June 2, 2012: PAP Day 8, Anthony, KS to Enid, OK

We left Anthony around 8AM on the 65 mile ride south to Enid. Although we were riding into the wind, it was only 5 to 10 mph, and not a real problem. We rotated pulls every five minutes and that worked out pretty well. We were on a highway that carries much less traffic than others we have ridden this week. Our fellow travelers were all courteous, and even friendly. The only issue with the route was the condition of the pavement once we crossed over the Kansas / Oklahoma state line, early on today’s ride. The roads were badly in need of repair, giving us a rough ride.

At about mile 35 we stopped in a little roadside convenience store, anticipating that there would not be another for a good while. Fred quickly decided that he needed a cheeseburger but I just picked up some snacks. We ended up having a friendly conversation of ten minutes or so with a trio of locals. As so often happens, common ground emerges where it seems highly unlikely. Fred taught for a year at the college from which one of the fellows' daughters graduated. In addition, they all get on their motorcycles and do a trip to the Colorado mountains every summer. OK, no pedals, but still, only two wheels. Relations between motorcyclists and bicyclists are most always quite friendly.

Which of the men above is not actually an Okie?

Back on the bikes we continued uneventfully until about 9 miles from our hotel. Fred declared that he needed a break in the shade. We had just passed an electronic sign that showed the air temperature as just 79, but he felt overheated anyway. We pulled into the parking lot of a commercial farm irrigation supplier to take advantage of their ample, shady overhang. Freddy pulled off all the clothing he could, then stretched out on the cool concrete in the shade, making a series of loud sounds that would be best described as the sound track of a porno film. I won’t miss the next opportunity to record his performance.

Enid is a good-sized town, so we rode through miles of suburbs and past several more miles of strip centers, hotels, fast food joints, and all manner of commercial enterprises before coming to our hotel. Tonight we are in rooms at America’s Best Value, a chain that is well above our recent lodging but below most Best Western, Days Inn, and similar brands. One issue, however, was that we had to hike a good half-mile to get to the first acceptable eatery. In this case it was a walk-up-to-order local bar-b-que place. I had a grilled cheese sandwich, corn, and coleslaw; Fred had some ribs. At 6 the restaurant in the Best Western across the street opens. We are hoping to get something more satisfying this evening over there.