Thursday, May 9, 2019 – Day 12 of QC to CA ride.
To be back in the land of big skies.
Hello Western U.S.!!!
I was an avid reader of Western historical fiction, Western TV shows, and Western movies. Every time I’m in the Sierra’s, or rural areas of Arizona and Santa Fe, my imagination goes into high gear.
I always wonder about the different individuals who chose to make the trek westward for a better life, or just the plain adventure. I think about the native Americans and the changes forced upon them.
As I ride across the plains and desert, I think about the places Indians could have laid in wait for the wagon train making it’s way slowly across the rutted trail; or the large herds of cattle, and the accompanying cowboys hoping the next water hole is still in existence…the sound of cows bawling and whips in the air.
The light is different in the west. The sky is big and clouds race across with their shadows running across the landscape. The colors of the earth, rocks, landscape….not lush, but colorful and bold.
Today we rode across New Mexico on Hwy 40 – flirting a bit with Historical Route 66.
Tomorrow we ride Arizona. What direction? To be determined by the weather (and our interpretation of the forecast) in the morning.
Not Done Yet... 