May 14, 2024
After two days off the bike, I was late getting out of Albuquerque. This did not prevent me from chatting up a lovely cycling couple I met outside a Subway. The husband was well into his eighties and the wife in her seventies, both testaments to the salubrious effects of the bicycle.
Then the heat, climbs, and crosswinds added to my delay, making it impossible to reach Santa Fe by nightfall. So I set my sights on the rebel hippie artist enclave of Madrid (pronounced like the one in Missouri, not the one in Spain).
Arriving late into the town, I called the number of the only camping area I could find, a retreat called The Lotus. Its proprietor, a petite firecracker named Lonnie, drove down from the hills to guide me across arroyos and up dirt roads to her healing center.
I camped on the property, outfitted with a walking stick to warn the rattlesnakes of my movements. But I wish I would have splashed out for one of the thoughtfully appointed suites, festooned with books, local art, and desert light. I did indulge in Lonnie's cooking: organic, vegetarian, soul-filling fare. She also pampered me with local serums and scrubs of intoxicating fragrances that made me feel almost completely not like the dirtbag I've become.
I left my tent flaps open so that I could watch the stars as I drifted off to sleep.
Distance: 47.66 miles
Climbing: 3.40 K feet
Totals: 1,447.9 miles, 54.3 K feet
Song: "Time" by Time Waits
Sounds like a perfect day! You look happy!