Tour de Texas

Today, with the help of our favorite AAA agent, Mrs. Nana Robertson, we had a whole day lined up on Route 66. As we rolled out the door and guess what, I had another flat! Apparently we missed another razor sharp piece in the tire and it blew another tube. At least I could replace it with a puncture resistant tube for better luck. If I get one more before Oklahoma City, I'm getting a tire with a Kevlar lining. Since we've changed so many lately, we replaced the tube quickly and was on the road.

In Conway is the Bug Farm where they buried five VW's nose down just outside the town. We started taking pictures but started to attract mosquitoes, lots of them. Looking like a Hitchcock movie, we had to run to escape them, beating the ambush back with bike helmets and empty camera cases. I don't know how but they were able to keep up with the bikes! We raced over the overpass into a truck stop, still battling the mutant flies (more like small birds). We parked our bikes, waving around at the bugs in front of the glass window with everyone to see. Bet that looked weird. Two skinny cyclists swatting at the air in this podunk town of 200 people. They were probably saying, "bet they stopped at Bug Farm," as they knocked the heat off their black coffee with a blow, staring blankly through the window.

After itching over our lunch, we continued down 40 to a little town called Groom. Rolling up on this place, we see signs that say, "Cross, exit 101." Then looking over the sign stood the "largest cross in the western hemisphere." This thing was huge, you could see it from ten miles out. Having to double back on 66 to get to it, the cross grew further into the heavens as we approached. Surrounding the cross was the story of the cross portrayed in statues as well as a replica of the last summer and the shroud. It was all very tastefully done and didn't have the corny feeling most tourist attractions have.

Our last site to see along the way was the leaning water tower in Groom which we caught a glimpse of and Evan somehow got a photo of on the bike. We set up camp in a park named Lake McClellan, three miles down in a valley off the interstate in a grass land reserve. With the flat road of 66, we almost headed to Shamrock today but will save that for tomorrow. Given the good weather and fresh legs, we're hoping to pass Shamrock and head into Oklahoma tomorrow afternoon. Its about 90 miles but it's do-able without strong headwinds.