- Day 1 -1 Week
- Day 1 -12 Hours
- Day 1
- Day 2
- Day 3
- Day 4
- Day 5
- Day 6
- Day 7
- Day 8
- Day 9
- Day 10
- Day 11
- Day 12
- Day 13
- Day 14
- Day 15
- Day 16
- Day 17
- Day 18
- Day 19
- Day 20
- Day 21
- Day 22
- Day 23
- Day 24
- Day 25
- Day 26
- Day 27
- Day 28
- Day 29
- Day 30
- Day 31
- Day 32
- Day 33
- Day 34
- Day 35
- Day 36
- Day 37
- Day 38
- Day 39
- Day 40
- Day 41
- Day 42
- Day 43
- Day 44
- Day 45
- Day 46
- Day 47
- Day 48
- Day 49
- Day 50
- Day 51
- Day 52
- Day 53
- Day 54
- Day 55
- The End
- Retrospective
I had CRAZY realistic dreams last night. I mean to the point I thought, ‘is this a dream? I’d better get up.’. I stood up, looked around the dark room and as I turned I realized I was rolling over, because I was still asleep in bed!
Shortly after that a rolling thunder woke me up. It was long and loud like a truck ride just out the window. I rolled over to peer out the window, hoping not to see day light and that would be enough time for this storm to blow past. It was still dark. I rolled back thinking not much I could about it in any case, might as well get some more sleep. Then came the rain. I generally like sleeping in the rain but this had a certain element of impending doom, knowing might be riding through this. Then the rain turned to what sounded like golf ball sized hail. I envisioned us having to spend an entire day in this hotel. The delivery was good, and room was cheap but I do not want to spend a day just sitting here. I already know today’s ride won’t be what I really want… 50 something miles or over 100 isn’t really an option but I sure hope the close place isn’t the worst.
What felt like an entire night later (how long was I asleep?!?) the alarm goes. Jerry gets up and asks if I heard the storm. I’m almost relieved, it wasn’t all in my head.
Breakfast was more of the same. We definitely agree that hotel breakfast is where it’s at, but it can be a bit mono tone. I’ll take it, to be able to go back to the room after, and not have to pay for every cup of coffee. This place had a very small, home version of the waffle maker, hiding on the side, with batter in the fridge. In the end, it was there for us, but it felt odd that check in went out of their way to say there are waffles and cold breakfast 6-7 then hot breakfast 7-10. If you’re going to highlight the waffles, wouldn’t you… highlight them?
We weren’t in any terrible rush, 50ish miles doesn’t feel like much at all after this last month, but soon enough we were heading for the door. While I was finishing up with the front desk, two police officers walked in. I spoke forward but was listening behind me. I completed check out just in time to see the hotel person pull out her phone to say, ‘look, here’s what the outside looks like, and he’s the door…’ The police re-asked, 108? I walked out of the hotel shocked. Right down the hall from us was someone getting so out of hand that the cops got called in I had no idea. Was this a Canadian thing? He was quietly, politely out of hand? Was he going to say “so~rry” when the cops knocked? Actually only now that I’m writing this, I wonder if any of the noise I heard was him?
We headed on our way. The distance was short, but there was a fear of the unknown. Yes we can get to the town easily, but was the hotel going to be… useable? Yelp had no information, Google said it thought something was there. I called the number but the asian woman said “tomorrow ok, my English no good, tomorrow ok”. Does that mean we’ll have a room? Will we want to stay in that room? Will there be food? Again, Yelp says nothing is here, Google says there is one restaurant, but offers little more information. At least we know if the town comes up bust, we’ll just have 70ish miles more till the next one.
As soon as we get on the highway it is much warmer then if felt like it was going to be. De-gear.
Just a few miles into the highway there is a larger sign “Princess hotel / Last hotel for 170 Km”. 10 clicks into our ride and we have this sign staring us in the face. If it’s right we’ve got a lot of riding to do. If Google is right we’ll have an easy day.
I spend the next 10 or 15 miles wondering if we’re screwed. There was a sign. I understand when most people ask for a sign they mean like some divine intervention, but couldn’t a highway sign be a sign?
It’s the same highway as yesterday, just a few miles down but today the trucks seam loud and the wind not as much. I’ll take it, my right ear is kind of over the blowing, let my left ear take the brunt for a minute.
The landscape was what I guess the prairie is. I mean sure I watched that show, but I don’t think I’ve spent much of my life thinking about what the prairie lands are like. It kind of reminded me of the gentile rolling hills of the UK, only MUCH bigger. In the UK, it’s quant and nice, this was almost over whelming. Like a desert with more water and vegetation, but the endless nature of it… This one mile that just keeps passing over and over and over and over. Slight changes in hues or heights of plants the only real cue that you are going any where. Well, the sweat and feeling of exertion helps let you know too.
There was another few miles of taint shiatsu. This time with less loose rocks but the same kind of bumpy all the same. I’m starting to think there is just a certain level of wind and bumpy road per day, period. Like the road is preparing us for something. The first few days in North Dakota the wind was so extra that by now I feel like I can just except it. Maybe this is where we are now… being prepared.
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