Hampton courtesy of my Uncle John

We made our exit from the Methodist Church and started toward Carson City. Scenery tilted a bit more to the conventional, barren desert this morning. Had our first serious break after riding past the Lahontan Reservoir, about 25 miles in. The other dudes pushed off while I waited ten or fifteen minutes for a draft opportunity. Nothing good showed up so I began riding conventionally, sans wind break. Rode hard to catch up and Jeremy was kind enough to have stopped and waited for me. We pressed to rejoin the group and caught up with Nate and Jordan who had stopped at a shopping center. They were intrigued by a lunch buffet special at Round Table Pizza, advertized by a sign spinner on the outskirts of the parking lot. $6.99 for unlimited pizza, breadsticks, and salad. At first I was unsure, while they were passionate about the deal. Then by the time I became convinced, they had changed their minds. Thankfully we came to the proper conclusion and gorged ourselves at Round Table. Some had suggested that a buffet was the wrong idea with more riding to do, but since we were only ten or fifteen miles out, it became the right idea.

Started bicycling once more with severly distended bellies and bikes that felt like they had flat tires. It was only a few miles on until we saw signs for places like the “Love Ranch.” We saw a street sign for Bunny Ranch Boulevard and stopped at the corner. Another sign up the road boldly declared: “Free Tour. No Sex Required.” When outside of Carson City, Nevada... Consensus was that the situation required a visit in the name of cultural exploration and we rode up the hill. There was a van in the parking lot with a graphic siding that advertised the HBO reality series that's shot at the ranch. We were buzzed through the front gates, had our ID's checked, and gathered in the foyer. Red velvet, gleaming gold metal, mirrors, the works. A group of eight to ten women strolled out and told us their names. They were not wearing much. The interior of the ranch is decorated with fairly explicit photographs of their star employees. We were told to select a tour guide for a browse around the facilities.

I chose Barbie to show me the place and we saw the bar, and some of the outdoor facilities, before the tour ended at her private room. I was shown a menu of the potential services offered at the ranch and the prices to be serviced. We made small talk for a bit before I went back to the bar and rejoined the crew. We enjoyed the atmosphere for a few minutes longer before departure. None of us indulged, so far as I know. Back to the bikes and onward to Carson City.

Jeremy and I found the post office first and he picked up a package from his mom that had successfully been forwarded from Austin. We had our doubts that anything would arrive. Jeremy had called the woman at the post office and asked for any mail to be forwarded, but she didn't ask for names. “Do you need my name?” “Won't your name be on your package?” “Right, but how will you know who I am and to send it to Carson City?” “It'll be fine.” I guess she worked her voodoo and the Clif Bars did make it. I looked for a letter that I was half expecting, but no luck. Visited a few bike shops and got directions to the Hampton. My Uncle John was kind enough to put us up in another fine establishment for the evening. Thanks Uncle John. We checked in with a couple of Brits, or maybe Aussies, and got the lay of the land. This Hampton was even nicer than the Cedar City one. Cookies were ready on the counter and later there was a wine reception. Red, white, cheeses, some sort of trail mix. Excellent.

We fit all five of us in the room, three bikes inside the room and two in the hallway. Took a shower, did some laundry for the final stretch to San Francisco, and enjoyed plush beds. I conked out early and the rest of the crew went down to the pool. We've slept in the dirt but also at the Hampton. A broad swath of experiences on this trip.

Casino country.

Hmm...

In the name of cultural exploration, strictly.

Same exercise bike we have in our garage. But it's in Nevada! Sorry, not very many good photos today.