Leaving Las Vegas

Leaving Las Vegas and driving over 200 miles across the great Mojave desert.  Car temperature got up to 110 and glad to be driving a rental with low mileage.  Would not want to break down out here.  Eventually, the mountains were summited and then a long run through I think the San Bernardino Valley too...

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...the ocean and then a quick turn to the north and over another mountain range into Santa Ynez Valley and the cycling mecca.  Bike was is good shape out of the box and good to go.

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Meanwhile, back in Ohio, the Canal ride was being held and I hear around 40 people were there for a flatish ride of 44 miles.  Mark C sent me the below version of events: We missed you tonight Mark.  The parking lot was strangely subdued without your animating personality. We rode to Baltimore, turned north and then came back.  Without the hills, Da Boss is rather ordinary and just one of the guys.  Heck, even Grand Poobah hung with us and get this, even that lard belly Dennis did too!  I dominated of course. Steve O was hanging on with me but had there been any hills I would of cut him loose like a string from a balloon.  Well, that's about it.  We finished with a 22.8 average but it could have been faster if I had had had any help from the drafters.

Steve sent me the above picture and said it was blurry, just like how I view the parking lot after a hard ride...funny.

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Amanda, reacting to getting out of her car and seeing she had not run over anyone this time.

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