...wait he's driving away! Hey! Did that really just happen?
Thankfully a few minutes later 2 good Samaritans stopped at the same time and good thing too because lifting the Valk took all three of us. Why do I need a bike like this again?
I said my thanks and they went on their way but I didn't even get their names. I gave them both my blog address though so if you guys are reading this: know that you were heroes to somebody today.
I took out my middle gloves and put on long cuffed latex gloves over my leather gloves and now my hands were just fine.
I'm looking forward to exploring the Santa Fe region for the next couple of days. For now though goodnight Santa Fe, goodnight Earth, goodnight Universe.
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