After eating breakfast at Denny’s, which was next door to our hotel, we got busy. Zigzag did our laundry while I looked at the trail ahead and calculated the mileage to our next town. We would be heading to Cuba, a little more than 100 miles away. Knowing this, I was able to figure out how many breakfasts, lunches, dinners, and snacks we would need to buy.
I also worked out how to pick up the five miles we missed yesterday when Doggone drove us to the hotel. We'll have Mark drop us off tomorrow at the exit on Interstate 40 where we stopped, then walk back to the same hotel we're in today.
This plan may seem odd, but logistically, it made a lot of sense. The trail goes through town, then for several miles beyond that, there is no place to camp. We will be unable to reach a suitable camping spot if we can't start walking in the morning. Instead, we will hike some of the miles tomorrow afternoon and then spend another night in the hotel.
When I discovered we might run short of time to complete our chores, I asked the hotel desk clerk for an extra hour before checking out. This allowed us to return to our room to finish packing after we shopped at Walmart.
Conveniently, the store was nearby. I was able to purchase earbuds to replace the ones I've been borrowing from Zigzag. When we got back to our room, though, I realized I forgot to buy a bandana to replace the Joan Jett bandana I lost yesterday. Maybe Doggone will find it today, I hoped.
By the time we finished packing and checked out, we were ready for lunch. We hoped that Junkyard on 66 Brewery would be open. Sadly, we discovered, it wasn't.
Our second choice for lunch was Pizza 9. On our way there, I got some surprising news.
"I think I found your bandana. Black, Jett?" said a text message from Doggone.
"Yes!" I replied. As hopeful as I had been, I was still amazed he found it. He told me it was lying on the side of the road, just past the ranger station. That was about where I thought I dropped it.
When we walked into the pizza restaurant moments later, Joan Jett's "I Love Rock 'n' Roll" was playing. This was turning into a day of serendipity.
The restaurant wasn't crowded and the staff didn't mind us hanging out there until Mark arrived. After he picked us up, we drove directly to REI, a distance of about 80 miles.
Unfortunately, the shoes I ordered had not yet arrived. This presented a dilemma. Should I take a chance on a different pair I was not used to wearing, or hope my order arrives tomorrow morning and come back to pick it up?
In the end, I decided to do both. I bought a different model, which I could return if the shoes I ordered arrived before Mark drove us back to Grants.
