I don't think it's smart, and I don't think it's funny

We went to Amarillo, TX (where I was born) for a cousin's wedding. I saw a total of 2 people on bikes, but the only riding we did was on horseback. Palo Duro Canyon (the Grand Canyon of Texas) is an oasis of interesting geography in the otherwise dullsville of the llano estacado (which makes for good westerns, but lousy hometowns). The highway on ramps impressed me with their deadly design; there was no merging lane, they simply put you on the freeway. From frontage to mid stream in ~40feet. It was scary.








We were able to visit the Cadillac Ranch, and mark up some cadillacs.



There were billboards promoting the teaching of Creationism in schools and featuring the monkey to man standup sequence in the center of a red slashed circle. Which is funny, but also scary.


Related? (And which I saw on the always good PROfessional Abdication.)

This trip is now known to me as Fast Food Weekend, and my intestines remember it to this day. I can honestly say: the Cracker Barrel is to be avoided at all costs. You will find better quality "food" at a gas station. Even the grits were inedible! How is that possible?...I believe glue is a second only to rancid oil in their ingredient supply.


I will also say: if you cough into your hand (insert full stop) and then proceed to touch all kinds of public surfaces- well then you are an asshole. I was truly dumbfounded at the general lack of consideration/hygiene evidenced by our fellow air travelers. Seriously. My 5 year old takes better care, and he smells.

First thing Monday, I hauled my gut(s) up this road in the hot sun, with the crisp shady sections under the redwoods, chasing ___ who dropped the hammer early. Amarillo has destroyed my fitness?

No worries. What Fast Food Weekend hath taken away in physical prowess, it hath rendered in fat and salt! Look at me sweat...


Singlespeeds in their Natural Habitat.



This redwood was amazing. It had 3 distinct side trunks that looked to be nearing 2.5' in diameter theirownselfs sprouting off the core. There is a campsite at the base. This trail could be linked to a sweet tour route, though it gets so off-camber washed out skibbly, that plenty of sections would be terrifying with a load. But it would be so sweet. There is an even sweeter (and remote) site further down. It would be sweet. (And my birfday ride is coming up...) But it would be rougher than rough. And there would be no water available at that sweet remote site where no one else would be. Tougher than tough. But it would be sweeeeeet. I dropped the front wheel off the downhill side several times, including one slow motion head over heels down the hill.
Well, I was tired and confused.
Mayhap a little gouty.


It does have some upsides, apart from the tight singletrack and shady redwoods.




Fresh ability to appreciate Goodness...achieved.

So, yeah. Glad to live here.


And, plus- sorry for those of y'all who are Godly ("Howdy."[which actually translates as "how are you", for those not from the finest state in the Union] "I'm blessed, thank you!" "..."), but this is (NSFW) funny to me:



and of which I learned while visiting my local bike shop. Which is reason enough to support them, if you ask me.
That is all.