The third day into this journey from Nashville, TN to Phoenix, AZ and I still haven’t adjusted to seeing this...: ...both my bikes out on the road! Oh yeah, those are some screamin’ auxiliary lights, huh? I have a set (Moto Lights) on both my current long-distance riding motorcycles since they work very well for not only SEEING, but also being SEEN.  They are worth their weight in gold if you ask me.  I can quickly differentiate Scott (er, my bike) from the rest of traffic in day or night conditions because the fork mounted lights create a triangulation of light (ever seen an on-coming train?) that is simply unmistakable.  While land yacht sized vehicles may not need to improve their visibility, those of us on two wheels can’t do enough to improve ours. If I ever questioned whether or not these lights were worth it, having them in my mirrors for the last 2 days certainly proved their value.  Scott and I left Clinton, OK with the temperature in the upper 40's and cloudy skies.  In case you wonder what I-40 in western Oklahoma looks like, here ya go: Since leaving Nashville, Scott and I have added 8 stamps to our National Park Passport Stamp Collection.  (Details: HERE).  Actually, all but one (Oklahoma City National Memorial) was a re-stamp for me, but I’ve enjoyed accompanying Scott in his quest for the stamps.  We departed Clinton, OK today and resumed our travels on I-40 West with the intention of bagging more stamps.  Today’s schedule included a detour just before Amarillo towards Fritch, TX and the site of two more Passport Stamps located at the National Park units of Alibates Flint Quarries National Monument and Lake Meredith National Recreation Area.  Yup, the area is definitely remote:    While zooming down the remote road, I thought I saw something in the road.  I slowed down and motioned to Scott that I’d be turning around.  I’m sure he wasn’t the least surprised to see me flipping the bike in the opposite direction since I have a frequent flare of “detour-itis”.  I am also sure he was completely surprised when I finally came to stop to verify what I thought I saw… a tarantula!  EEK!!:  I guess Scott wanted to try and take it back to his Tennessee people or something until I reminded him the bike he was riding (um, my bike!) is spider free!!:  So, we head on down the road to find the Visitor Center and get the Passport Stamp... ...only to find the doors locked and sign that the Ranger would not be returning for another 2 hours!:  Scott and I decided to just ride around so we could see what the "Lake Meredith National Recreation Area" was all about.  Ok, so we went hunting for that dang Ranger... ...but this is where the road went - absolutely nowhere!:  A bit disappointed, we headed back to the Amarillo area so we could refuel and then rejoin I-40 West again.  About 100 miles later, Scott crossed another milestone (and state!) so we took the opportunity to get a photo of the event: Amarillo to Albuquerque, NM is just under 300 miles.  The ride along this stretch of flat, straight road is rather monotonous sans for the occasional Pronghorn Antelope herd seen in the distance.  Although I’d rather be wicking it up on some twisty, scenic road, hum-drum interstate riding does provide the opportunity to reflect and wonder.  For me and for today, this included thinking about this “FJR Fall Full Circle” journey I’ve been on since mid-August and all the memories I’m taking back to Phoenix for the winter.  Wow, what a journey it has been!    The fierce winds that seem common along I-40 were thankfully non-existent today so Scott and I made great time into Albuquerque.  Any guess where our first stop might have been?  Yup, another stamp to add to our Passport collection thanks to Petroglyph National Monument, which has easy access in Albuquerque from the interstate: Check out the sign on the Visitor Center front door… YIKES!:  Views from the Visitor Center: No photos of petroglyphs to be shared since it required a hike to get to where they are located within the monument and my ankle isn’t yet up for any hiking.  Scott didn’t seem that excited to go tromping around with the prospects of encountering Jake No Shoulders being high so we left with only our stamp!  En route to our evening destination we came across a very odd sight in a residential area – a telephone pole covered with high heel shoes!: No signs nearby explained the spectacle so I have nothing to offer but a guess that an artist lives in the adjacent house:   I absolutely love hostels and stay at them whenever I can while out on the road.  Scott has heard me share endless stories from my time at hostels that it didn’t take much convincing to get him to try one.  He’s easy to travel with and always up for an adventure (I reckon he’d have to in order to follow me, huh?!) so tonight we’re staying at the “Route 66 Hostel”: The hostel is located in a historic building not far from downtown Albuquerque and right on Historic Route 66.  Here is Scott checking out the common room inside the hostel:   My favorite aspect of hostelling is the other travelers that I meet.  In fact, some of my good friends I met while staying in a hostel.  I love the diverse people and hearing about other their journeys.  Scott was able to experience this very thing tonight in the form of “Spike”, a nomadic Vietnam Vet motorcycle rider from Massachusetts who had more stories than either of us could process! Earlier that day he said he was in southern New Mexico in an area that was “so rural I didn’t see any signs for an hour while I was on some unmarked gravel road.”  He said while on that road he came across a rancher who was horseback and toting a “significant sidearm”, and who explained to Spike if he had any intentions of sleeping on the ground he better not have any fear of snakes.  The rancher told Spike he had just shot a huge rattlesnake.  Spike asked where it was and ended up riding to the area the rancher described and finding “the biggest snake I’ve ever seen”.  Although Spike offered to show us the rattle that he cut off the snake and put in his saddlebag, Scott and I both passed on such opportunity.  Spike doesn't have a website nor does he have a blog, an email address, or even a cell phone.  In fact, he spoke so negatively of technology that I’m surprised he let me take his photo!  I can guarantee you one thing… you don’t meet people like Spike staying at the Holiday Inn Express!  Woo-hoo, hostels freakin' ROCK!!  Here is Scott with Spike: Spike’s bike… (rattlesnake parts not shown): Map of today's route for the geographically challenged: End of day GPS: More to come.... 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