Day Thirty-six (57.3 miles, 1641.33): One Mountain Bar Above The Rest

5:30AM Joel's alarm drifts over from his tent. That soft melody is just enough to wake you up. I can hear him shuffling about, packing his gear away. I unzip my sleeping bag and Ella jumps out from behind the foot of the bag. She rushes for the screen as soon I as I open it up. Out she flies, a furry ball of lightning dashing back and forth through the grass. While she is running around, I stuff my sleeping bag away, roll up my pad, and jam my tent in the bag. Joel makes some coffee and I make a bowl of granola and blueberries. After breakfast, I fold up my tarp and load my panniers onto the land yacht. By 6:30AM, we are cruising out of the KOA and into the Rocky Mountains.

Our first mile of the day is downhill into a lush green valley. The valley is surrounded by walls of rock towering into the early morning sky. As we ride further into the depths of the valley, elaborate arches and gateways mark the entrances to many Colorado ranches. We admire the work put in to the gateways as we cruise toward the end of the valley. We reach the first climb of the day and it was no easy task. The sun was beating down and the day was already warming up. We climbed and climbed, pushing further into the mountain.

Fighting the heat and incline, we were swarmed by flies launching themselves out of the tall grass. We make it to the top, sweating bullets and thirsty enough to drain a lake, but warmed up and ready for the day. A quick snack and we are powering down the highway. Despite the hills, Joel and I were making great time. Our surroundings were absolutely beautiful. It didn't matter how hard the climb was, the pure astounding beauty of the Rocky's was worth it.

We were still in the high desert, but the low alpines were in view, far ahead of us. We were in no rush, so we stopped quite often to take in the mountain air and snap a few pictures. As we rode on into the day, the ranches grew larger, the decorative arches growing farther and farther apart. We spot a few antelope perusing the desert shrubs as we ride on past. Mostly, we see cows dotting the landscape like little black, brown, and red dots among a vast green sea. The mountains are growing with every pedal forward; their peaks becoming more clear and distinct. With each new pass we reach, it's a little victory toward our journey west.

Reaching the final pass before Hartsel, the mountains stand on the horizon like an immense stone fortress. The ride down from the pass is long and we fly along the high desert like we are untouchable. The highway becomes straight and flat with a slight incline toward the shadow of the mountain walls. A cyclist headed east, Tom from Boston, stops us and talks to us for awhile. We talk about the trip and what kind of gear we have, what the conditions are like in either direction, then we head our separate ways. Still under the brilliant glow of afternoon sun, we race west to avoid the growing mass of grey creeping up behind us. Right before Hartsel, we pass a Buffalo ranch with some mangy looking buffalo lazily meandering about the fields.

Finally we reach the one horse town of Hartsel, Colorado. There is an ice cream shop, a bar/grill, and a convenient store along the one strip of road. After grabbing a Gatorade and letting Ella run around, Joel and I head for the bar. Ella sits right at my heel when we sit down to order food and drinks. A cold beer and a BBQ Bacon Burger are the perfect lunch after a great day of riding. There is nothing to do in town, so the bartender tells us we can hang around until closing if we want. We leave to set up our camp across the street and then head back into the bar.

We talk and hangout with the locals until Bill and Carol show up later in the afternoon. Bill looks beat and could definitely use some electrolytes and some food. A couple of cyclist headed east come into the bar to get some food and right after them a few Continental Divide mountain bikers show up for some grub as well. We all sit, drink, talk, eat, and enjoy each others company for awhile. Eventually Celia shows up as well and we are all a big group again. Bob is still a day behind us back in Canon City. As we are all eating and drinking late into the day, a huge thunder storm rolls through and stays for quite some time. It was fun to chill with old friends and new as we waited for the storm to pass. Thunder rolled, drunks slumped around, we drank and ate, Ella was getting love from all, and we generally had a good time.

Late in the evening, the rain subsided and the lightning moved far into the distance. The bar was no longer serving food and we all had a long day ahead of us. Ella jumped into the tent and I shimmied down into the bright yellow cocoon right after. It was a good end to a good day. Thank you for following Ella and me; and we hope you continue to enjoy our adventures as we conquer the peaks of the Rocky's!

Day Thirty-five (41 miles, 1584.03 total): Wake-Up Calls and Mountain Walls

BEEEEEEEP!!! BEEEEEEEP!!!!! BEEEEEEEP!!! I jump out of bed and the fire alarm is screaming throughout the halls. Flashing from the alarm is shining through the door. Joel flips on the light and walks out into the hall. People are rushing for the stairs, sleepy and confused. It's 2:00AM and the screeching from the siren is loud enough to wake the dead. Ella is pacing back and forth across the bed, anxious with the alarm going off. I scoop her up in my backpack and we head out into the hall. Quickly walking down the stairs and outside, we join the growing crowd of hotel guests. A fire truck swings into the parking lot along with two police cars. Firefighters drag themselves out of the truck, obviously exhausted and wanting to go home. They walk into the lobby along with the tired police officers to see what is going on.

We stand there, tired and annoyed, waiting to see if there is an emergency. About ten minutes pass before the irritated police officers and firefighters walk back out to their vehicles. A manager walks out of the lobby entrance to let us know we can go back to our rooms and everything is alright. Apparently someone had decided to pull one of the fire alarms. Good going buddy. We sulk back to our rooms and try to catch a few more hours of shut eye. RING! RING! RI-. I shut off my phone and roll over. It's 5:30AM. Joel says 6:00AM and goes back to sleep. The time finally comes to get up and get ready for the ride. Practically awake for the last hour, I have no problem getting up and finishing the last few bits of packing. It doesn't take very long before we are ready to go and headed out the door.

Soon we are rolling along with the early morning traffic through downtown Pueblo. The streets roll up through a few small hills before we arrive at Starbucks. We needed some caffeine after that ridiculous early morning wake up call. After enjoying a breakfast sandwich and a cup of coffee, we pedal on down the road to Canon City. Pueblo becomes more and more interesting as we cruise through. It has an amazing park that was very well kept and just beautiful all the way around. If I didn't take a rest day in Pueblo, I would have definitely stayed in that park!

At the entrance of the park, we cross the road into a neighborhood filled with stucco villa style homes and well maintained yards. A cool breeze follows us down the street as we leave the city limits of Pueblo and into the rolling foothills of the Rocky's. The hills start fast and they trail on and on. The grade isn't bad at all, its just how long they happen to be. Grinding the gears, working our way up each one. The top of the first major hill is absolutely stunning. The view of the Rocky Mountains stops us in our tracks. Greens, blues, yellows, and white fill the horizon, growing from plains, to low foot hills, to the towering monoliths rising 14,000 feet in to the heavens. I can't help but stay awhile and absorb the enormity of it all.

Still stunned by the sheer beauty of the landscape, I push on, moving ever closer to the giants of rock and ice. Rolling on through the waves of asphalt, grasshoppers completely cover the road. Thousands and thousands of grasshoppers cover the highway. It is impossible to avoid them all, so the unmistakable crunch of the little buggers is unavoidable. On the next big hill, Joel's bike breaks down. He has a roll off hub, which is internal gearing, and it won't shift any lower than 5th. Of course we are in the middle of a hill when this happens and it is too difficult to climb with gearing like that. We stop to try and fix it, but to no avail. Joel powers up the very last portion of the hill and stops at the first flat spot we come across. The flat stop also happens to be right next to a llama farm!

Joel calls his bike mechanic and he walks him through the process to fix it step by step. By the time the phone call is over, Joel has his bike all fixed and shifting gears like new. The next stretch of road is all downhill. Joel and I race back and forth speeding down the hills through the high plains. Passing the occasional immense ranch house, we see herds of cows and horses around every other bend. Along one stretch of road, we see an entire herd of pronghorn antelope. It was pretty cool to see them all running around and grazing throughout the ranch lands.

Barreling through the rolling landscape of Colorado, I realize for the first time on my trip, I don't feel like I'm in need to be anywhere at any given time. No more rushing. No more need to reach a specific town by a specific time. I feel at peace in the open air of the Rocky's. The same feeling I had when I spent days backpacking the Sierra's or swimming in the crystal blue waters off Catalina Island.  Overwhelmed by the feeling of freedom, a true test to Manifest Destiny. People along the route always quoted "Go west my son" to me and I realize now how much meaning that has to my life. The salty breeze of the Pacific Ocean, the mysterious back country of the Sierras; this is where I belong.

By early afternoon we arrive in a small town with a fantastic coffee shop and an excellent breakfast burrito. Ella was happy to get out of the basket for awhile while we enjoyed some lunch. Before long, we were flying toward Canon City once again. It isn't long before we are rolling into town. First stop, we head to the Post Office to pick up my package. After sorting out some trouble picking up my box, we ride on down to the grocery store to pick up some Gatorade. The golden rays of sun are replaced by dark shadows of rain clouds, so I put a rain cover over my guitar just in case. It starts to sprinkle as we leave Canon and I kick it into a new gear.

The rain starts coming down in buckets as we race toward the sun in the distance. I am flying through the wall of water, pedaling as fast as I can to the rain line ahead. When I burst from the shadows into the daylight, its still raining! I look above me but there are no clouds and the rain is still coming down! After another half mile or so, I break through the sheet of rain and onto the dry streets beyond. Soaked, I stop at a road sign and wait for Joel to catch up.

Another big hill lies before us and we start the long haul toward Royal Gorge. It was a little longer than we expected, but we make it up and ride down the hill toward one of the numerous camps along the gorge. Most of them are crowded RV parks, so we end up choosing a quiet KOA campground instead. Despite already riding through a shower, a real shower still feels a whole lot better. It's a nice dry night and the mosquitoes aren't too bad.

I enjoy a few of the goodies my mom sent me and cook myself a good dinner before setting up my tent for the evening. Joel introduced me to an HBO show I forgot about, Deadwood, and we watched that for awhile. As the sun went down, the stars came out and the moon lit up the night sky. In the distance, we could see Jupiter mingling with the stars. It is a beautiful night and I'm going to enjoy it, so good night to all! Thanks for reading and we hope you continue to follow our adventures as we climb higher into the peaks of the Rocky's!

Best Beer Pretzels I Have Ever Had! Pueblo, CO. #thecyclesherpa #thecycleshepherd #adventurecycle

A photo posted by Xander Grove (@thecyclesherpa) on Jul 2, 2015 at 8:29pm PDT

Day Thirty-four (0 miles): A New Day And New Friends

7:45AM. Early morning rays of sun cascade under the fringes of the curtain. A few extra hours of sleep and I feel so much better. Ella rolls on to her back and stretches out like a furry scarf. She flips over and army crawls onto a pillow at the end of the bed before curling up again. Joel is getting ready for the day, so I get up and head for the bathroom. I forgot how great a morning shower really is. Refreshed and ready for the day, I tuck Ella into my backpack and head out for coffee. The Daily Grind was so good when I yesterday, I decided to go again.

Joel was already there and working on his computer. I order a smoothie and work on downloading some photos taken earlier in the week. It was a beautiful morning when I left, sun sparkling through the morning dew on the trees, a cool breeze floating through the quiet city streets, and smell of fresh coffee drifting out of shops lining either side of the road. By the time I had finished my photos and my smoothie, the sun was beating down on the river and flies were beginning to swarm the late morning humid air. I leave from my chair to avoid being eaten alive and walk Ella down the still quiet streets. A few people pass by; some with their dogs, some on their morning routine, and some skirting the sidewalks on their bikes. Ella is getting tired, so I slip her back into my backpack and head for the hotel. Ella rides with her head peaking out on the way back, watching everthing go by, perfectly content.

When we get back to the room, Joel is on a business call. I make some peanut butter and jelly bagels and chill in the room for awhile. Joel gets off the phone and we talk about work, cycling, traveling and writing for a long time. Later in the afternoon, Bob calls us and wants to know if we want to go hang out. Soon we are on our way to a pub downtown. The sun has hidden itself behind the looming face of storm clouds. It's not quite raining yet, but you can feel it in the air. A few minutes of walking down the empty sidewalks and we arrive at the pub. Bob is already inside with two new friends, Derrick and Stacy.

Derrick and Stacy bought bikes the day before they decided to leave Memphis and have been traveling ever since. Both of them are headed to Portland on a whim to live there. It's a great idea to be honest. A new city, a new start. Not to mention that Portland is just awesome to begin with, I lived in Oregon for 2 1/2 years and loved it. We all eat, share stories, get to know each other, drink and be merry.

After hanging out in the bar for awhile, we head out to walk around downtown. We end up exploring downtown and all the little local shops. Later in the evening, we are all getting pretty hungry and end up back at the same pub again. Ella is asleep in my backpack, her head just peeking out of the zipper. Another round of drinks and baskets of food fill the table. This time, I have the best beer pretzels I have ever had in my entire life. Good food, good times, and good friends. It was great to meet some new people and make new friends. Tomorrow they head off for Colorado Springs and we head for Canon City.

By the time we leave the pub, it is raining and we rush back through the back alleys of Pueblo to our hotel. Thunder cracks through the sky and it begins raining in sheets. Back at the hotel Ella hops out of my backpack in the room and curls up onto her soft fleece blanket. Joel and I plan on getting up by 5:30AM in the morning to ride to Canon City. I have package waiting for me in Canon City so I am excited to get restocked and get my new long sleeve shirt! I have all of my gear to pack up, so I will put down the pen and get to packing. Ella and I hope you are enjoying our adventure and continue to follow us as we leave the plains and head for the hills!

Day Thirty-three (52.3 miles, 1543.03 total): A Quick Ride To A Great Day!

RING! RING! RI--. I slap my hand hand around on the dresser until it finds my phone. Ella crawls onto my face then jumps onto my chest like it was a diving board. Joel is already up and making coffee. I slump out of bed with Ella in tow and head for the door. Ella jumps out the door like a jack rabbit and sprints for the side of the building where our bikes are chained up. I go check to make sure our bikes are fine while Ella runs around, then head back inside. Once I've packed up the majority of my gear, I pull out my blueberry bagels and strawberry jelly for breakfast. Simple, but enough to get me through to lunch. After enjoying a morning roast and some tasty bagels, we bring our bags outside and load them onto to our bikes.

It's 5:25AM and the sun hasn't even begun to crest the horizon. We test out our lights and head out into the dark. It's a nice morning, a wind to our backs but not too chilly. Joel and I are flying down the road, an empty track to Pueblo. By 5:45, the sun begins to peak out beyond the plains and cars slowly begin filing down the road. We stay on the same road all the way to Pueblo, so there is no need for stopping to check our maps or GPS's. Minus a few quick hills, the road stays straight and flat. As we move away from the farmlands and closer to urbanized areas, the roads become wider and more trash lines the roads. I have to say I am very impressed by how clear most of the roads have been in Colorado. Every once in awhile we would run across a pile of broken glass where some numb-nuts decided to throw his beer bottle or two. Paying attention to the asphalt usually pays off and we can swerve out of the way of a flat tire, saving us time and energy.

Joel and I continued to lead and follow as we raced along to the halfway point of the TransAm. It was a big victory to get this far and we knew we had a nice cushy hotel waiting for us when we got there. The sun creeps higher into the sky, a wake up call to the citizens of sleepy Colorado. Just a few miles outside of town, we merge with a major highway and zoom along with early morning travelers rushing to work. It isn't long before we cruise on past the Pueblo City Limits sign.

When we first merge off the exit into Pueblo, Joel and I are confused. It is nothing like what we had been picturing or hearing. Houses with bars over the windows, fences around every yard filled with junk, graffiti decorating the unkempt streets, low rider cars with wheels meant for a monster truck, a liquor store on every corner. We pushed on through the broken streets, getting strange glances in every direction. Broken down cars, abandoned auto shops, and stacked up rims line the streets heading into downtown. Before we reach downtown, we have to cross a bridge of a waterway. It makes so much sense, we were on the wrong side of the bridge. As soon as we cross over, Pueblo is exactly as we imagined, a fun little city with cool shops, restaurants, a river trail, hotels, parks, everything that we originally pictured.

It's only 9:30AM and we had already ridden over 50 miles from Ordway. We walk into the Marriott to check in, but they won't have our room available until 11:30AM at the earliest. It is early, so we head downtown to find some breakfast. Joel and I find a little coffee shop called The Daily Grind and have the best coffee and best breakfast we have had since we left Virginia! Not joking in the slightest, this coffee shop had absolutely amazing coffee and if you are ever in the area, you should definitely stop by!

By 10:45AM, the hotel called to let us know our room was ready. I tuck Ella into my backpack to sneak her in. She doesn't move or even make a sound as we carry her in. The hotel has an absolute no pets allowed policy, so I have to sneak her in and out every time I come and go. Our room is huge and we have plenty of space for our gear and our bikes. After getting settled, we head out to get a haircut. I haven't had a haircut since before I left for this trip and desperately need one. We end up at this small salon facing the river downtown.

This is how I sneak her around! #thecyclesherpa #thecycleshepherd #adventurecycle @aussiepups1

A photo posted by Xander Grove (@thecyclesherpa) on Jul 2, 2015 at 8:25pm PDT

The owner, Tirena, ends up cutting my hair. Joel got his hair cut first and ran back to the hotel. He wasn't able to handle the chemicals used in pretty much every salon. Tirena is extremely nice and lets Ella sit right at my feet while she works. She asks me all about my trip, Ella, my family, and we talk about all sorts of other things as well. It's nice to have my hair shorter and she starts to work on the back of my neck. Before I know whats going on, she is using a straight razor and hot shaving cream to shave the back of my neck. It was one of the best feelings in the world and my neck felt so neat and clean afterwards. I gave her a hug and a generous tip before heading out to explore local Colorado life.

I walked around with Ella for a bit before heading back to the hotel. I tuck Ella into the backpack just before we get there and head straight for the elevator. Back in the room, Joel is chilling and talking on the phone. I realize that the week has finally caught up with me and I am actually pretty tired. Bob calls us to hang out and Joel wants to go to dinner but I just want to relax. We make plans to "party" with Bob and two new friends tomorrow.

After Joel gets off the phone, we pop open a few victory beers and enjoy the fact that we made it halfway across the country. Joel and I hang out for awhile before he decides to go out to dinner and I order myself a pizza. Buffalo Chicken Pizza is my jam and I ate the entire large pizza by myself while binging on Netflix. A good start to my rest day tomorrow. Joel is back and getting ready for bed, so I am wrapping up my writing and getting ready to catch up on some much needed sleep. I hope you are enjoying our adventures and continue to follow and share our journey across the US! Ella appreciates all of her fans and wants me to let you know she loves the attention!

Day Thirty-two (60.8 miles, 1490.73 total): Have we left Kansas yet?

5:30AM. A soft tune plays from Joel's side of the room. It's a comforting melody the doesn't launch me out of bed like a nuke siren. Ella yawns and stretches out across the bed as I get up. It's still dark outside, but I feel refreshed from a good nights sleep in a comfortable bed. A good night's rest is exactly what I needed. Ella is jumping on the bed like its a trampoline and dragging the sheets back and forth. I sneak the little fur ball outside and she hops around like a little deer. Sneaking Ella into hotels is so easy because she never barks and can practically fit in one hand! Back inside, I get dressed into my freshly washed cycling clothes and put on my socks. Oh the feeling of clean socks! Having clean socks is one of the best feeling on the road!

Joel comes back from the lobby with oatmeal and eggs, so I naturally head right out the door toward the smell of food. Free breakfast, why not take advantage? I load my plate high with eggs and sausage. In my free hand, I grab a few mini muffins and a glass of OJ. It's a good start to a new day! While chowing down on my mountain of food, Joel and I go over the map one last time before we hit the road.

It's a crisp morning out and we have the wind to our backs. The sun is barely cresting over the horizon, casting a burning sheen of light across the clouds. We ride into a short hill before hitting the flatland's of eastern Colorado. Miles and miles of barren land lay on either side of the endless highway. Out on the plains, you feel a strange sense of loneliness as you cut your way through the grey of morning. It makes you feel small, a grain of sand in a sea of dunes. Joel and I fly down the highway as the wind pushes us along. We stop every now and then to take pictures of the empty plains and the bulging clouds of the western skies.

At one stop, Joel starts freaking out and a meteor comes crashing through the atmosphere bursting into a million little pieces. We had never seen anything like it before, it was unreal. To see a meteor plummet through the skies into the horizon during the day was bewildering. After our excitement wore off, we pedaled on down the road.

The first town we reach, Hazwell, has absolutely nothing in it. The Adventure Cycling map said there was a convenient store, but it was no where to be found. Hazwell had a surprisingly nice park, so we stopped and had a snack before we moved on. Once we left, the road turned into a roller coaster, rolling up and down the plains. Joel and I sped on cutting through the hills like butter. The sun burst through the clouds and heated up the asphalt below us. We still had a breeze to our backs but the day was definitely getting toasty. About the same time the sun came out to greet us, the flies came too. Swarms of little biting annoyances followed us as we jammed on. There was no stopping them, no matter how much spray you used or how fast you pedaled, the flies were right behind you.

As we pressed on, the landscape began to change to a more desert like environment. Cactus and desert shrubs filled the vast emptiness moving west. The sun was beating down on us now and there wasn't a cloud for miles to provide moments of sweet relief. To our right, an abandoned railroad kept us company all day long. It's overgrown tracks moved along each curve like a metal serpent hunting its prey through the tall grass. The winds moved to our side and slowed us down a little bit, but not enough to make it difficult. Resting down the line, old loading cars lined the lonely track. They would have been a great place for pictures and lunch, but we were being bombarded by the little black kamakazi flies. One after another, they were relentless. We looked like crazy people as we waved our arms around our faces to keep them from biting us. Even Ella was snapping at them as they revolved around the bike.

The highway turned and so did the winds. Right into our faces. Fortunately, they were intermittent and only slowed us a little bit. The hills continued to climb as we moved west. By early afternoon, we had reached the next town, Sugar City. Again, the maps were wrong and all of the diners and stores were closed and boarded up. This was getting ridiculous and we were running low on water after the winds and climbing. A sign shines like a golden beacon telling us our final destination is only 5 more miles ahead. The roads are becoming more crowded and we have to move into the shoulder to avoid traffic. A lake hides over a hill to our left. A big blue pool of water stretching across the desert plains.

We pass a feed lot and make the final push into Ordway. We make an immediate stop at the first gas station and guzzle some ice cold Gatorade. The woman at the counter tells us we are not in Ordway quite yet, but points us in the right direction. A few minutes later, we are greeted by a plump woman with hair that would set you on fire if you stood to close at The Hotel Ordway. Her name is Carol and she comes out with two big glasses of ice water. She takes us to our room, which is immaculately clean, and shows us where to lock up our bikes.

After relaxing in the ice cold room for awhile, Joel and I head to a diner right down the street. This diner made one of the best French Dips I have ever had and made fantastic homemade fries as well. It was a lunch fit for kings. Back at the hotel room, Joel brings in some beer and we hang out for awhile before he has to make a business call.

Later in the evening, we walk into downtown were we meet up with Laurie. Back at the same diner again for dinner we also meet another cyclist named Jack. He had ridden from San Luis Obispo to Mexico to Death Valley and all over everywhere else before heading back east. Jack was a pretty cool dude and had ridden a long way for someone in his 60's. I had a burger for dinner and it hit the spot. Leaving the diner, Laurie got a flat but wanted to fix it on her own, so Joel and I headed back for the hotel. We plan on getting up before the sun rises so we can make it to Pueblo fairly early. On that note, I still have a few things to get packed tonight! Ella and I hope you are enjoying our adventures and continue to follow us as we make our way toward the good ol' Rocky Mountains!

Message To My Readers!

I hope you are enjoying my blog and continue to do so! As I have traversed the country, there have been several instances where I have not been able to post. Usually, this is because I have no access to WiFi in rural America, other times, I am out adventuring with my new found friends until we are too tired for much else. But not to fret, these delays in posts only mean my journey is becoming more interesting and unexpected! I apologize for the wait and hope you will bare with me as I continue to update!

Thanks for your continued support!

-Xander and Ella

 Photo Courtesy of Bill Hampton

(Outside of Al's Place in Farmington, MO) 

Day Thirty-one (103.02 miles, 1429.93 total): Welcome Colorado

RING! RING! RING! Ella starts sprinting across the concrete floor like her paws are on fire. She slides around like something you'd see in a Scooby-Doo episode. Little paws moving faster than lightning but moving absolutely nowhere! I get out of my sleeping bag and open the door into the dark morning. It's 5:00AM. Ella jumps about like a little gazelle then sprints like a cheetah back for the door. So much energy for such a small little fur ball! My bags are mostly packed so I quickly get dressed, roll my pad up, stuff my sleeping bag and get ready to walk out. Its about 5:55AM by this point and the owner walks in. She is very friendly but likes to talk. And talk. And talk. It's about 6:20AM by the time I am able to leave. I grab a quick breakfast and hit the road.

It's an overcast morning but it is cool and I have a slight tailwind to work with. I set off to finish Kansas for good! With great biking conditions, I was flying down the road like there was an engine propelling me along. The scenery was more of the same never ending fields of green and brown, swaying gently in the wind. It almost feels like you're in the same place you started by the time you finish the day. I rolled along enjoying the wind at my back as I sped along. Ella leaned out like a hood ornament at the helm of the bike. She was having a great day, no brutal heat to hide from.

We cruised along until we reached Leoti where we stopped to fill up my bottles. A quick break and I'm bolting down the road again. The clouds remain over my head and the breeze continues to stay at my back. It's a relief from the brutal beating I got yesterday. I receive a text from Joel to get anything I need in Tribune because there is nothing after that all the way to Sheridan Lake. Before I long, I reach the small town of tribune. It's a neat little town with loud speakers on every corner. Not many people walking around, but hits of the seventies seemed to play endlessly in the streets.

I find the grocery store in the middle of the main strip. It is a well stocked grocery store and I get all the stuff I want. When I check out, I realize the name of the grocery store is quite unfortunate,  Gooch's. I couldn't help but start cracking up. The woman at the register looked at me weird and I grabbed my things and left. I parked under a tree at the local library and let Ella out for awhile. While I snacked, the golden oldies continued to play over the loud speakers. I hopped back on the bike and headed off for the Colorado border.

I could see a storm cloud off to my left and finally sunlight peaking through up ahead. A rain drop hit my nose and I kicked it into a whole new gear. It was like my legs were on fire as I sprinted down the highway. I didn't want to get rained on because my rain gear wasn't on my guitar or my back   panniers and Ella's rain cover was buried in my top bag. For the sake of laziness, I shot down the road like a bullet. Wind decided to flip on me as I pushed on. It was an inconsistent wind from my right side and it wasn't to difficult to fight. At last, I burst from the gloomy shade of the storm into the warm glow of late morning. The sun felt good against my back and the wind from my side kept me cool. Unfortunately, with the sun and warmth, comes the flies and other such devilish creatures. As I pedaled, I slapped away the annoyances as they circled my head and legs.

FINALLY YES! I had arrived at WELCOME TO COLORFUL COLORADO! A quick picture of my bike and the sign, then I hopped back on to finish the final 15 miles of my ride. Flies were killer and bug spray didn't stop them at all no matter how much you put on. I pedaled like a wild man to out run the nipping gnats. The green fields of corn and the golden rows of wheat had disappeared only to be replaced by unkempt desert landscape. An overwhelming vastness of dirt and dead grass sprawled out before me. So much for leaving Kansas! I left the fertile fields to arrive in a dried up land of nothing. I passed through two more blink towns and continued for Sheridan Lake. I knew I was getting closer, so I was constantly looking for a huge blue pool of water standing on its own in this desert wasteland.

At last, I arrived in a small town that resembled a temporary military base from the 1970s. Everything was made of old corrugated steel or just falling down anyway. The town was in shambles despite having a very nice looking post office in the very center. Sheridan Lake has 57 residents total. These midwest towns seem to be dying out slowly one at a time. I couldn't see a church so I send Joel a text to see where he is. No answer but I found it on my own. Joel arrived about 30 minutes before I did. He was happy to see me and we both went down to the convenient store for some sub sandwiches.

Once back at the church, we plan on our next move to reach Pueblo. It's a long stretch but we plan on an 84 mile day to keep us on track. After some gourmet Kraft Mac and Cheese, we start filling our water bottles and packing up for our early leave. Around the same time Laurie arrived at the church as well! She finally decided to leave Newton! It's good to see her and Ella was even more excited! We catch up for awhile, then three more cyclists show up as well. A boy walks in and tells Joel and I that Ella is not allowed in the church. Vance is a very peculiar kid and seems to be easily confused. We immediately play the service dog card, just like we do to get her in restaurants across the country!

He turns out to be the pastor's son, but doesn't know what to do if there is a service dog. Instead of waiting for him to call, Joel convinces him to drive us to Eads so we wont have such a long ride the next day and we would have a place for Ella to stay without issue. Vance drives Joel and I in his gold van with no AC and broken windows. We got a great history lesson about the area from Vance, but sweated out half my body weight in the process. I thought I was going to turn into a puddle right in the back seat. Vance drops us off at The Cobblestone Inn, completely soaked from the hot ride out of Sheridan Lake. The Cobblestone Inn has to be one of the nicest hotels I have been to in quite awhile. It puts some big city Marriott's and Hilton's to shame. Oddly enough, it is located in a town with only 200 people and one restaurant. Joel leaves the room and comes back with Rebel IPA and some cookies. Couldn't ask for a better riding partner! Who doesn't love beer and cookies after a long haul??

After a much needed shower, we head on over to the local diner. I devoured my Bacon BBQ Burger and an entire plate of fries, thought about eating the plate too! Back in the hotel, we plan our next day out and pack our gear up. Around 9:00PM we had the most spectacular lightning storm just outside our windows. The plains lit up with brilliant flashes of purple, blue and white. The sky became a light show as bolts of pure energy danced across the black veil of night. It was an amazing way to end an exhausting day. A new state and a new start! Tomorrow we head for Ordway and the day after to Pueblo. It's amazing to think I have come so far and will be hitting the half way mark in two short days! Thank you for sticking by me and Ella as we have traversed the country and hope you continue to do so as we head for the Rocky's!

Day Twenty-nine and Thirty (118.9 miles, 1326.91 total):The Long Flat Road to Colorado

RING! RING! I slap my phone and I'm wide awake. Ella makes a weird little grunt and crawls under her blanket. I feel much better than the last few days and I quickly get ready for my day. It's not long before I've taken Ella out, packed my bike, and checked out of the hotel. Rolling off on a fresh start, I stop for breakfast at Sonic, the only place open this early in the morning. Being able to actually enjoy food was a great feeling. Refreshed in every sense of the word, I set off for a great day of riding.

Clouds streak across the sky as the sun breaks on the horizon. A perfect cool tailwind to my back and I'm already averaging 15-18mph. That's pretty good for riding on a fully loaded touring bike! Fields of green and gold lay softly along the roads. The winds create gentle waves over miles and miles of grass. Not much of a shoulder to ride on, but the roads aren't very busy either. I streak on across the Kansas plains, a land yacht on the asphalt sea. Fire burning across the sky, the clouds melt away into mid morning. Baby blue fills the space around the fiery golden globe lighting up the day.

Before long, I am in Ness City. I can't find the public park so I ride around for awhile. I run into an electrician who stops to ask me about my tour and he also pointed the way to the park. On my way down the road, Joe, another cyclist I met before, catches up to me and asks if he can ride along. Sure why not? We stop for lunch and to get some more suncreen on. A cool refreshing drink of Gatorade and I'm ready to push on into the day.

The sun is cooking now and the wind isn't doing us any favors. MY day completely flipped. Fortunately, I had already gone 60 miles and only had 30 odd more to go! It was a long 30 miles. Hot, windy, slow, and absolutely desolate. There was literally nothing to see. Dust was blowing, the grass was dead, hills piled onto each other, and I was tired! It just dragged on and on! By mid afternoon, we had arrived in Dighton. We ran into another cyclist and ending up spending the day with him (I forgot his name!). The plan was to leave for Scott City when it cooled off, but we ended up staying the night in the city park.

 It was a long windy night sleeping on those park benches! When we got up in the morning, Joe left for Scott City and I went to get breakfast. Packing didn't take long because I only took out my sleeping bag! I finally left around 7:30AM to battle the winds. The sky was grey and the wind was brisk. A dull morning for a harsh day. Mile after endless bloody mile dragged on. I had to stop about every half mile just to catch my breath and drink some more water.

The light green and golden grass swirled madly around me. A raging sea of wheat and hay whipping around as if it were caught in a hurricane. I was jamming in my granny gear but felt like I was being torn backwards. Every muscle burning, I pushed on into the gale force winds. My speed continued to decline as the winds continued to grow. At some points, I couldn't get any faster than 4-5mph. It was a challenge just to stay on my bike. Trucks flew by me at a million miles an hour, blowing me in every direction. It took my entire core just to keep from crashing off the road and to keep my bike standing.

Breaks became more frequent as the wind wore me down. Hour after hour went by. What should have been a hop, skip and a jump, turned into a death march. Emotionally and physically, I was completely exhausted. I could see Scott City about half a mile away, but I knew I was no where close to getting there. Seconds turned into minutes, turned into a full hour before I finally reached the city limit sign. It was hot and windy and I felt like I had been drained of all my energy.

At the city center, I met three cyclists who also happen to hitchhike a lot. We talked for awhile before I headed on into a convenient store to get an ice cold Gatorade and some chocolate milk. The cyclists came inside and then started asking around to see who was heading west. Eventually they found someone to take them to the next town and I headed on over to a hostel I had heard about early in the week.

The hostel was an athletic center with a pool and showers. Swimming, after being beaten consistently all day by the heat and sun, was possibly one of the greatest feelings in the world. Ella started to freak out and run around all over the court yard when I jumped in the water. It was like she thought the world was going to end! When I finally got out and dried off, she calmed down a bit. Top that off with a hot shower and I was feeling much better than I was earlier in the day.

After I had settled in a bit, I headed back over to the convenient store to pick up some sub sandwiches. It was good to have some food in my system again. Around 8PM I was left with the code to the Athletic Center and the place to my self. I turned all the fans on high to cool the place down then got my my stuff together for the next day. By 9:30PM I was exhausted and went to sleep.

Day Twenty-eight (0 miles): Sick on The Road - a trip to the ER - Part 3

Ella crawls up on my face like its a pillow. Gah! Mouth full of hair! RING! RING! I shove my phone under the pillow and roll over. Ella starts pawing my face. Get up human! Bob is up and packing his gear on his bike. Bill and Celia are leaving around 6:30AM. I feel like I can barely walk across the room. I call my parents and let them know I can't ride. After some deliberating, I make the decision it would be best to go to the hospital. Bob decides he is going to leave late tonight instead of this morning. He heads out to have breakfast with everyone else before they leave. I crash back on the bed and fall asleep for a couple more hours. My mom sends me a text and I jolt back up. Bob stays in the room with Ella while I head on out.

As luck would have it, the emergency room is just one mile from the hotel. A short but exhausting ride later, I'm sitting in the emergency room waiting area. Of course in a town this small, there is no one else waiting. About ten minutes later, I'm led back to a scale then into a private room. A nurse walks in and asks me what's been going on and how I am feeling. She takes my blood pressure and such then tells me the doctor will be right in. No more than 8 minutes later, the doctor walks in and starts talking with me. She is super friendly and also turns out to be a cyclist who recently did Bike Across Kansas.

As she is talking, a nurse walks in and my face turns white as a sheet. The plump little nurse was carrying a tray full of needles and vials for my blood. There a few things I have a fear in this world, needles just happen to be one of them. I've taped the tip of my finger back on, I've been dragged by a car, I've gashed myself on too many things to count, but I always fix the problem myself! I have always refused stitches and will do anything in my power to avoid needles. Pain isn't the problem, I have a high pain tolerance and an unusual habit of laughing when in serious pain. It's those damn little metallic medical javelins. There is just something about the thought of a needle entering my blood stream that really bothers me down to the core. I'd rather have a knife in my leg, you may think I'm kidding but I'm not. A knife in the leg!

I turn my head and continue talking to the doctor as the nurse pricks my arm and draws vial after vial of blood. Of course it's only a little pinch you can barely feel, but it's still a needle. The doctor informs me I'm going to need an IV and I get ready for the grand finale. A third nurse walks in with yet another tray of needles, tubes, tape, cotton, and juicy clear bag of fluid. Oh joy! The nurse keeps commenting on how great my veins are and how they hardly ever see such great veins. Whatever that means! She goes for the biggest vein bulging out of my arm and ends up hitting a valve blocking the vein. It doesn't hurt, but watching her pull the needle out was definitely an interesting experience. The second vein takes and I can feel the long skewer just under my arm. The sensation of a needle moving around in your arm as the nurse tries to hook on the IV isn't one I would like to experience again to say the least.

All of the sudden, I'm pouring sweat and the room feels like a sauna. The doctor quickly leads me to the bathroom where I end up spending the next 15 minutes. I had never been hit with a wave of nausea quite like that before. 150 degrees and the room was spinning, my head felt like is was full of helium and my muscles felt like the consistency of jello. The doctor add some sort of relaxant and pain killer into my IV as I lay like a corpse on the white hospital sheets. Before long, my eyes flutter shut and I'm fast asleep. An hour later, my eyes barely flicker open as the doctor comes into to check on me. It was a minute or two of conversation, but I couldn't remember a word of it as I kept drifting off to sleep.

It was about 1:30-2:00PM by the time I was fully awake and ready to be sent off. The doctors and nurses help me out to my bike and I insist that I'm able to ride back on my own. A good bye, a few words of luck, and I'm off on my own again. I feel much better but I'm still completely exhausted. On my way back to the hotel, I pick up some Gatorade, a few bananas, and stop at subway to pick up some food. Finally back to the room, I take Ella out and talk to my parents for awhile. I succumb to the air conditioning, and exhaustion hits me like a brick wall. I slept like a baby until about 6:00-7:00PM. Bob leaves to catch up with the rest of the group around 10:30PM. Crazy guy is going to ride all night and all tomorrow too!

I look at my maps one last time, let my dad know what my plan is and finish packing my gear. It's been a long few days for me and I have a long ride tomorrow so I'm going hit the hay! Thanks for keeping up with our adventures and we hope you continue to follow us as we finish the long haul across Kansas!

Day Twenty-seven (77 miles, 1208.01 total): Sick on The Road Part 2

RING! I roll over onto my phone *ring!* *ring!* Ella is army crawling her way to the screen of the tent. My hand finally reaches the off switch on my phone. I'm sweating again. It's 5:00AM and the sun has barely kissed the sky. I peel myself out of the tent and Ella bounds out like a little antelope. First thing, I desperately need to find a bathroom. After sulking around the park, I finally find an unlocked bathroom door. Back at the pavilion, I force down a power bar and drink another bottle of water. I feel like I'm going to crash before I even get on the bike. A little bit of collected effort, and I manage to pack up the rest of my gear. Ella is pacing around beneath my feet and I lift the little fur ball into her carrier. Staggering onto the bike, I carefully make my way into downtown Buhler.

The streets are empty, not a soul in sight. I roll up in front of the police station to see if I can get a ride to the next city. The door is locked and the lights are off. Town hall and the fire department are also empty. Exhausted, I walk my bike down the main street again. To my surprise, a woman is walking down the main road. I pull up next to her and ask her if she knows anyone going to Larned today. She doesn't know if anyone is going, but she takes me back to the B&B where she is staying. Her name is Connie and she grew up in Buhler but was only back in town for a family reunion.

As fate may have it, this also happened to be her last day in town. Back at the B&B, Connie introduces me to the owners of The Grand Staff Bed and Breakfast, Tracy and Becky Spencer. They are the most kind hearted, generous, absolutely amazing couple I have ever met. They took me in and gave me water, sat me down, promised to get me to Larned and just took care of me. Connie introduced me to her family, who were all great people and fun to be around. 

While I sat and nursed my cup of ice water, Tracy and Becky were making breakfast for everyone in the kitchen and it smelled amazing. I forgot it was Father's Day, so I went outside to call my dad and let him know I was alright. Back inside, jalapeno ham and egg casserole, homemade zucchini bread, yogurt and juice lined the counter top. It was the best meal I had in all of Kansas so far. The zucchini bread was the best I had ever had. It was so delicious and Becky packed a little extra for me when I left. After breakfast, Connie's family and Becky had me play my guitar and sing for them. I was glad to have Connie's family there because just the joyous atmosphere helped me feel a little better.

When Tracy was ready, he helped me load my gear in his car and we drove off. Tracy is an awesome guy to be around. I couldn't have been more grateful for their help. Tracy told me all about his family; he and Becky have four of their own kids and four that they adopted. On top of having 8 children they raised, Tracy and Becky also do a lot of mission work in Africa! They recently raised enough money to build a new orphanage and will be leaving for Africa later this summer. We talked about a lot along the ride and I truly appreciated the company.

The stars must have aligned because I could not have found a more amazing family to take me in. Tracy and I finally arrive in Larned and he helps me unload my bike and gear out of the back of his car. We hugged and said our goodbyes and he went back to celebrate Father's Day with his family. I biked around the town for awhile but couldn't find a single cafe or restaurant to hide from the heat. On Sunday, every town along The Bible Belt is closed.

After trekking about, I went to the grocery store and got a Gatorade and some medicine before heading to a park. The park was nice with a few pavilions and a huge public pool filled with locals. A few hours in the 101 degree heat and I couldn't take it anymore, I needed to get a hotel room. Fortunately, there was a cheap motel along the route where everyone I had been riding with were staying. When I got to my door, I felt like I was just going to keel over and crash right inside on the floor. A shower helped, but I still felt like crap. I went out to get some food and ran into Bill, Joel, and Celia. We all sat and ate then went back to our rooms. Bob showed up a few hours later and jammed his gear into the room. I crashed and went to sleep for a little while. Later we planned on getting up around 5:00AM to beat the heat the next day. With a plan laid out and gear ready to go, I finally was able to sleep for the night. Sick on The Road cont,.

Day Twenty-six (32.5 miles, 1131.1 total): Sick on The Road Part 1

I wake up sweating. The sun is pouring through the window and its glare hits me right in the eye. Ugh. I flip over but can't get comfortable. Ella growls at me, annoyed I woke her up. I keep tossing and turning so I just get up. I'm thirsty and chug half my water bottle. Ella starts weaving in between my legs like a figure eight. I look out the window and she runs for the door like its a race. There's a big street out side so I pick up the little tike and carry her across to a patch of grass. She hops around like a rabbit then runs back at her best attempt to tackle me. I lift her in the air like Simba and she licks me right in the face. Great!

Back in side, everyone else is slowly dragging themselves out of bed and into the world of the living. Bill asks me what time it is. I hadn't even checked yet. 8:00AM. Overslept on the day we planned on getting up at 5:00AM. Third day in a row, must.get.up.earlier! It's already hot out, so we don't care about speed packing. He and I are the only ones leaving this morning. Celia is meeting a friend then leaving later. Bill and I shuffle over to a nice coffee shop next door and I get a smoothie. I had a really strong urge to get a fruit smoothie instead of coffee. It was a great smoothie. Refreshing on a hot morning like this. When we get back, we say goodbye to the NBS crew and to all our friends then set out the door. Wait, one last picture out front!

We set off for a grocery store to stock up on extra water and some Gatorade. Loaded with extra water, we set out to face the headwinds and heat. The first few miles were slow but they weren't to bad at all. Pushing on against the heat, we turned to some tailwinds. We hadn't been on the road long, but the tailwind was already a relief. The turn had taken us through a nice shaded section of highway as well. Cool and energizing escaping from the heat. It's amazing how much a little bit of shade can do even when its blistering hot out.

We pedaled on into the early afternoon until we reached the next turn right back into the headwinds. BUHLER 10 miles. Great, that's not so far! On and on I pedaled, smallest gear turning against the wind as best it can. Bill is gaining a lead on me, slowly moving out of reach. I'm drinking as much water as I can but it's not helping against the heat. Ella isn't enjoying the heat either but I'm doing my best to keep her cool and shaded. She perks up a bit every time I pour more water on her and she's happy again. At least I think she is! I can't get my bike up past 8mph. The wind is dragging me back like a lead weight. Bill is becoming a blur on the horizon, a black dot hidden in the heat waves of the asphalt. I'm swerving all over the road as the wind knocks me around. The heat is enveloping me and sapping all the energy I have. BUHLER 6. Longest 10 miles of my entire life.

I'm gasping as I pull myself along the roadway. Thank God there wasn't a ton of traffic otherwise I might look like one of those turtles back in Kentucky. My head is bobbing to one side as I pedal on in the afternoon sun. The last 6 miles took us almost two hours baking beneath the heat waves. At last, I see Bill on the street corner beneath some trees waiting for me. I feel like crap. There is no better way to put it. Bill says we should get some food and rest until the sun goes down before we try going any further.

We stop at a nice little cafe. I park my bike beneath the shade, take Ella out, pour her some water, then crash against the building as I sit down. Bill says to come inside and I tell him I'll be in in just a minute. After about 5-10 minutes Bill comes back out with a massive cup of ice water for me. He realized I must have not moved at all. Finally, I manage to bring myself into the restaurant and eat part of a sandwich. I couldn't even finish a sandwich. The town thermometer reads 103 degrees. It's ridiculous. We leave the cafe and walk over to the grocery store to get some more water and Gatorade. Stocked again, we head on over to the park.

It's actually a very nice park with a play ground and pool and a few fields as well. We find an empty pavilion, where I let Ella out and fill up her water again. Bill pours some ice water over my head and soaks a bandana then wraps it around my neck. It helps immensely. We take naps on the benches for awhile before Celia and Mark show up in the park. Both of them are tired and head on over to the pool for a quick dip. Bill said it might help me feel better but I didn't want to. Bill went to the pool and I stayed right where I was, afraid I might pass out or throw up if I moved to much. I tried drinking my Gatorade and my water but it just wasn't helping.

When it got cooler in the evening, Bill, Celia, and Mark headed on to Nickerson. They wanted to know if I needed anyone to stay with me but I insisted they go. I laid in the same spot on that bench until about 9:00-9:30PM. Absolutely miserable, I set up my tent and crawled in, sweating. Fits of sleep came and went throughout the night. My plan was to find some help to get to Larned the next morning. Hopefully I would be able to find some. Sick on The Road will cont. in the next post soon.....

Day Twenty-five (74.6 miles, 1098.6 total): Bone Dry to Bone Yard

Ella shifts at the foot of my tent, rolling over and kicking her tiny little legs. Bill is shuffling around outside his tent. It's already pretty light out so I check my watch. 7:00AM. Oh man overslept again! I kick out of my sleeping back and Ella launches out of the bottom of the tent like a rocket! I barely have the zipper open before she is already wriggling through and running around the field. How she has so much energy I have no idea. I pull myself out of the yellow nylon coffin and pack up all the gear wet. No time for drying now!

Bill is ready to go, so he sets off to get coffee before we leave. Celia isn't even close to ready. I load my gear on the land yacht and set Ella, the furry captain, at the helm. I meet Bill at the Sonic and order myself a breakfast sandwich to nom on. While we are sitting and loading down on food, a woman comes up and introduces herself to us. Robyn Harvey, she just started a cycling hostel right in Eureka. This was the place the girls tried to tell us about, but they didn't say it was a hostel. The hostel she has set up is a full house with a washer/dryer, shower, bike shelter, and is set in a quiet neighborhood. Any future cyclists you can contact Robyn Harvey by call/text at: 620-750-0574.

Randy and Celia met up with us at the Sonic before we all set out for the day. Randy took the highway for a faster route and left our little group. Bill, Celia, and I stop at a gas station for water because the water at the park tasted kinda funny. Fully loaded to hydrate, we continue our quest for the Oasis in The Grass Desert. It's a beautiful day and the sky is clear and blue. The roads leading away from Eureka become long hills that seem to continue up and up and up. Where are all the downhills? I though Kansas was supposed to be flat! We all continued to question the fact that Kansas should be flat. We catch a nice cool breeze and start cruising a fairly decent pace. It's a great stretch for pictures so we stop pretty frequently.

I was ahead for quiet a distance when I decided to stop to get a picture of Bill cycling by. For the next two miles, I was jamming down the road 20+ just to catch up with Bill again. Cars are flying by us on this busy stretch of road but most seem to give us plenty of room. Much better than the drivers of Missouri! Our little band of road runners turn down a highway at Cassoday expecting to find a convenient store for water, but to no avail. It's another 30+ miles to Newton. After checking how much water we all have, we decide to push on.

Bill and I stop a little ways down the road to give Ella water and let her stretch her legs. I pour some more water over her to cool off and she shakes out, like a fuzzy sprinkler. With Ella back in her Captain's Chair, we pedal on to catch up with Celia. Celia decided she was going to stop for awhile to eat a snack. We know Celia can catch up, so we keep going. The cool breeze starts to disappear and the sun starts baking the road beneath our tires.

As we start our grind up another hill, Bill gets a flat. He is able to flip his bike over and start working on it right then. With Ella's Basket, changing a tire is a pain without something to lean the bike against or someone to hold it up. Celia catches back up and as Bill continues to fix his tire, he pulls out several small metal strips that had been embedded in his tire, probably the cause of the flat as well. A quick tube change and we are ready to head off again. The day gets hotter and hotter as we roll through the countryside. I was probably sweating as much as I was drinking. You could see all the salt along the frame of my bike where I lean over, almost like someone had sprinkled it with powdered sugar.

Miles dragged on under the blistering heat of the sun. Gasping like fish out of water, we roll up to a welcome party waiting for us just outside Newton Bike Shop. They take our picture as we roll in, and an extra picture of Ella, then lead us inside to sweet sweet air conditioning. They give us all water and Yoohoo before going over the shop/hostel with us. Newton Bike Shop truly is an Oasis in The Grass Desert. It's also the most kick-ass bike shop ever.

Oasis in the Grass Desert

Heather and James, the owners, are amazing. They do so much for their community and the cycling community. Plus they are just great people and a ton of fun to be around. After showing us to the community center to take showers, they took us out to Mexican where we all gorged ourselves and took a massive group selfie (maybe a few).

Back in the shop, James shows us the live camera which is apparently on 24/7. Ella had plenty of fans! James took me and Bob down to the bone yard, where he has over 70,000 bikes stored. It was insane and he does tons of custom work for movie productions and a whole list of famous people. The bikes he restores and customizes are works of art. I could have stayed down there for years just building and building and building. There were friends to be made and bikes to be worked on. I have had an absolute blast here at the shop.

James and Heather are a lot like my parents in the way they raise their kids, just cool, hands down. I feel like they would have gotten along great, to be honest. Well I have some pictures to upload on Instagram, laundry to switch and some doughnuts to eat at 11:30pm (a Newton Bike Shop tradition), so I'm packing up the keys and logging off! I hope you are enjoying our adventures and Ella hopes you continue to be her fans!