2009-09-17-1531Z


North Texas turns right to become West Texas. Next major cross street is Pennsylvania, follow it South and it becomes Cordelia Road.

Near Cordelia, I found a place to sleep out back of some well-lit building, possibly a water treatment plant. On awakening, I found a saloon only about 200 or 300 yards away. I might have made last call. Probably just as well I didn't.

Then I went South on Lopes to Red Top Road, then Northwest to Jameson Canyon Road. Under the I-80 overpass you will see the sign for highway 12 to Napa. Never saw any sign saying Jameson Canyon. Likewise, there were no signs visible to me for either Cordelia Road or Lopes Street until, in each case, I hit the first cross street.

Route 12 was horrible. At about 0430 there was so much traffic both directions, going freeway speeds, that I wasn't sure I'd even get a chance to cross it. The shoulder width ranged from about 4 feet to less than a foot. Traffic was hostile and passed me with only inches to spare.

When about 3/4 of the way up the hill, a cop pulls up behind me with the usual spiel about "concerned motorists". I kept my mouth shut, just answering the questions they asked me. Shortly the guy said that I'd passed the worst of it, and the shoulder would widen after the next bend.

Sure enough, crossing the Napa County line, the shoulder widens to about 6 feet. And it's either downhill, or I had a tailwind, or I was pumped with adrenalin, or perhaps all 3, because I went like a bat out of hell from that moment.

Where 12 comes to a big 4-way junction with a light, it seemed I should take a left but I was wrong, left goes South. Straight is to the airport. A right takes you North into Napa. Luckily, there is an ibahn hotspot on that corner so I could check Mapquest. Eventually that road becomes Soscol Ave. and goes right into downtown Napa. While still a couple miles from city center, I pulled into McD's in Napa about 0740 local time. They have sausage and egg burritos for a buck, not a bad deal.

Assuming these clouds burn off, going to get some sleep, then maybe hit the brewpub downtown.

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last updated 2009-11-09 21:18:43. served from tektonic.jcomeau.com