THE HERO OF THIS STORY DEMONSTRATES THE ABILITY TO PLAY IT SAFE: He Does Chores. He Explores.

August 7, 2019

This was a rare day in which I made no forward progress whatsoever. I'm a Tough Guy but perhaps I'm not as much of a Tough Guy as I used to be. It is going to be another 104-degree day and I just felt the discretion option would be better than the valor option. That way, I figured, I could live to be a Tough Guy even longer. Besides that, The Feeshko called me and insisted I stay in Moses Lake another day. She had seen that 104-degree forecast and she wants me to be her husband even longer.

But I'm not going to call it a rest day. There are a few things I hope to accomplish. The first thing was to go down to the lobby and book another night here at the Holiday Inn. Yesterday I indicated that this place was "way too expensive, " but I have to admit I'm enjoying some of the amenities. None of the other motels I've stayed in have offered breakfast. None of them have had ice right down the hall. None of them have had beds so comfortable. All of them claimed to have high speed wi-fi, but none of them uploaded pictures as instantaneously as the Holiday Inn's wi-fi. So if The Feeshko insists I stay here another night, who am I to defy her?

My morning view of the interstate highway from the 4th floor

After booking another night, I returned to my room and watched a couple of action movies--The Bourne Identity and Machete--on the large screen TV. Then I went back downstairs for a breakfast of scrambled eggs and sausages, followed by more scrambled eggs and sausages. And strong black coffee. None of that oatmeal and yogurt for me.

I prepared for my ride to downtown Moses Lake. As I said, I had a list of things I wanted to accomplish since I was stuck here anyway. When I headed out on my bike at 9:30 it was already 90-degrees. Next is a list of my chores for today:

First and foremost, I had to get to a bike shop to buy a new pair of cycling shorts. The only pair I brought on this trip had gotten a ripped seam in a private area. (Okay, it was the crotch.) It was my oldest and most favorite pair. I found two bike shops on Google. The first one was no longer in business. (Hey, Moses Lake Cyclery, maybe you should take down your website and Facebook page.) The un-creatively-named "The Bike Shop" didn't have any bike clothing. So I am faced with the choice of performing one of my famous duct tape repairs or else riding in regular shorts. Either way, I'll be fine.
This will be a great opportunity to pay my bills on-line.
Visit an ATM. I am down to only $3 cash.
Find a laundromat to do my 10-day old stinky laundry.
Perform some bike maintenance which, for me, means cleaning and oiling the drive train and tightening various nuts and bolts. That's the extent of my abilities.
Plan the rest of my trip. I've been getting some great advice about biking the Palouse area of southeast Washington. I'm confused and conflicted. I just don't know what to do. That's one of the things about touring on a time constraint--too many choices, so little time.

I have no sewing skills. I use duct tape.

Chores completed, it was time to explore the City of Moses Lake. The city calls itself "The Desert Oasis" and I guess it IS an oasis considering it has a pretty big body of water called Moses Lake. I assume Moses Lake is named after the dude who led the "chosen ones" across the desert and parted the Red Sea and all that stuff. I'm not sure though.

Moses Lake is easily the biggest and most lively town I've been through so far. Yet, it still has its problems. Most notably are the many empty storefronts on the main drag and the hints of poverty on the western fringes of town.

Like most desert cities of 20-30 thousand people, it is spread out over a wide area. The inner city has very few buildings more than one story tall. While riding, I couldn't help but notice it had an extraordinary number of taco joints and Mexican restaurants for a city this size in a northern state. I lost count at about 20, though I can't swear they were all still in business. Even so, I am definitely going out for authentic Mexican food tonight.

I'm getting tired of typing. Here are some pictures:

Long and narrow, the lake of Lake Moses runs right through the city of Lake Moses.

A Lake Moses bike trail runs along the lake of Lake Moses through the city of Lake Moses.

An edgy mural adorns the side of a tattoo parlor.

Moses Lake is a desert town, but this place might be carrying the desert theme a bit too far. It has the Route 66 sign, but it's a long way from the actual Route 66.

The downtown area is pretty nice. It gets an extra star for its clock tower.

Heart

Comment

Link

Today's ride: 12 miles (19 km)
Total: 390 miles (628 km)

Rate this entry's writing	Heart	5
Comment on this entry	Comment	0