Today was a great day. I’m really glad that I stayed a bit longer in Albuquerque.

It started with a ride around town with the local scooter club. This town is really quite nice, even though Gavin said that we rode through some of the not so prettiest.

Most of the club went to the zoo, but since I was more than a bit hungry, Gavin and I hit the Indian buffet at Taj Mahal. Not bad at all!

And then was the ride to Moriarty and back.

This was the last stretch of Route 66 that I hadn’t ever done before. And the ride out was really nice. We rode through a little valley that they called a canyon and over some hills to Moriarty.

Moriarty is sort of lame, to be honest. There’s not much left of Route 66 there and it’s just a few motels and gas stations.

On the way back, I stopped here and there and took some pictures.

Honestly, not the most fun stretch of Route 66 ever.

After that little trip, we headed to Gavin’s brother’s house and I had a really really great time.

Tomorrow (Monday), I’m checking out the downtown. Also, I’ll be riding down to Los Lunas on old 66. After that, we’re going to a trivia night. I’m at a KOA now (one more in town), but the internets aren’t really working. Perhaps the tubes are clogged. Grr.

Here are my very few photos from today.

Miles today: 124
Miles total: 3307

Hi from SUNNY Albuquerque!

I’ve alluded to the trip changing a bit, so here goes with what that means.

Firstly, I’m staying an extra day in Albuquerque. I’ll leave for Gallup on Tuesday afternoon.

I’ll roll into Flagstaff on Thursday (5/22).

As for the four-day loop trip through AZ, UT, CO and NM, I’m saving that for later, wanting to do all of 66 at once.

I’ll be heading into LA on Monday (5/26) afternoon, which is not something I really wanted to do, but so be it.

Berkeley will happen from 5/28 (a Wednesday) to the morning of 6/3 (a Tuesday) when I leave for Donner Pass on my way to Salt Lake City, which will happen 6/6 (a Friday). I’ll be stationed in SLC until, I believe, Sunday 6/15.

Now, why so much time in SLC? Well I won’t be in SLC all that much. On 6/10 (a Tuesday), Sarah is showing up and we’ll be seeing the Spiral Jetty just north of SLC. Then, on Wednesday, we’ll be doing most of that AZ, UT, CO, NM loop in a rental car. So yeah, not on a scooter, but by that time, I could probably use a break. She’ll leave that Saturday, I think and then that Sunday I’ll be heading off to …. SEATTLE!

Yeah, it seems dumb to do Portland and Seattle *after* SLC, but that’s how it’s going to work out.

I should get to Portland around June 18, a Wednesday (at this point the dates are fairly tentative). I’ll spend a day or two there and then ride up to Seattle around June 20, a Friday. I will probably be in Seattle until June 27 (a Friday, I figure about a week - and the Portland thing could happen somewhere in between all of that).

So if I leave Seattle around the 27th, that would get me to Wheeling around July 9. Which brings me to central PA in mid-July. Again, at this point, it’s wild speculation.

I also have thoughts of New England to visit Jen and Ned. And South to visit Michael. I’ve done the math, if I do all that I want to this summer, I’ll have hit 46 of the lower 48 (Nebraska and Wyoming would be missing). So it’s possible that I’ll even ride out to Nebraska and Wyoming before all is said and done (though I’m doubting this last part).

Because of this, Scoot 66 has taking on a whole new perspective. It started with just Route 66, but has turned into what could possibly be a tour of the entire country.

But for now, let’s just make it through Albuquerque.