Pics now, text later...

Glad I took pictures today--thought about skipping them. The ride was so spectacular that I did not want to stop for any reason. I stopped for gas only, didn't consume a meal until dinner time. I have got to remember to eat. Thank goodness for gorp or I'd starve out here.

There are no superlatives, no language even, to describe the roads here. I will, however, try later tonight. I am tired in a very good way. The lack of real sleep last night is taking me over

Hairy situation...

Well, I survived the room from hell. Barely.

Despite being tired, I couldn't fall asleep. The ast time I checked the clock, it was after 3:30 a.m.. I woke up around 6:20 a.m. with more than a few aches from sleeping fetal position in one spot, in one of the dips. I had removed the quilt and blankets so they couldn't touch me. Still, I slept in my clothes. The shower? Definitely Bates Motel scary and the rubber mat is totally funky. I could remove it to take a shower but don't want to know what is underneath. It is a sink bath for me today. Glad I packed a set of towels, for the ones here are dingy; I held up to the light one of the two they provide and could see faint stains embedded in the cloth. I'm not a prima Donna but this place would even disturb the Charlie Brown character "Pig Pen."

But I made it through the night--didn't even freak when I found a hair in the bed this morning. No, judging from the color and texture, it isn't mine.

Heading out now but NOT soon enough.

More pic peeks & misc...

By the way, it is exhausting riding 6 to 7 hours on consecutive days, stopping only to snap pictures, use the bathroom and get a drink. I'm not complaining...as it also happens to be tons of fun and an excellent way to connect with others. Lots of people, mostly men, have stopped me to talk "bike" stuff.

An adorable boy, who looked to be all of ten, stepped from a restaurant and looked at the bike and said, "is that your bike?" I answered. "Sweet," he responded. I thanked him and told him I thought so too. He continued to eye the bike, and said, "real sweet" as he walked away nodding his head at the bike.

A mother and her three little girls were unloading their stuff for a day at the beach. The mother said, "girls see the lady on the cool bike." One of the girls, who looked to be about seven said, "she's got really cool hair."

A father brought over his three-year old daugher to look at the bike. Mom stayed in the back ground while the dad yelled back the answers to the questions he asked me, where are you from, where are you going, is that a 600cc, etc. Finally, he asked his daughter if she wanted to ride a bike like mine. The little girl said, "yes." Then she asked me, "are you going to ride that?" I told her I would soon as I determined where I was going. At that, she giggled hard. The father asked his wife, ..."Isn't this *the* way to travel? Mom look unimpressed. He said he has a bike. The wife was walking over and heard him. She said, "All I do with the bike is push it out of my way...It's always in my way." Somehow I don't think she'll be traveling on a motorcycle.

My count today was 12 men, one woman and three little girls making connections via the bike.