Day 10, Sun City, AZ to Mesa, AZ

Our hosts sent off in style with a big breakfast that lasted us until 2:00 pm. 

Jim and Don wrangled over the maps yesterday trying to find the best route through Phoenix from their house in Sun City. Jim and I wound up using the Google maps bicycle routing and it went perfectly until we could pick up the Adventure Cycling route along the canal bike path. 

It was dry so only served to route water when it rains. It was a beautiful way to get through a large portion of Phoenix. Later we rode along canals that were full of water used by the city water system. 

We got some help with routing from a couple of riders we saw earlier. The bike path went underneath almost all the cross roads in tunnels but one was tricky to find and they led us through it. 

We stopped at a bike cafe near the eastern edge of Phoenix for a Pepsi and the owner tried to figure out what was wrong with my Garmin GPS after it had locked up on me today. He got it working again but I lost all the data from previous rides. 

We worked our way past Arizona State U. and cycled through endless neighborhoods working our way to the Warm Showers host in Mesa. It's weird to spend all day and 55 miles riding through one (mostly) urban area. 

Our host, Bill, cycled out to meet us two miles away and then led us back to his home. Gerri fed us a wonderful dinner and we are grateful once again for good people who look after other cyclists. 

Day 9, Wickenburg, AZ to Sun City West, AZ

Up at 6:30 (dark, 35 degrees), broke camp and went across the road for a quick bite and coffee at McDonalds. We hit the road at 9:00 and had the easiest 40 mile ride possible, except maybe unloaded. Slight downhill, smooth shoulder pavement, and a tailwind gave us over 20 mph at times. 

We were headed to Jim's friends place who are hosting us tonight in Sun City. The short mileage (and fast speed average) gave us a chance to hit a bike shop and get a new tire for Jim. Once at Don and Alice's we had time to work on our bikes in comfort. 

We were treated like family with laundry, drinks, and a multi course meal that was delicious. 

Route planning consumed much of the evening as we figured out how to get through Phoenix. 

Day 8, Salome, AZ to Wickenburg, AZ

Up just before 7 in 35 degrees and dark. We had a good start on breaking camp even with boiling tea and coffee water on our camp stove when there was a loud pop a couple hundred yards away. I saw a shower of sparks shoot up in the air like a Roman candle and all the lights in the area went out. I don't know what caused it but it had little or no effect on us since we were using headlamps anyway. 

We hit the road at 8:06 in thin sun and made it 16 miles before we stopped to shed clothes. Even then It wasn't going to be as warm as yesterday with the high clouds. 

The route today (Hwy 60) is what I have imagined West Texas will be, low rugged hills on either side of us and a road, straight as an arrow, as far as you can see in either direction. We generally climbed today but it was so gradual it was hard to tell. Just before Wickenburg there were some hills and curves to break the monotony. 

We stopped at this 1937 memorial to a stagecoach massacre attributed to Apaches in 1871. Jim called the 2 listed RV parks and neither answered. Riding down into town we found the first one and were lucky the owner was there. RV parks are rarely nice for tenters but this one had a bar set really low by the previous two RV parks. 

We were happy to have grass to pitch our tents. Other issues became apparent but we don't sweat the small stuff. 

After cleaning up we walked across the street for pizza, beer, and Seahawks. The Hawks came from behind against the Fortyniners to secure a Super Bowl slot, yea!

56 miles today. On to Sun City West tomorrow to stay with friends of Jim's. 

Day 7, Quartzsite, AZ to Salome, AZ

Up at 7:00 am when the sky was just starting to lighten. Temp was about 45 but warmed rapidly after the sun popped up. After breaking camp we rode the short distance to the gas station for some chow and coffee (tea in Jim's case). 

We crossed I-10, rode the length of Quartzsite, and crossed over again to ride the shoulder of I-10 up to the pass by Guadalupe Mt. and then exited on Hwy 60. 

Classic southwest scenery with numerous saguaro, ocotillo cactus, and flat topped mesas. 

We ate an early lunch in Brenda, AZ at a roadside stand. We left and were truckin down the long, gentle downhill when Jim had a rear blowout. It was loud enough to scare me since I was drafting him. There was a hole in the sidewall about pencil diameter. The tube had a hole next to the stem but it wasn't adjacent to the hole in the tire. Weird! The tube wasn't patchable so we put another in after making a duct tape boot for the tire. A volunteer search and rescue guy stopped in case we needed help. 

We asked about staying at the KOA in Harcuvar but they wanted $30. Jim called one of the RV "resorts" in Salome and they wanted $5 apiece so went the three miles and got what we payed for. 

Yes, that is smelly garbage next to our camp. It's a good thing we have a high tolerance for lack of luxury. At least there's some grass for our tents. 

We couldn't go further than the 41 miles we did today because there is no place to stay between here and Wickenburg, AZ. A sixty mile day tomorrow will take us there. 

Day 6, Palo Verde, CA to Quartzsite, AZ

Up at 6:00 am PST. Jim washed our riding gear yesterday and my soaking wet wool shirt dried outside even though it was in the 40's this morning. I guess that's what happens when you're in an area that gets an inch of rain yearly.

Our host made us another wonderful meal and we are so grateful to experience this hospitality from strangers who help cyclists. Thanks Nancy!

Riding through irrigated farmland similar to the Imperial Valley in the morning we stopped to shed gear as it warmed up.

 I left first and it took Jim longer to catch up than it should've. He had to put on an extra 1 and 1/2 miles to go back and retrieve his gloves. We followed her tip to get to Blythe, CA on back roads, and then to eat at Lalo's Mexican Restaurant.

 

Across the Colorado River and were in the 2nd of 8 states we are crossing. On the shoulder of I-10 we finally got a little push from the big rigs wake and a tailwind, hallelujah! 

We stopped at a rest stop and an older couple pulled in with a van advertising jerky. Since we've been eating jerky I asked about buying some. We tasted some samples and said which ones we wanted but the whole process took about 20 minutes. It's a good thing we weren't in a hurry. A long climb brought us to Quartzsite at 2:00 pm (3:00 pm with the time change) where we paid $10 each for pitching our tents in what amounted to a big gravel and rock parking lot surrounded by land yachts (RV's). 

Watch out for those trees, they fight back, and draw blood. 

50 miles today (for me) including circling the RV park several times, looking for a tent friendly place in vain. 

Day 5, Brawley, CA to Palo Verde, CA

We got up at 5:00 and our host made a great breakfast burrito for us with home made salsa. Perfect road fuel!  We hit the road at 6:18 with our headlamps and tail lights, riding for about a half hour in the 45 degree temps before the sun came up. We were treated to the aroma of manure riding through the endless farms of the Imperial Valley. 

We  eventually ran out of farmland when we went over a rise and saw dunes and the Chocolate mountains. We climbed and descended small hills most of the day as we worked our way past Glamis and over the mountains. 

Unfortunately we apparently can't go uphill on this trip without pushing against a strong wind and that was our story all day after the sun came up. 

I caught up with Jim at the Border Patrol checkpoint where they offer water to cyclists. I had nearly filled my 100 plus oz collapsible canteen so I didn't need any. 

We arrived at our hosts after 67 miles at a little after 3:00 pm, four miles short of Palo Verde. It was good we made the day as short as possible because I didn't have much more left at the end. 

 Nancy made a wonderful dinner with homemade bread and we watched the full moon rise over Arizona. 

Day 4, El Centro, CA to Brawley, CA

Somewhat of a rest day today. We only had to go 15 miles to Brawley from El Centro but I went nearly twice that with the errands I ran.

We started with a simple complimentary oatmeal breakfast at the motel and headed out to catch the bike shop when they opened. There was some confusion because Siri told me the bike shop was in downtown on Main and the ACA map said it was at a mall on the edge of town. I tried calling both places numerous times before we left but no one answered before opening. Siri was right. We got to the mall when they opened and it was a chain shoe store, "Finish Line". The bike shop was "Finish Line Pro". We rode back into town and I got some new cycling shorts and a spare tube to replace the ruined one. Jim rode back to the motel to beat checkout time and the room card had already expired. I arrived by the time he got the maid to let him in. 

We had a beautiful but short ride up to Brawley and got grocery shopping done while we waited for our "warm showers" host to arrive. They are both cyclists and made us feel welcome, sharing their home and facilities. Thanks to them both!

I made run into the Brawley post office and got rid of some things, the heaviest of which was the solar charger. It worked great but it's unlikely I will run out of juice between outlets. 

It seems surreal to see "Seasons Greetings" in 81 degree weather

We are getting an early start on the nearly service less 67 mile run to Palo Verde.