Day 22
August 26, 2010
Tucumcari, MN to Pagosa Springs, CO: 331 Miles

An early start got me into Northern New Mexico where you can at least see the mountains.

Back on sightseeing mode, I took Hwy 68 north to Taos and then across the Rio Grande Gorge on Hwy 64.

I successfully, through no direct fault of my own, dodged the rain again all the way through the National Forrest on 64.

I guess I got in too big a hurry, because I finally caught up with the rain and experienced about 10 minutes of downpour right around the turn at Chama. The storm was moving east, so if I had been about 10 minutes later I would have missed that too. Oh well, the raingear would have been disappointed not to have gotten used.

Too late to make it all the way to Durango, I stopped in Pagosa Springs.

Day 21
August 25, 2010
Clinton, OK to Tucumcari, NM: 285 Miles

Another half-day of work and half day of riding got me to Tucumcari. I saw a lot of this:

And arrived at camp just in time for moonrise, which my iPhone camera couldn’t quite capture.

How civilized, this campsite even had electricity!

Day 20
August 24, 2010
Tulsa, OK to Clinton, OK: 192 Miles

I spent the first half of the day working and watching a massive thunderstorm roll through. Headed out of Tulsa around noon as it was clearing off and having been warned of the construction on turnpike, chose the old Route 66 to Oklahoma City and then I-40 as far as Clinton.

Route 66 reminded me of most two-lane highways with one major exception: almost no traffic. And most of 40 looked about like this:

Other photo

Time to head back to my mountains!

Day 19
August 23, 2010
Russellville, AR to Tulsa, OK: 199 Miles

An early start put me into Alma, AR by 9AM to set up shop in a local restaurant in time to complete some deliverables and run a 10 AM meeting. Then all email broke loose and I didn’t get things wrapped until 3 PM. Tulsa was in striking distance, so I called up my college roommate to see if he wanted to grab a beer after work. He did of course (he was, after all, my college roommate) and not only took me to his favorite brewpub in Tulsa, McNellie’s, but put me up in the new guest room as well. Thanks Keith & Shelly-it was great to catch up!

Day 18
August 22, 2010
Little Rock, AR to Russellville, AR: 77 Miles

Bill & Beth Greene were kind enough to let me use their guest room and Bill and I ventured out to his sailboat for what we affectionately call “Sailboat Church.” A great cigar and two hour conversation later put us pack at his place for lunch.

Four hours later I had caught up on work – thanks Bill for letting me use your office! And I was off to Russellville to visit with Rex & Amberly Knight. When I arrived, Rex was deep-frying catfish. It was delicious, but I have got to get out of this state!