I lingered at Ghost Ranch and spent most of the day there, since I was enamored with the place and because I only had about 16 miles to ride today. The road to Abiquiu snaked through colorful sandstone canyons, almost like a painted desert. There was a stiff headwind and some hills to climb, but I was so relaxed and rejuvenated from my sojourn at Ghost Ranch that I didn’t much care – blow, baby, blow!
At the Abiquiu crossroads there were some guys in a beat-up truck selling fruit, so I stopped and shot the bull with them and bought a bunch of cherries. I stood around chomping on them and talking to one of the guys in Spanish about how hungry biking makes you. He happily agreed, and directed me to this art gallery about ½ block up the road that was having an opening. I ambled up there and met the gallery owners right out front, I told them I was just passing through on my way down from Yellowstone to the Mexican border, I guess they didn’t know what to think of me so they invited me inside! I was still hungry (the cherries didn’t cut it) so I loaded up on all sorts of tasty tapas and drinks to wash it all down. I started chatting with one of the other guests, Gloria, and she asked about my biking. She lives in El Rito, which I’ll pass tomorrow on my way to the hot springs at Ojo Caliente, and gave me her number in case I needed anything.
I hopped back on Boris (my bike) and the three of us (me, Boris and the trailer) headed about two miles down the road to the Old Abiquiu Bed & Breakfast, which has “cyclist only lodging” as listed on the Adventure Cycling Maps. I had called ahead and made a camping reservation ($15) with Beth. Beth answered the door to a beautiful adobe house; I explained that I was late because I got caught up at the art gallery opening down the road and there was all this food that had to be eaten. Beth is the house sitter for Wanda, who owns the house and is in Europe making a London-to-Rome pilgrimage. Wanda must be in pretty good shape…she’s 73!
Beth showed me the camping spot, which had a “Wanda’s Cove” sign on the small pavilion, down by the Rio Chama. Plenty of mosquitoes but it was an exceedingly charming spot with lights, electricity, a chaise lounge and even kerosene torches to keep the bugs away! I set up my tent right by the river then headed back to the house to have a shower. Beth is a real estate agent with Sotheby’s, based in Santa Fe, and she occasionally house sits when Wanda is travelling. Well Beth and I got along like a house on fire, and we came up with the idea of a reality show based on mountain bike racing and touring. I showed her my blog and went through some of the pix and the cast of colorful characters I’ve met along the way. Beth’s daughter is a casting executive for a network in New York…who knows where this reality show idea might go? I told Beth I can meet her daughter for lunch in New York before I head back to Prague.
