Eureka

Day Seven
Distance: 71.1 miles
Time in saddle: 6hrs 37 mins
Overall distance: 567 miles

Eureka, I've got to Eureka. Sorry I know its corny but I've been dying to say it. The ride out of Austin started with a long climb. Why is every town on my route in a position where you have to enter the town with a climb and leave the town with a climb? Is it just to pi** me off? It’s working.
I made some really good progress today, the road was relatively flat and the conditions were good. I was chased by another storm. I’m beginning to get paranoid now. I cycled like mad for hours but it caught me eventually and absolutely poured down. It only lasted about half an hour but it flooded the desert, which was an incredible sight. The smell from all the plants was fascinating; it smelled a bit like mint. I saw a rattlesnake today. It was long and very flat…it had been run over by a car. I wouldn’t like to bump into one in the middle of the night.
I was quite tipsy last night. I let my hair down….not a lot..and had a good laugh with some people I met. I felt great this morning. I was going to stay in Austin for a while because they were having a parade and street carnival. Considering there are only about fifty people in the town I didn’t think it was worth hanging around, so I left early.
As I have already pointed out the road that I have been on is the ‘loneliest road’ in America. Today proved that point. I am not kidding you it went on forever, straight as a die and always there. God I wanted a bend, just to do something different.
There were a couple of hills, which I walked up. Not because they were high but just to give my bum a rest. It is really beginning to hurt at the moment. I put some antiseptic cream on my groin this morning, and it helped a little.
For the first time I had to ‘go to the toilet’ in the desert. I made sure that there were no snakes about. Could you imagine phoning 911 to say that I’d been bitten on the bum…. who would suck out the poison? Even if I could reach it myself I would have second thoughts about doing it. As it was there were no snakes and to be frank I had a nice poo. Another ‘thing to before I die’ thing to be ticked off.
I cycled into Eureka about five o clock. I could have gone on but I want to be in Ely tomorrow and it’s only another eighty miles, so I can start in the morning. I haven’t been in touch for a few days and I don’t want you to get worried. I slept in the desert one night and the other night I stayed at a motel that didn’t have Internet access.
There is a climb out of Eureka tomorrow, there’s a change, and ad I’ve got some really big hills until Ely. Bring it on.
It’s Fathers Day tomorrow. I just want to give Daniel and Thomas a message from their Dad. I am missing you more than you could ever imagine and I love you very much…. can’t wait to see you.