{"id":1854,"date":"2020-09-14T03:00:16","date_gmt":"2020-09-14T03:00:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/bikebums.com\/?p=1854"},"modified":"2020-09-30T04:16:25","modified_gmt":"2020-09-30T04:16:25","slug":"off-to-a-great-start","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bikebums.com\/index.php\/category\/2020\/off-to-a-great-start\/","title":{"rendered":"Off to a great start!"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

We got a bit waylaid this morning – a delicious Morgan-prepared breakfast, some last-minute packing, an emergency REI run due to a buckle giving out on my 16-year-old panniers, and finally dropping off our rental at Santa Fe airport (which involved us all cramming into Morgan’s minivan along with 3 bikes +gear, clown-car style. We finally made it to Santa Fe around 1pm, and after bidding adieu to Morgan (she’ll be joining us on Thursday) and a quick trader joe’s run to get some swedish swimmers and peanut butter pretzels, we were finally off!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We ride approximately two miles to downtown Santa Fe when we succumbed to the delicious smells coming from the restaurants, and decided it was time for lunch. Great open-air meal on a rooftop – green chili burgers and veggie tacos – only sightly soured when I checked the score of the Browns’ opening game. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We had a quick ride around Santa Fe’s historic central plaza, and then lovely ride out of town and into the high desert along quiet side roads. What a great start! Beautiful scenery, perfect weather, and the first 15 miles were downhill! We rode through several small pueblos (native-american villages), along cottonwood-shaded lanes, past hoodoos and standing rocks, over hills where we could see what seemed like a dozen layers of rock ridges before us. The contrast between the pink and taupe rocks against the ever-widening blue sky is just amazing, especially as the light of the setting sun makes all the colors pop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We made it to a BLM campground perched above a lake, and we’re the only ones here! A few beers as we watched the clouds roll in, some dinner, and a bit of stargazing to top it off. Now we’re in our tents, ready for whatever tomorrow brings us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n