We picked up 66 in the centre of Stroud and that sent us towards Oklahoma City. The sky was threatening but at this stage no rain. Just outside of Stroud we hit a famous part of 66 that is still paved in the original brick. Pretty bumpy on the bike but cool none the less.
Each leg of this journey would throw us into towns that time has forgot, but the people live on and I guess still see themselves as keepers of the Mother Road. They will all offer up a story and it is striking just how many of them have never travelled far beyond these towns. When some of them learn about what Bo and I have done they all seem to be in awe. They always wish us well and genuinely mean it.
As we passed these buildings (and there are many of them) you are always left wondering what happenned to these people, what brought them here in the first place, and what in the end made them leave. For others you can't help but wonder why they stay.
About a hundred miles past Stroud we finally, and reluctantly, bade farewell to Route 66 and rode hard to Dallas. We had to have the bikes back by mid afternoon and to push on any further would have meant we would miss the deadline. It was really hard to turn those big old harleys true South but we did and made Dallas just in time to get caught in a torrential downpour and rush hour traffic. My thoughts were for the Mother Road. As we handed the bike keys back and got into the cab both Bo and I were sad to be leaving these magnificant machines that had such a big part of our lives for nearly four weeks. You either love them or you hate them, but they were made to travel these big long roads and they did this without hesitation taking everything from rush hour traffic jams to cruising effortlessly for days on end at 85mph. I know our riding lives will never be the same after this experience.
We have travelled 6750 miles (that's 10863km's), and have ridden through Texas, New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, Nevada, Arizona, California, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Missouri, Kansas and Oklahoma. An epic ride. As I write this it is hard to single out any one part of the ride as being more special than any other part. Colorado was breathtakingly beautiful, Utah was majestic with it's canyons and mesas, but each State seemed to have its own special character and characters. The Natchez-Trace Parkway was amazing, as was Old Route 66 as it revealed some of its faded glory. But maybe the special part was just riding with Bo and the fun we had no matter where we were. We seldom stayed in big cities or towns, and always enjoyed a beer together at the end of each day watching those magnificant sunsets that followed us around everywhere we went.
We discovered food like the Philly Cheese Steak sandwich, real Strawberry shakes, and the simple pleasures of pulling up to an out of the way diner or bar and enjoying them and the people in them for what they were.
We leave this country on the 4th of July. The symbolism and the patriotism associated with that day and what it represents has been everywhere. I think too many people criticise the USA unfairly. It is a complex nation. An intense mix of politics, god, and nationhood offset by people (such as those we met) with real humility, and an immense pride in being part of it. Everyone we spoke to knew where we had come from and that it was a beautiful country that they would like to visit. They know our soldiers have fought with distinction with theirs in many wars and campaigns and that means a lot more to them than it probably does to a lot of people back home. Every country has a dark side, and the bigger they are no doubt means it is a pretty big dark side. Except for an unintended detour in Gary, Indiana, we didn't really see it it. I wish them all a happy 4th of July. By the time you read this we will be back home thinking about what we have left behind. LTGTR!
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