Groom to Shamrock, TX 04-30-2026 Day 20

I was so wiped from yesterday’s ride, I slept through my alarm for the first time. Up a half hour later than usual, we both ate our leftovers from last night’s Indian dinner. I had milk with my chicken curry re-heated in the microwave to make it seem more like breakfast. We ate quickly, went through the usual packing and final bike prep. We went out the door to an overcast, breezy morning in the high 40s. As we rode out on business I-40 (Route 66) we went under the Interstate to take a close look at the leaning tower of Texas. It was originally a functional water tower from the nearby town of Lefors, but after it was found to not meet local codes, it was purchased by Ralph Britten around 1980. Instead of demolishing it, Britten decided to use it as a marketing stunt to draw travelers to his truck stop, the Tower Fuel Stop. 

The pavement on the frontage road along I-40 was better than what we had yesterday – at first. The further we went the more inconsistent the quality of the pavement was.

Seven miles down the road we had to get on I-40. We were a little nervous about the steel shards creating another flat. However the shoulder was so much smoother than the frontage road. The traffic created some backdraft that negated some of the headwinds against us. We were travelling 3-5 mph faster now. Five miles down the road we pulled off at a rest area. This was the nicest, most modern one I’d ever been in along an interstate.

We were afraid to press our luck by staying on the interstate. Ron thought his rear tire might be getting a little soft. My rear was running on a tube with 2 patches, but I pumped it up a little extra at the rest stop for good measure. For those reasons, we got off I-40 at the next exit and onto the frontage road. The pavement was even worse. We had to do some additional climbing as we went through Alanreed. There was no fence and the interstate was less than 50 yards away. We thought seriously about getting back on, but then we noticed it now had rumbles strips extending the width of the shoulder. So our road choices were now limited to bad or worse.

By the time we were 30 miles into our ride in the town of McLean, we were willing to try the interstate. I knew there were supposed to be some “Route 66” attractions in McLean. A preserved garage was one. But we were also interested in resting in a cafe with a warm drink. The main street was deserted and a preserved section looked like a museum piece. It all reminded me of a creepy Twilight Zone episode. We searched in vain. I met a local who told me the only thing left was the truck stop near I-40. We ended up going there.

We had a little more than 20 miles left and we were going to do it on the interstate.. Ron had looked at some street views and saw that the rumble strips were gone after the next exit. We found the strips to be not as bad as they looked. We got a light bounce every 15 yards or so.They went away after the next exit. It was heaven. Until they returned n the following exit and we dealt with them the rest of the way to Shamrock. The ride was still not easy as the wind had us pedaling, even going downhill. There was practically no gliding yesterday or today. But today was 30 miles shorter and on smoother pavement. It was great to have a quiet ride on Business I-40 into Shamrock.

The staff at the hotel was friendly and helpful. They let us check in as soon as we arrived a little after 2 PM. Paying in cash saved me $5. We did our usual cleanup of ourselves and our clothes, unpacked, then went across the street to Rusty’s on 66.

They had some problems with some of the kitchen equipment so it was strictly pizzas for hot food. I added a salad and we both had a couple of Shiner Bocks. The rest of the evening was bike maintenance and a test ride for me. Over dinner we triple checked the weather and made a plan for Elk City. Ron did an ice cream run later, but came back with milk for his breakfast. We are both somewhat frugal and weren’t willing to pay the price for our pint of ice cream. The hotel stopped offering breakfast after COVID hit. We both have our supplies for breakfast in the room. Ron has leftover pizza and milk. I took no prisoners on my pizza, but I got 2 hard boiled eggs, milk, and a muffin for tomorrow. There’s also a coffee machine in the room. The logistics and the remoteness of the route have not yet given me an opportunity for 2nd breakfast. We go into Oklahoma tomorrow. Maybe there.

It was a good day. A lot better than yesterday. It even looks good at night.

The ride stats are here and the 3D video is here.

The Not So Lone Rider