Third State Line – Texas

Third State Line – Texas

Tuesday 28^th May, 2019

Day 18

Location: Tucumcari, NM to Dalhart, TX

Distance: 96 miles

Temp: 58 – 76 F  sunny

   Wind: calm until 10:00 AM

              changing to 24 mph tailwind by noon

 

Cumulative climbing distance:  2,028 ft

Cumulative descending distance:  2,067 ft

 

After 96 miles of cycling and 2,028 ft vertical climbing distance we are right by the same elevation that we started - 4,200 ft.  We are now in the high plains will rolling terrain.  The scenery was basically the same all day - open plains with cattle grazing and some irrigated farm field mainly growing hay or wheat.

 

We started in Tucumcari, NM, the southern most extend of our trip in the Great Plains.  We are heading northeast for the next few days and then working east and slightly northerly for the next 3 weeks as we work diagonally northeastward across the central US.

 

Tucumcari was an early to mid 20th century major transportation center, the Rock Island and Southern Pacific railroads had rail service to Los Angeles.  The historic US Route 66 past through main street and now I-40.  Also of interest, the outdoor scenes for the TV show Rawhide in 1959 - 1966 were film in this area.

 

 

 Today's highlight was crossing into Texas, our 3rd state line crossing and 4th state.

 

  

 Sunrise over Tucumcari.  I know I am in plains when I can see sunrises and sunsets, something that I miss in Connecticut.

 Typical high plains scenery.  One can almost see a herd of buffalo in this wide open country.

 

 Typical roadside café.  Note the name.

 

Today's wildlife sightings:

A herd of pronghorn antelope (1 male and 5 females).
 

 

We are biking in a northeasterly direction on US Route 54, which runs in a straight line and parallel with the Union Pacific (formerly Rock Island) railroad.  The straight line makes for very uninteresting biking on the flat plains.

 

 

Union Pacific train on its way to Los Angeles.

 

East of Dalhart are numerous feedlots with over 10,000 cattle.

Dalhart is an agribusiness center known for the large feedlot operations

 

Dinner for a hungry biker plus a large salad and bowl of soup.