Closing time

At the end of the North 40 I stopped at the trail head and waited for The Wife to appear.  "Wanna go again?" I asked in my best begging, but still sounding cool voice.  I got the look of, well I got The Look.  We were done.  It was a short little double with a slight down hill all the way to the car.  Coasting.  What a way to top off a trip.  One where I thought I would not get to ride my bike, turned out that I got in some pretty impressive riding.  Got lucky, no all day in the saddle rides, but quality.  Not quantity.  This was the kind of trip that gets the juices flowing, but dose not drain the life out of you.

Of course standing in the parking lot of the Moab Brands trail head, we were over 1,000miles from home.  Talk about a buzz kill.  Back to the hotel, shower, pack, leave.  Six hours in the car to Albuquerque.  By my best guesstimate we will be in the hotel by 6-7pm.  Fueled up and we were out.  Miles and miles of road trip.  The Wife is reading, and I am trying not to plow head first into the side of the road or into oncoming traffic.

I don't know what it is about New Mexico drivers and why they have a problem with me, but I always find some kook that wants to race me when I try and pass them.  With the cruse control on.  At least it keeps me entertained, and the anger like a little fire keeping me warm with colorful insults running through my head. 

We found the hotel this time.  First try.  No google issues trying to get us killed.  Plus, it was the one we stayed in just a few days previous.  Do I trust google maps to find me a pint and food?  I like to live dangerously, so I gave it a whirl.  Marble Brewery.  3.5miles away.  Ended up in a dark industrial part outside of the bright lights of down town ABQ.  Thanks google.  Wait, there it is.  There are people outside under heat lamps.  We are here.  Yes I had their IPA, took a hard look at the double IPA and decided I want to drive home, not to the crash site.

I have to say that Marble's IPA was the best of the trip.  I don't know if it is an actual winner or that it just came at the apex of the trip and the culminating experience just made it all the better.  Which ever it might be it was one tasty IPA.  If you find yourself in the greater ABQ area and are parched from the high desert air, I highly recommend Marble Brewery.  They have a limited menu (food), but more than make up for it with the liquid brewed confections.  We shared some nachos.

We hooked up with my sister for a short night cap, and then to the hotel, another long day tomorrow.  New Years Eve.  10hrs in a car, driving wishing that you were still riding single track in Utah.  This was not to be.  We stopped briefly to eat lunch with my parents in Amarillo, and then kept rolling.  We made it back to Tulsa in time to clean up and head over to a party.  Normally I would be all-a-rage to party it up, but the drive must have taken the wind out of my sails.