Start:  Bristow, OK

Finish: Claremore, OK

Weather:  110 degrees, sunny

Bike Time: 6.5 hours

Miles:  71

Distance to date: 1,061

When the sun came up this morning it was a fireball, not a cloud in the sky; 95 degrees by 9:00 am, 110 degrees before noon.  Fortunately, I planned an easier day and rolled into a cool motel with a pool by 2:00 pm. I took a long swim and have spent the rest of the afternoon charting the next week’s route – it is a challenge to find a bike friendly path that is not on Interstates.

I left my cell phone charger in some hotel, so I took advantage of going through Tulsa to get off Route 66 and visit to a Verizon store for a new charger.  Once off the route, I took the bike path along the Arkansas River for several miles, wandered through the neighborhoods, dropped by the Philbrook Museum, and generally soaked in a bit of Tulsa.  It is a beautiful, shady city.

I reunited with 66 on the east side of town and had a wonderful ten miles heading east on 11^th Street.  Officially I was still in the City of Tulsa, but it was beautiful ranch land.  Then I headed northeast to Claremore along a highway that had a great shoulder and also had a series of terrific bridges.

I have hit the 1,000 mile mark but my expensive leather bicycle saddle has still not worn into a comfortable seat. I have used up all the saddle soap that was supposed to make it soft, but my butt is still sore, so I picked up more saddle soap and some cream for me.  Already it feels a bit better.

I am in the land of Will Rogers.  So far, I haven’t met a man here that I didn’t like.