Day 16 - October 7th

 Flagstaff during morning rush hour can be intense. We started the ride from the VFW and made our way through the city but it didn't take long to reach the end of the side roads and start riding along the I-40 once again. Just like yesterday there were sections covered in debris and I felt like I was riding through an obstacle course but we kept going and things were going well. Just a few miles outside Parks, AZ where I was scheduled to make my first stop, I heard a series of honks. While riding there had been a handful of semis going by that honked and I couldn't tell if it was another truck or my chase car behind me. We have a signal that if I hear honks from my chase vehicle I am in potential danger and need to bail but by the time I figured out it was the car I also saw why, a large truck with an oversized load was already going by me. 

The truck barely made it passed the car that was on the shoulder behind me and if I had been over in the middle of the shoulder the part of a manufactured house the truck was hauling that stuck out would have taken me down very quickly. We made it to the exit without a scratch but I was shaken deeply by the experience. I sat and enjoyed a snack while my mom and Steve checked out the offerings at the stop. While we sat there we met a very nice couple who asked about the ride and we found out they both grew up in the midwest like we did. She even asked to take a picture with me.

After a longer than normal break I got back on the bike and jumped back on the highway. We headed toward Williams which is such a fun Route 66 city. As we got into town I started having a panic attack. The feeling of being back on the highway had terrified me. I had to pull over and take deep breaths as I talked myself down from an anxiety attack, something very familiar to those who struggle with PTSD. I knew right then I needed help from my team. So many who battle this disorder aren't able to reach out, either because they don't have the support system they need or they don't know how to ask for the help they need. It took me years to be able to say I'm not ok and need help. Today I asked for that help. I was physically capable of pedaling but I was not emotionally ok to do so on the highway. I voiced these concerns and we agreed we would drive to my stop in Seligman which would get me off the freeway.

Not only did Seligman rescue me from the I-40 but it also was a spot I have looked forward to because it is where the idea for the ride began over 3 years ago. We made a brief stop at Delgadillo's Snow Cap where I sat with Steve and launched the first plan for the ride. We also got a stamp for my mom in her Route 66 passport while eating at the Roadkill Cafe. 

The final stop for the day was 25 miles further down the road at the Grand Canyon Caverns. We got in early enough to take the caverns tour and I was thrilled to be able to show my mom something we have enjoyed in the past. Tomorrow we will be heading through some awesome places and ending in California, our 8th and final state. We are coming down to the end and I can't wait to cross that finish line.

Day 15 - October 6th

 Last night we didn't sleep the greatest. When the alarm went off this morning I had already been awake for the better part of three hours. Between noise around the hotel and bad dreams I knew I was going to struggle waking up today. Even with that personal battle though, it was one of the fastest times we have gotten ready and loaded. We took off from the parking lot of our hotel in Holbrook and within the first couple miles I was riding on the I-40.

Riding on the side of the highway was the source of many of my bad dreams. I was stressed about being that close to the fast moving traffic but having to cross over the exit and entrance ramps were probably the most terrifying part of the ride. We made it to Joseph City where we stopped to grab a quick snack. While I was eating my mom and Steve ran into the gas station we stopped at and when he came back out, Steve handed me a surprise. He got me a little stuffed bear with a Route 66 hoodie on. I have been looking for a bear to go with the Marine bear I brought with me. I named him Joey after Joseph City where he came from.

From there it was just over 20 miles to the next stop and another spot I have been looking forward to for the entire ride, Winslow, AZ. I rode my bike right up onto the park created for "Standin' On The Corner". We checked out souvenir shops where I was able to finish getting the presents for the members of my team I wanted to do a little extra for. We also had lunch at a Route 66 diner called Falcon in Winslow before heading out to a now defunct trading post called Meteor City near a large meteor crater and then another trading post in Winona.

The last leg was from Winona to Flagstaff where I had to climb up hill after hill because Flagstaff was built on the top of what feels like a mountain. Shortly after getting off the highway for the final time today I was able to get on a bike path and take that all the way to the end. It was beautiful and well maintained but the best part is that there is a section of the original Route 66 built into path so I was able to ride on a part of history. I made great time getting into Flagstaff so we had time to check out some Route 66 stops and even a museum. Tomorrow will be my last day with any significant distance on the I-40 and I know my mom and Steve will be relieved to get off that part. It has been even more work for them keeping me safe than it has for me to ride it.

After tomorrow I move into California and will be in my final state as well as getting to some shorter milage days. It is bittersweet that there is only 1 week left but at the same time I am ready to have accomplished my goal and get back home. Thank you to everyone who has been following this adventure, I hope you have enjoyed it so far.

Day 14 - October 5th

 Today was an emotional day for me. Anyone who has followed along with the stories here about the ride, or that we have talked to much about the trip, know how intertwined the memory of my dad is to what I am trying to do. He never knew the true extent of what I went through or was a part of any of my recovery. Unfortunately he passed away before I got to a point where I could openly talk about what happened in my life and how I came to be diagnosed with PTSD. He was my champion, my defender, and one of my heroes but I don't think he ever knew. We sadly never had the best communication.

The ride started on what would have been his 70th birthday. Today is officially 15 years since he passed. I knew it would be a difficult day. I started riding and as has been my pattern recently, it was an uphill climb right from the beginning. I rode to my first stop, a church in Prewitt, NM where I was grateful to get to rack the bike for the next section. I was supposed to ride across a dirt rode and with the injury to my shoulder not healing very quickly because I keep pushing it and not allowing it time to rest, it wasn't going to be possible to handle the pain it would cause to attempt such a path. We got to the Continental Divide and got the chance to take some pictures and a couple souvenirs. We then had lunch at the Route 66 Diner in Gallup, NM.

From there I pushed along some back roads where we saw the incredible scenery and even in two different places we spotted wild horses. One of the horses was scared of my bike and took off running next to the road, eventually crossing in front of me but I was going slow enough I wasn't in danger of hitting it or it hitting me. I saw prairie dogs and birds flying overhead. It was breathtaking. I rode under a beautiful blue sky with puffy white clouds and one looked like an angel wing which we all decided was a sign of my dad watching out for me. 

We crossed into Arizona, the second to last state on my journey and made our way to Holbrook. We will be taking off from a travel center here tomorrow morning and I will be pedaling along the side of the I-40 all day. I hope you are enjoying the pictures of the journey so far and we can't wait to share even more once we get to Flagstaff tomorrow.

Day 13 - October 4th

 I know it is the thirteenth day but it wasn't unlucky at all. We began the day in Moriarty leaving right from our hotel. I was on side roads in the beginning so we felt safe even though there was a little more traffic that usual to contend with. The first dozen or so miles was a climb but after that I went down the side of a mountain for close to twenty miles. I have never had to ride my brakes so much in any ride I have ever done but it was definitely the right way to go today. I admit there may have still been some trepidation about my previous crash making me more cautious as well.

Not long after I reached the bottom of the mountain I also made my way into Albuquerque. We saw a large group of hot air balloons in the distance which surprised us because the weather was cloudy and gray. I left my chase car as I rode onto a bike path, almost immediately I lost radio contact with the car. Shortly after I blew the front tire of the bike and had to call to arrange a place to meet the car to take it into a local bike shop. I want to give a huge shout out to Two Wheel Drive bike shop for jumping right in and getting us ready to go again. We made a quick stop to get my mom a stamp in her passport since it was just down the street from one of my stops. Then we were off again. I was riding and feeling pretty good when a storm cell opened up and hit so hard we once again had to rack the bike. We drove briefly to get past the bad weather and I was able to get back on at a Post Office parking lot in New Laguna.

From there I made my way back to the I-40. Today there was a much higher amount of traffic and Steve was on his CB radio almost constantly trying to let the truckers know I was there. I was hurting terribly and with clouds hanging low, swollen with rain and threatening another assault we had to make a decision to either push on until the finish or end the ride for the day. I chose to keep going. About six miles outside Grants I took an exit because the pain in my shoulder was immense and I needed the break. Steve let me know I could stay off the highway and take the road running next to the gas station we were at which was the Historic Route 66 so we figured that was our best option. I was only a couple miles out when the rain came back with a vengeance. It came down in buckets and soaked me head to toe. But I pushed on. I had Steve's voice in my radio telling me just three more miles, keep going. He encouraged me all the way through to the end and when I rode through the Neon Drive I nearly cried. The pain was there but it was also the hardest I have had to push and the most miles I have done since I was injured. 

I am still out here, digging deep, and working to do this ride for those I am riding for, the charities, and for myself as I heal little by little everyday.

Day 12 - October 3rd

 This morning I had a difficult start. While I am focusing on healing and doing this ride to bring awareness to those struggling with PTSD, I can't ignore that I have trauma of my own to deal with and last night it came screaming at me in a series of nightmares. I tossed and turned all night and even managed to throw myself out of bed. I jarred my shoulder on the landing and was already feeling sore when I got up. The route started out on some very rough roads and we made the decision to stay on a main street instead of following the pre-designed route. At one point I did turn off the main road to follow the path on my navigation but right away it put me back on uneven pavement. I also popped both the front and back tires of the bike I began the day riding.

I switched bikes and took off again but shortly after I started riding I once again hit loose gravel and before I could get my feet out of the straps on pedals I slipped and fell down, feeling my shoulder scream in protest. Honestly I should have called it a day right then but I got up and walked the bike to the street and began riding again. Not too much further the route tried to take me down dirt roads on the property of a ranch and we had to rack the bike and drive to the next stop.

I began riding once more and was doing fine along a frontage road that ran parallel to the freeway but eventually that road ended and I had to ride along the side of the I-40. It wasn't nearly as scary as it sounds and I have ridden in worse conditions. The shoulder is wide so I felt perfectly safe as I made my way along the side. We reached Santa Rosa where we had lunch and made a side trip to the Blue Hole, a spot I have heard about many times after Steve did the Run For The Wall motorcycle ride. I wanted to experience it but didn't have the courage to jump into the icy water. While in the visitor center we met a wonderful couple that asked about the ride and donated $20 to the charities. Mark and Sherry were kind enough to take pictures with me and wished us luck on our journey. They also warned us about some bad weather in the direction we are heading so we will be keeping an eye on that.

If you want to check out the picture with my incredible donors as well as the rest of our adventures while we promote PTSD awareness you can go to the Facebook page Ride 22 On 66 where you can also find out more information about the charities and how to support them.

Day 11 - October 2nd

 Today we hit the midpoint in more than one way. We finished the 11th of 22 days and also crossed over the halfway mark of Route 66. It took a few hours to reach that milestone and we had some great experiences along the way. We got up and loaded before the sun even rose and got to The Big Texan just as it broke the horizon. We took some start of day pictures then headed out, riding through town and even getting a couple miles on a beautiful trail before getting to the frontage road that ran along the highway. I have spent several days exploring frontage roads and it is fun to pedal while watching the traffic on the highway go zooming past.

Today as I was riding I heard an RV going by and honking at me. I waved but it wasn't until later I found out it was a couple I met yesterday who made a donation to the charities who saw me out riding and wanted to show additional support. 

Our first stop today was the famous Cadillac Ranch where I was able to get pictures of my bike with the paint covered cars in the background. There were close to a dozen people spray painting the vehicles as we walked around and we saw a guy selling souvenirs made from paint chips that come from the cars. We saw a group of motorcyclists that pulled up as we were leaving and later they passed us as we continued our trip toward Vega. We had some construction to contend with but pushed on and saw the Hickory Inn Cafe but it is closed on Sundays.

As we left Vega and set our sights on Adrian, the halfway mark of the trip. While on a quick break we saw another cyclist coming toward us. He came over and shared his mission of riding 48 states in 4 years and said Texas was state number 45 so he is almost done. He is riding for addiction recovery awareness and told us his own story of recovery. His name is Adam and he has a Youtube channel called Redeeming Eden. I was honored he wanted to interview me for the channel to share my story and I am thrilled to promote him as well. He will be turning 40 just a few weeks before I do so it was another kindred spirit moment. 

We had lunch at the Midpoint Cafe before going to the Glenrio Visitor Center and officially entering New Mexico. We ended the night in Tucumcari, NM and are excited to be heading to Moriarty. While I will be taking on new challenges everyday I am happy I am slowly recovering from my crash injuries and always pushing forward. We have less than 2 weeks until we cross the finish line!

Day 10 - October 1st

 This morning I was once again able to walk out the door of my hotel room and get on the bike. I rode from Shamrock, TX to McLean, TX where we met a man who was hanging out at a gas station with his son selling flavored popcorn bags for the Cub Scouts. He told us he was in the service and shared a story of meeting another cyclist a few years ago who rode across the country form New York to California. He told us where to expect hills and where the land would level off and become easier riding and from everything we saw, he was right on. He wished us luck as we got gas and headed out to see a restored Phillips 66 gas station down the street. 

From there we made our way to Alanreed, TX. We stopped at the post office hoping to check out the gifts but it was closed. We got some pictures in front of a fake jail cell and after some rough roads I needed to rack the bike for the day because my shoulder was screaming. But I was very excited to get to Amarillo anyway because my wonderful husband, Steve, was landing early in the afternoon. We made a stop at the hotel and somehow we got lucky that at noon they already had a room for us. We checked in and brought in the bikes as well as our bags then went back to the airport to pick him up. I jumped out of the car to give him a hug as he loaded his bags and we took off toward our lunch stop, The Big Texan.

The Big Texan is home to the 72oz steak challenge. You have to eat the entire steak, and all the fixings in under an hour to get it free. No one took the challenge while we were there but we still enjoyed great steaks, checked out the gift shop, and got a bunch of pictures. We also made a couple Route 66 stops to get my mom's passport stamped and met more wonderful people who asked about the ride and one even donated to the charities. We have been so fortunate that almost everywhere we go we meet sweet and supportive people and so many of them have asked for information or have given to the charities. I couldn't be more grateful to all the people we have met and the things we have been able to do as we make our way across the route. If you would like to check out pictures from our adventures you can follow along on the Facebook page Ride 22 On 66 and you can also find information on supporting the charities on the pinned post.