After having to ride to Vega yesterday, I checked my maps to see if I could save a day by skipping Amarillo. It really wouldn’t work unless I was willing to do 2 days of 90+ miles so I found Helen, a warmshowers host, who agreed to let me stay on short notice.
My ride to Amarillo was short and the wind was blowing from the south so I made good time. When I got to Amarillo, I went to the Outdoor Element Sports, at Helen’s suggestion. Chad gave my bike a quick tuneup while I walked down to the nearby Dairy Queen for my standard Chocolate/banana malt recovery drink. Since I had time to burn before Helen got home, I asked Chad where I could work on part 2 of my recovery ritual. He sent me to the 575 Pizzeria where they had a huge assortment of beers, including several porters and milk stouts. My normal routine is to have 2 beers, and that’s after all riding for the day is done. I was challenged by the beer list and the fact that I had to ride to Helen’s. In the end I had 2 beers: Deschutes Obsidian Nitro Stout, Big Sky Bobo’s Robust Porter. I would have added the Left Hand Nitro Milk Stout, but I got a call from Helen and Kyle. A 32 mile day has benefits too.
My big milestone for the day was hitting the 7th city in the song. I saw Amarillo.
Damon's Thoughts and Oughts 