Day 9: Rest Day In Pueblo, Colorado

Silly me.  You'd think that, on a day off, sleeping late would be a matter of course.  No, I still woke up at 4:30 a.m.  I did get back to sleep for another hour, but by 5:30 a.m., I was up for good.

Many of us gathered for breakfast at the hotel before planning our separate ways for the day.  I had booked a massage for 9 a.m. near the center of town.  Turns out that's over 9 miles away from our hotel.  So a cab ride later, I was getting my sore and aching glutes worked on.

Pueblo's Arkansas Riverwalk.  I get what they are trying to build to revitalize their downtown area.  It's still a work in progress.

From the day spa, I walked into the center of Pueblo.  It's a mix of refurbished buildings from the heyday around the turn of the 20th century with new construction all around the Arkansas Riverwalk of Pueblo, a miniature version of the much more well-known and much longer Riverwalk in San Antonio, Texas.  Many funky little cafes and antique shops mixed with many empty storefronts.  Encouraging and depressing all along a five-block journey.

After a walk through town, I grabbed lunch at Bingo Burger, one of the best burger joints I've ever experienced.  No lie, it was that good.

After that, it was all errands.  Restocking sunscreen.  Doing laundry.  And when that was all done, watching the World Cup.

Tomorrow is the big day:  120 miles into Lamar, Colorado.  And, hopefully, the temperature will be a bit lower than the 96 degrees here today.

Heidi & Steve update:  Heidi joined us for dinner last night while Steve was back in Gunnison picking up his bike.  Heidi's right arm is now in a cast up to her bicep.  Her vision is still a bit cloudy.  Not sure whether or not her jaw was fractured, as earlier reported.  We'll find in the morning whether she will stay with the ride crew while Steve completes the cross-country ride or if they will fly home to the UK.