June 20, 2022
Arco, Idaho
Cold, drizzly morning.
Only supposed to get up to 58F.
58F on the day before the summer solstice.
Go figure.
So I decided to get an extra night at the motel.
Laze about all day and do nothing.
There is something to be said for doing nothing.
It sure beats multitasking.
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First chore - head to the hardware store.
To see if they have a pump and an extra tube.
Nope - no luck - they've never heard of presta valves.
Which is only one reason why presta is a bad idea on tour.
Next stop - the grocery store.
Given the day off and a fridge in the room -
I stock up on all kinds of luxuries - like apple juice.
On the way out there are 3 touring cyclints in the parking lot.
Keith, from Colorado, is doing a loop in the West - mostly on road.
Jenny and Cliff are doing the off-road Western Wildlands Route.
She's from Alaska, he's from England.
I warned them that the Magruder Corridor is simply brutal.
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I did two tours of Arco - one before and one after lunch.
Arco claims to be the first city lighted by nuclear power.
That was probably 1955 - and little has happened since then.
It has been gutted like so many other small towns.
With the Covid pandemic providing the nails in the coffin.
Arco is too far from Sun Valley or Jackson Hole to benefit from tourism.
It's at the back door of the Idaho National Laboratory.
INL is shorthand for nuclear research and waste storage.
But the front door faces Pocatello and Idaho State University.
The number of boarded up buildings is too high to count.
Even at the main intersection of Grand Avenue, the stores are closed.
Life savings in homes and businesses are washed down the drain.
There is one ray of hope and amazing optimism.
SJ's Cafe is in an old converted gas station - shuttered for 20 years.
She has completely renovated the building
and the interior is warm and welcoming. Bravo!
Not to mention great coffee and good food.
I spoke with Ron K. back in Sheridan.
He reminded me that the Van CLiburn Competitions just finished up.
He insisted that I listen to the performances.
And I had most of the afternoon and evening to do so.
(But I'd Rather Listen to Classical Piano, Thank You)
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Perfectly spent day.
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In 2006, we finished a tour in Arco. I went back to my journal - there's not a single photo on that day. I can't contribute commentary on the town's prosperity at the time. It did have a uHaul . . .
2 years ago