One mile from edge of highway 26 is a little town called Atomic City. We had to go there since we couldn’t ride all the way to Arco which is 60 miles in this heat.
Nowadays they are known for their dirt racetrack but no racing in July because it’s too hot. The only services in the town was the bar which opened at 3pm. It’s the first time I’ve ever waited for a bar to open. It was good place to get relief from the heat.
Dean entertained us with local stories and tips and a little bit of his life story. He was a gearhead (car guy) so I was able to understand most of his terminology. Local workers helping build the mini nuclear reactor and other nuclear workers came in the bar and we had some interesting conversations. Meagan even showed a Toyota TV commercial from Japan that she was a model for. How random is that.
Lyle, the mechanic owns this bar and he offered to bring us dinner from a restaurant on his way home. We tried to give him a tip but he wouldn’t take it. Thanks Lyle.
We camped in the park across the street under the sparse shade of a dry tree. I used Brent’s hammock to rest my back a bit.
True to Dean’s warning, the winds kicked up in the afternoon and blew until 10pm at least.
Next we ride to Arco which has more services thankfully.
