May 31,2018 West Amarillo, TX to Alanreed, TX

77.12 miles. One thing that I didn't mention...up until yesterday, every place I've ridden, I have done before. Last time I left Tucumcari, I took US54. This time, leaving on I 40/US 66, Im on roads that I have driven, but never ridden.
After my century into the wind yesterday, I wasn't sure how much would be in the tank for today. Turns out, that after sleeping in until 8, I felt pretty good. I was in the saddle by nine, enjoying a neutral wind and semi cool temps. In the first couple of minutes, I went right past Amarillo's famous Cadillac ranch, with the seven Cadillacs planted in the middle of a corn field. I sort of roamed through Amarillo, choosing my own path, and ignoring any GPS recommendation, and for some reason, I didn't get on business I 40/US66. I am following old route 66 in theory, but I really spend very little time on the actual road itself. The surface is usually inferior to the interstate, and most of the time, j can just look right over and see 66. That counts, doesn't it? Also, many times 66, in the form of a frontage road just dead ends, so it would be tricky to try to be on it always. Since I've been in Texas, there are no guardrails or fences between the roads, so it is easier to switch if I wanted to. Many times today, I got off and on from one road to the other because I want to be on the best surface. That Texas chip seal is just brutal, unless it is worn down, and there were some places where the I-40 shoulder was new chip seal, and 66 was more worn, therefore less bumpy.
After bouncing around Amarillo, including riding right through the downtown area, I headed back to the I 40 frontage road that headed out of town. Even that got tricky when I 40 decided to do a flyover to the left, and the frontage road followed US 387, I believe, which goes south to Fort Worth. Once out of town, I was again in an area that is flatter than flat, and the wind turbines were my constant companion. Pam and I planned to meet for lunch at a Loves truck stop about 40 miles into the ride, but I was delayed by my third flat tire, five miles before we met. That flat tire stuff is getting old. This time a valve split on a thornproof tube, inside a brand new tire on the back. I had some aggravation getting the wheel back on, so I killed a half an hour under an overpass, so at least I had shade.
After lunch at Subway, it was really getting warm, the wind wasn't doing me any favors, and it was just flat and straight. With about twelve miles to go to get to Alanreed, things started to roll, and the road did alot of turning to work around gullies, and we worked some hills that seemed pretty tough, but as much as anything, I was getting tired. Alanreed is on a hill, higher than any other point I can see, so hopefully tommorow we'll be going downhill some, and hopefully the wind will fully cooperate.
One other thing happened of note. Right as I was pulling into the campground, a big Rv pulled right up behind me and blasted the horn, and wouldn't go around me. I had no shoulder, there was no traffic. The guy is just an asshole, and he just happened to be in the site next to us. He wouldn't come out of his Rv, even though I signalled for him when we made eye contact. Hopefully I'll see him in the morning.