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I got a somewhat late start from Fairfield, in part because no place was open for breakfast (or anything else).  I saw this interesting hood ornament while I was waiting.

This was a hard day that I had to just muscle through.  The ride was on a surprisingly busy road that climbed and descended several times before a long descent before arriving at Mountain Home.  MH was originally called Rattlesnake.  (Excellent repackaging.)  The bad part was that there was a pretty strong headwind beginning at 9:00, and I made the mistake of not starting early enough.  I wasted 2 hours of sunlight and low winds.  Oh well.

Mountain Home has the craziest street names I have ever seen.  (And I include Galveston, where the street between R and S is R 1/2 Street.)  If I had gone one block over from where I took this picture, it would have been the intersection of North 8th East Street with East 8th North Street.  Simple, right?

In Mountain Home I met up with Noel’s brother’s father in law, Jerry Brady, and his significant other, Pamela Thibeau.  He was on his periodic commute to Idaho Falls, and we met and discussed the trip.  Then, Pamela gave me a ride to his house, where he is graciously hosting Noel and me in absentia.  A very generous favor, as was Pamela’s driving separately to give me a lift.

Just behind where he lives is a greenway that runs along the Boise River.  It’s a great recreational resource.  I saw several people tubing in the middle of a pretty large city.  Here’s one pedestrian/bicycle bridge.

There are hazards cycling in the West that you don’t find in the East.

For dinner I had yet another burger, this one quite excellent.  The Idaho French fries came with “fry sauce”.  The server said it is ketchup and mayo with spices.  I watched the end of Le Tour (de France) and the Red Sox winning their only game this season.

I can’t explain why exactly, but when I descended from Idaho’s high desert to Mountain Home, I had a feeling I was departing the West and arriving on the West Coast.   Tomorrow I enter my last state (Oregon) and time zone.  I’m both looking forward to, and regretting, the end of my ride.

Noel arrives this afternoon, and we pick up his bike from a shop where it was shipped, and start our 8 days of riding to the coast tomorrow.