We rode 112 miles on Monday, traveling through Gallup New Mexico, over the Continental Divide, and into our Hotel in Grants, New Mexico.  It was a long day on our bicycles as the total trip, with stops, took over 11 hours. We arrived at the Holiday Inn Express after the sun had set.

The first leg of our trip, Chambers to Gallup, was very slow

Looks Like Dan Peirce Standing by a Sign

going as we had to fight a direct headwind for the entire route along I-40.  About 16 miles before we entered Gallup, we left the Interstate and traveled along Old Route 66.  Getting off the Interstate and onto that pleasant road was the best part of the trip.  It was a much easier ride, traffic was light, and the scenery was really interesting.

Proof of Entry

We ate lunch in Gallup at an old dinner called Virgies. Route 66 runs the entire length of Gallup and most of the old businesses are lined up along that road. I have not consulted a map to verify this, but it seemed that this main drag ran for over 10 miles with old and new businesses located along the route.

Typical Gallup/Route 66 Scenery Along Strip

After lunch it was almost 3:00 pm local time and we decided it was too early to stop.  However, we were advised that if we didn’t stop at the last hotel along the Gallup strip, we would have to travel another 60 miles before reaching Grants.  That is the reason for the high mileage today, we did not want to stop at 50 miles so we pushed toward Grants hoping we could beat the sunset.  I suppose we were lucky as nothing slowed us down heading from Gallup to Grants.

After crossing the Divide, we again returned to Route 66 for the remaining 40 miles of the trip. Although we were tired, that last 40 miles is as close to cycling nirvana as I have ever experienced.  It was a beautiful ride, slightly downhill, with a nice tailwind, and came at the end of the longest ride I ever experienced on a bike. I told Dan that if he out lives me, (fat chance) that he must say something the day I am buried about that 40 mile ride into Grants.

Route 66 Traveling Into Grants

Anyway, we are off today for Albuquerque.  We are going to get a late start today but that is okay.  We are not racing, we are touring. Our bodies are  going to struggle a bit as yesterday was a marathon. We hope to cycle into Albuquerque with little fanfare and less effort.