85 miles today. Whew whee!
I woke with the sun this morning, which rises a little after five here in eastern Arizona. Joy came out not too long after and asked if we were ready for breakfast. Yeah!! Always. Not too long after we were all sitting around the table enjoying waffles, eggs, and bacon, and, of course, good conversation. We soon became sufficiently stuffed and Backed away from our forks to avoid increased drag on the bike. But it was probably too late. Soon after it was time to hit the road. It is always hard to leave great hosts behind but we had to try and beat the wind. Thanks again to The Larson family for your great hospitality! It was wonderful to learn about your town and your family. They even have a Kentucky connection! Awesome. It's been awhile since I have had one.
Once we started pedaling the miles cranked off so fast. We had covered 25 miles by a little before 9, 50 by not too long after. Then the terrain started rolling and the wind picked up so we slowed down a bit. We ran into Charlie, Chris, and Bob again three times throughout the day. They were planning on stopping at the casino best western on the Apache reservation. Heike and I were headed for a warm shower here in globe.
About 15 miles from the casino I saw my first Socorro cactus. So exciting! I took a picture of one that was close to the road
The rest of the landscape was beautiful. We were riding through a rolling valley in between two mountain ranges, tall in the distance.
Finally, after a grueling 10 miles up and down hills and into an increasing wind, we arrived at the casino, where we had planned to have a meal with the three amigos. We waited and drank a beer and waited more but they didn't show for an hour and a half. By then we needed to get on the way to globe to new our hosts so we said adieu and went on to tackle the last 10 uphill miles.
We arrived at the home of Zach and Alyssa, two young folks who teach on the reservation. They have an adorable puppy named Amy. I will definitely be photographing her in the morning. So don't worry, I've got it covered. The shower was great, even though I broke off the shower head when I tried to adjust it down (it was decayed and just waiting to happen!) We had pizza and wings, the meal i crave the most, and beer while we shared touring stories and played a board game called Blokus. That fateful time arrived when my brain begins to shut down social interaction and I had to retire.
One more pass tomorrow until a big downhill into the valley where the metropolis of apache junction/Mesa/Tempe/Scottsdale/Phoenix stretches for almost 80 miles. But then it is only a few more days until the California state line. Yay!!!!!! The closer I get the more antsy I get. Anyway, I gotta jet, but yes, can't wait to get to San Diego and dip my wheel in the Pacific!
Love to you all,
Jess
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