Day 8 by Bryan Patterson June 14, 2015 -We
were now down to 3 bikes. One with the back axel broken, and the other
without an inner tube. Nothing open on Sundays as far as we could see.
So we had to make do. It was a 50 mile cycled route to Grant, with more
miles done in the van, because we would lose 66!
James, our driver wanted to ride, and off course so he should. I have
to say at this point that if we did not have James along we would not
have gotten this far. He knows everything needed to know about bikes,
seriously everything, and he has kept the bikes in great repair and on
the road. He’s also a good map reader (along with both Cristian and
Giselle, who have helped him tremendously), and has got us to Route 66
whenever it’s been able to ride it. He was good for another thing on
this day, but more of that later.
So James, Giselle and Sidd set off and the van was every 5 miles, which
was perfect for water and possible change over. Both Giselle and Sidd
carried on for another 5 miles then Sidd changed with Cristian and he
was off too. I was driving the van with Mark as the side-kick up front
and the kids in the back seats. At a stop I drove the van too far off
the road and bang I was in sand and not able to get out, either by
reversing or going forward! Me again, yes I know! James off course had
a great laugh at this when he arrived but knew exactly what to do.
Sticks were gathered and wedged under the front and back wheels with
some sand thrown over them. He took the drivers seat, and we were at
the back to push. He gunned it, we all got covered in sand and the van
made the tar-mac. Problem solved.
So as I said earlier he’s a man of many talents. The last twenty miles
Mark rode 10 with Cristian and I rode the last 10 with Jeremy. It was
nice in the van but really it’s way better out on the road. We were
near the Petrified Forest Park and we really wanted the kids to see
this. There are three areas to the park, the painted desert,
hieroglyphics area and the petrified forest. We got to the park and had
lunch, then drove into the park to see the painted desert, which
is truly spectacular and the different hues certainly make it look
painted. I had a shout out for CitySquash Brooklyn, our new programme
in Brooklyn.
Then the next stop was the Painted Desert Inn an old hotel built in the
early 1900s, that had been renovated into an adobe building. Here we
met Sevilla, a young volunteer park assistant, who was responsible for
this building until August. She shows people around and recalls the
history of the place. She believed that it was haunted, but couldn’t
tell us the name of the ghost, for various reasons, although James did
guess it and that freak her out! She lives on the park right across
from this house.
Onwards to the hieroglyphics at a viewing point with telescope to see
them, although one could make them out with the naked eye. Pretty
spectacular given how old they are. Time ran out and we could not make
the petrified forest, it was just too far away and we had to make our
camp site before 8pm, another KOA. Giselle has been great at booking
our stays and she had booked this one. James nearly caught her out when
he asked her to ask for AC for the tent!
Once again no Route 66 so into the van and on to Grant, New Mexico, and
the next camp site, another KOA. We will need to get the bikes sorted
tomorrow and Mark’s will have to go into a bike repair shop. Sidd’s
will get an inner tube and be good to go. Before sleeping Mark cooking
a great dinner once again.
