Storms, Cows and Tumble Weed

Storms, Cows and Tumble Weed

It was 7pm as we pulled off Route 40 West into a gas station for a pit stop. We were about 45 miles from Oklahoma City and it was time to figure out our sleeping arrangements for the night. As the sun started to get low in the sky we watched as big storm clouds moved across from our left. It was going to be a beautiful sunset but we quickly realized the sky was going to crack open at any minute. As Nate rushed to pull out the laptop and set up a mobile office I snapped some shots of the sun and clouds, both of which were moving faster and faster. Hotel booked, we geared up and hit the road, our chances of out running the rain looking dimmer by the minute. We shifted up to high gear and blasted down the interstate at 75 miles per hour, constantly checking our left side as the sky darkened. Lightening and thunder made us open our throttle even more and we pushed faster down the road but it was no use. The rain came quickly hitting every inch, stinging our skin as it cut through the air. Then, a few miles later, we did it. We passed the rain and the road began to dry. The sun set below the horizon and we pulled into our budget hotel buzzing from the excitement but happy to be out of the saddle. 

The next morning after loading up the bikes we hit the road, Santa Fe, NM in our sights. It felt like days of riding, through Oklahoma and Texas, but as the sun was setting we crossed into New Mexico and headed north to my parents house. Along the way we did find some fun places to stop. Cadillac Ranch in Amarillo was pretty unique. Along the highway it's pretty hard to miss, a row of Cadillacs stuck hood first into the ground, like a modern day Stonehenge. There were plenty of cows, pastures and big sky as well as the occasional tumble weed. Once we turned off the main highway and headed north up 285 to Santa Fe, the landscape changed dramatically. The mountains shot up in the distance and the rolling hills and mesas reflected the suns last rays as darkness set in. We turned into my parents drive way to cheers and claps, a welcome sight after a long day of riding. 

The last few days have been full of projects on the bikes, organizing more gear and refining lists and packing procedures. We met up with a family friend, an artist and welder in Santa Fe who helped us with a kickstand project. Our bikes are very heavy when they are fully loaded up so when we use the side stands they are still pretty vertical. To fix this problem we cut an inch out of our stands and had Gilbert weld them back together. They work great now! A big shout out and thank you to Gilbert! 

With a little luck we'll be all finished tomorrow and we can head out to Tuscon, AZ, stopping to visit some friends in Albuquerque along the way. The adventure continues.