June 15th, 2021

The Good the Bad and the Ugly, part two

The Good
People. People are good. We've traveled through Oregon and are about to leave Idaho and we have experienced mostly kindness. We've have four people let us stay at their places from the bike touring site Warm Showerrs, Sherri in Portland, Jalet in Mitchell, Marci and family in Boise, and Kathy and Mike in Pocatello. These are all people who took time and effort to answer our posts, host us and put up with all the work that comes with that and even feed us in some cases! Marilee, she was our guide in Boise, too! So Thanks!!!

We've also had people give us a boost when our route was either somewhat suicidal due to the fact that we either had to bike dirt roads or the interstate for long miles in each case. Our hotel manager volunteered to drive us across that area when we mentioned what laid ahead. We've had people just give us money towards hotel stays so we can have a little comfort, I can't say how grateful that made us all feel! THANKS!!

The Bad
Right now, the heat. It's bad. A few days ago it was 100° and the last two days have been in the high 90's. Had we gone on that dirt road yesterday in southern ID, things could have gotten ugly fast. To the best of my guesstimate, we would have ridden on a dirt road that turned onto a jeep track, that had many roads and intersections to get lost on. Bad Google maps, good for satellite view! Maybe someone smartet than me can figure out hoe to contact Google to let them know some of these routes can be dangerous?

Today we rode 56 miles and are now trying to cool off, but the AC in this room is just not doing its job. A shower felt great but since the room is 82° right now, I may have to take anither cold shower after dinner.

The Ugly
Even though they are a treat, some of the motels we have stayed at have been downright ugly, gross, almost disgusting. One in particular, in Mountain Home, ID, that took the crown. As Isabel put it today, our stay was so bad there that we know every motel from now on can only be better. The ceiling had cracked and chipped paint, walls had faded colors from the years of toking up, the bathroom had cracked tiles, and the carpet was so gross that all of us wore our shoes if we ever had to walk in the "suite" they provided us. I have stayed in many motels in my life, and this one really took the price.

But now we rest and get ready for tomorrow. The heat is slated to decrease. And our good friend Bill will be joining us in a few days to lend som SAG supoort. So, things are looking up!