31 July 2017
That Best Western was maybe the nicest stay I had this trip, it was ... homey. Families with well-behaved kids, people shared their breakfast table, and were extremely polite about it...I thanked the morning manager, who said that was what they were trying for. Still not worth over $100, though.
Once again, the morning ride started out pleasantly, moderate temperatures and scenic views through the Deschutes National Forest. Got held up by a bit of road construction just before Upper Klamath Lake, whose shore I rode along for about ten miles.
Through Klamath Falls, then down through agricultural country to Merrill, where I filled up with gas. And pulled out my wet neck towel, since the day had heated up to fairly uncomfortable.
And there it stayed, as I crossed into California, smelling smoke. No idea where the fires were (I hadn't thought to check), but as the smoke got thicker, I started to worry, especially as the road would head in that direction. But I was still meeting sporadic traffic, so I was pretty sure I was ok. There were occasional burned out patches on one side or the other.
Passed the turnoff for the Lava Beds National Monument--not this time, been there twice--and the smoke got thicker. I finally came out from under it, and could see it rising to my right and behind me, then came over a rise and on the right, a massive staging area that firefighters were apparently working from.
SR139 took me down to Susanville, where I stopped to renew my wet towel and refill my water, which I'd been sucking on regularly. A few miles south, US395 joined me (or I, it) and we continued south at a brisk pace--nice to be back in California where I have some idea about how much I can cheat on the speed limit.
Passed the SR70 intersection, which I recognized from several trips north to the 49er Rally when it was at Quincy, haven't done that for a while.
Then crossed into Nevada--I was planning on stopping somewhere along the Reno / Carson City strip, but didn't have anywhere particular in mind. Got off for fuel in Reno, but nothing else grabbed me, so I got back on 395, which had turned into a major freeway (I-580) sometime in the last 10 years. I got a side view of a spectacular bridge, which I then crossed. (It's the Galena Creek Bridge, the largest 'cathedral arch' bridge in the world, opened in 2012.)
A search with the Nuvi found me a Rodeway Inn, with a Smith's grocery a couple of blocks away. Lots of competition in the area, so finally a motel under $60, if not as nice a stay as last night.
Motel: $59.93
Groceries: $10.57
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