Last night when everyone was deciding to where to ride to, we were all looking tired. We decided that a rest day was in order, the only question was when and where. Rather than try to get all the way to Whitefish (85 miles) we decided that a short ride to Eureka and then stay in a hotel would be better.
We all slept in...whh how wonderful it is to wake up, and know that you can sleep as long as you would like. Then everyone packed up their tents, and got on the road by 9am. The ride started off failry pleasant. The temperature was cool, because we were still in the shade of the mountains, and the traffic was light.
I was shocked that we didn't see more wildlife, though I did get a great picture of two bald eagles perched 200-300 feet above the road.
However, as the day wore on the hills became quite onerous. They were all pretty steep, and several were fairly long. Then with about 15 miles to go, the temperature really soared. At about that same time we were also confronted with the busiest section of the road so far, and there wasn't a shoulder to ride on.
Finally we rolled into Eureka to stay in a cheapish motel. I split a room with Jeff, though everyone eventually decided to stay in the hotel. After a fantastic salad for lunch, bleu cheese, grilled chicken, apples, and candied walnuts, Jeff and I walked down to do some laundry.
After a little TV, we went to a Mexican restaraunt for dinner. I had beef fajitas which were fantastic. Then back in the room I flipped on the TV to find the first Transformers movie on. Pretty soon it was time for bed.
We enjoyed having a short day too that ended in Eureka & the chicken salad I had at Jax restaurant really hit the spot. It was nice to sit at a table on their patio in the shade until Kate picked us up to take us to the Rexford campground. My flat tire wasn't even a problem as I was able to change it at my leisure at our campsite.
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