Day 3---windier, hotter and lessons of the road

I got up extra early to beat the heat today, but awoke to a steady 20 mph wind, with gusts up to 30.  At least it was cool, even if in the first two hours I only managed 14 miles on the dead flat!  Today was supposed to be an 'easy' day, 48 quick miles up the valley, then the pool and catching up on correspondence.

NOT.

A long almost 6 hour slog---- after the winds died down a bit, it got HOT.  91 the last hour or two, then I got a flat.

Nothing like your expectations making you have a bad day, one of those lessons that bike touring is good at teaching.

In fact, it was pretty interesting.  Mountains on both sides, and I poked around all the little towns that I've flown by on I-5 for years. 

I'm pretty sure this was an eagle, watched it fly around, and then hang out on the rice paddies.

Who knew that Arbuckle had a cute, shady park, and yoga every morning across the street?  Or that Maxwell High School had only 350 kids 50 years ago, but now has over 1000?  Testament to the growth of the local Latino population.  Maxwell also has a groovy Farmers and flea market on Friday and Saturday.  Could have been someplace in Mexico.....

The Catholic Church in Maxwell.

Finally got into the motel around 3:45 and hit the pool.  Chinese (local white people Chinese I'm afraid) and an ice cream bar from the AM/PM.  It's a shame someone doesn't fix up the downtowns of these little towns.  Everything is at the freeway ramps....really looking forward to getting off the I-5 corridor, although 99W has NO traffic, and is in great shape.