Day 13 Williams to Winslow AZ 91 miles

Ahhhhhh.....Perfect!

Road great!
Temperature perfect!
Wind wonderful!
Company fantastic!

It was a great day to ride. It certainly was nice having someone with me. We crossed the Arizona divide early in the day.We felt that was a great accomplishment. We had beautiful scenery in the forest area, but were disappointed we didn't see any elk, deer, or bear.  Later we went through a desert area. Overall a fantastic day.

Recovery Afternoon

Nothing needs to be said....Thanks Kirk & Cindy

Day 12 Seligman to Williams AZ. 44 miles 6768' elevation

Original Destination...Flagstaff.....A special addition today, Kirk and Cindy joined Beth from Peoria AZ to provide support and Kirk will ride with Beth.....let's call this day...."Help is on the way"
The morning began at 4:45.  Beth missed her first turn,and ended up at I-40 Interstate Ramp...call 1...She proceeds onto the on-ramp over a cattle guard and renders the bike inoperable...call 2....Larry brings reserve bike to her location and does not have the proper shoes.....back to the motel room...and then back to original route ( lose 1 hour).  Next call Kirk is waiting for Beth to arrive at Ash Fork exit....call Beth, let her know....she arrives at Ash Fork...no Kirk...call Cindy..wrong cell...call Kirk...at SECOND Ash Fork exit.....call Beth to inform 2 exits in town of 100...go to next exit.....Kirk has been waiting 1 1/2 hours.....he has no biking shoes, and no tools or supplies (wrenches/tubes etc.)....I meet up with them and have repaired bike ready to exchange with Beth...she stays with old reliable, and I leave to find Cindy 10 miles ahead in Williams....arrive, still in car....call comes in Kirk is broken down, needs an Allen wrench ( he has one in Peoria, and Beth has one on the Bike...on the back of my car.....find Cindy....drive back....fix the broken pedal arm ( completely off bike)....now the gear shifter on his bike doesn't work....What to do???? Send him back to Peoria???  He has taken two days off to ride with Beth .....Gave him Beth's repaired bike....he does not adjust seat and looks somewhat?? Awkward riding with his knees near handlebars....and with an ascent of about 1200 feet ahead, he takes off and we take his bike back to Williams and Cindy drives to FLagstaff to a bike shop to get repaired.  Eventually, they stop and switch bikes and he adjusts the seat of her working bike to fit him. Ring Ring.....Kirk has a flat tire on Beth's bike ...and for the third time today is walking a broken bike up the hill......more about this later.....  Next call is from Cindy, she has repaired bike and drives back to Williams exit to meet Beth who has gone on ahead, while Larry is rerescuing another Kirk broken bike on the Interstate.  We arrived in Williams at 1:00PM and called it a day after riding through town on Kirk's repaired????bike, minus his water bottle which has somehow gotten lost along the interstate. Oh, did I forget he broke the pedal on Beth' repaired bike? Kirk has had a 14 mile ride of which he has walked about 3 1/2 miles of.
Back to the flat tire.....it happened AFTER a semi truck just passed them in a third lane ascent lane and blew a tire approximately 100 feet in front of them. The sound sounded like a cannon in the area of the hill they were in.  The tire shredded and went completely apart and the driver got control of the wobbling trailer.  He could not see Kirk or Beth because of the smoke from the tire blowout and thought he had killed them.  He came frantically running back with tears in his eyes thinking something terrible had happened, and was VERY relieved to find both riders alive, helping him remove debris from the interstate.   And this is why Kirk got a shred of steel in his tire from the leftovers of the blowout.
Things happen for a reason...all is well that ends well...we called it a day, and Beth got a well deserved afternoon of rest....she has been fighting a chest cold for two days.....an uphill battle with the ascending altitude.  The other three of us took a afternoon trip.

Day 11 Kingman to Seligman. 83 miles

  Beautiful scenery today. Rode through desert highlands and mountains. The sky was a beautiful blue and a couple of small dust tornadoes could be seen in the fields. I rode through an Indian reservation for part of the day.  For today three ominous words were " Passing Lane Ahead ".
  Seligman is a quaint desert town on Route 66.

Day 10. Needles to Kingman AZ. 62 Miles

Started early in Needles CA, heading to Bullhead City, AZ. From there I could look across the river into Nevada.  There wasn't much to see until then, mainly because it was still a little dark out. A crow joined me for my first lunch today in Bullhead City at 7.  From there I headed out of town and  up 10 miles for a 3000 foot ascension with 5% grade. ( Picture from mountaintop enclosed) It took awhile, but I made it. Then it was down a little and back up one more hill on the way to Kingman.

What came first? The worm or the chicken?

Beth's last trip to San Francisco resulted in her receiving a tattoo.  This picture represents our next contest.   As seen outside Bullhead City AZ.......the question to answer is:  a) Did Beth stop on her journey and get a tattoo?  -or- b) Did the Chicken get "the worm" and no tattoo?

Day 9. Amboy to Needles CA. 73 miles

Early to bed early to rise.  Since Needles is the hottest place in the U.S. , I started a little early today - 3:45.  In the early morning, a beautiful sunrise in my face, a warm breeze

at my back.  I was serenaded by 15 trains today, my last day in California.

Day Off

Recharge time....what better way on a Holiday then go to the lake....desert style....looks a lot like the Ozarks with a little imagination doesn't it....getting our sun and water fix 99 degrees in Lake Havasu, AZ.  The London Bridge on a Memorial Day weekend....so American, not British

Day 7 Barstow to Amboy CA 96 miles

  Today was the day for me to get my kicks on Route 66.  I had some rough roads to start, but then they smoothed out and the heat began.  I have been amazed the last couple of days with the amount of train traffic and what they carry - alot! Most of them are pulled by 4  engines. Wildlife was minimal. I saw 1 small lizard and 1 ant.  We stopped to see the Amboy Crater along the way and I found my new favorite DQ in Ludlow.

Memorial Day ...... desert style!

Everyone knows the Memorial Day weekend is full of activities.  For all our lake friends....it's an opportunity to go to Randy's or Sandy's or Andy's.  This weekend our activities have taken us to an " American" version of the desert oasis.....Please note in the picture....This watering hole IS in the middle of the desert (Ludlow, CA) and their is nothing for 40 miles.....but we did not miss an opportunity to maintain our Memorial Day tradition.....Picture 2 is a Fact or Fiction question....especially for our beloved Church Group and a shout out to Julie who is somewhat concerned about the veracity of the blog master......Question.....before this picture was taken, Beth was performing " The Worm" around the Route 66 sign in the road (Just getting her kicks). Fact or Fiction????

Day 6. Mojave to Barstow CA 72 miles

Today I biked through the desert. Luckily, it wasn't too hot. Alot of sagebrush and mountains off in the distance. It was interesting to cross bridges over a large river and streams that were totally dry. Of the 72 miles all but about 12 were on the interstate/highway making it necessary to stay alert. Day done - 31 cards to go!

Desert Intrigue

Beth has completed the portion of her ride that heads South and is now heading due East....we are in the desert.  Gone are the rich farm ground full of crops, vegetables, fruit, and dairy farms and vineyards.  Into the Northern California Desert region that is steeped in history.  The town of Mojave sits at the Western edge and is adjacent to Edwards Air Force base, home to many historical elements of aviation history ( Chuck Yeager to the Shuttle).  Located approximately 2 hours North of Los Angles it covers a vast amount of the desert area.  Pictures you will see are from the town of Boron, where a huge Borax plant exists, and the history of the 20 Mule Team Borax.  How many of you remember watching this on black and white TV with a commentator by the name of Ronald Reagan?   We Do!!  Today I went and bought some water to drink in a town named Hinckley! Sound Familiar??  Think Erin Brokovich.  The homes that were used in the movie were in Boron, where Beth had lunch today.  I bought bottled water and a ice cream bar and watched a local man go to the post office with a portable breathing apparatus.  I also took pictures of two homes that are an indicator of what this town is today....after a bad corporate citizen thought more about profits than people.  Beth has 2 more days of riding in the desert before reaching Arizona.  The town of Needles, CA. is known as one of the warmest places in the United States and is located on the Eastern border of the Mojave Desert.

Day 5 Bakersfield to Mojave CA. 60 miles

  Could it be the full moon effect?
  An unusual day to say the least.  Ten miles into the ride, the gears went out on my bike.  Larry appreciated the call at 5:30 a.m. - and so it began.  I kept riding and Larry caught up with Babycakes . I headed out and Larry headed to the bike shop. About 10 miles later, after a couple of guys in the utilities office tried to convince me a bike shouldn't go over the mountain, I experienced a flat.  Time for lunch and a nap. Larry caught up and we exchanged bikes again.  11 miles later I was at the top of the mountain. From there the route became an interstate, not too comforting, so I opted for Larry's Limo. Larry spotted me where I would have gotten off the highway and off I went again. Along came a 6 mile hill. There were windmills all over it, hundreds of them. Neat to see. The day got better after that. They put out a high winds warning. After a 46mph decent, I turned a corner and the wind was at my back.My last 11 miles averaged 28mph without a pedal stroke.  What a way to end the day!!

Day 4 Visalia to Bakersfield CA 96 miles

  Another day of fruit and nut farms. It was a long day - 12.5 hours. A slipped chain and missing road signs didn't help. Thank heavens for  2 bikers who helped me find my way.
  Nothing too exciting today.  I did maneuver around a 4 ft. Rattlesnake that was in my path. He was just out enjoying the sand and sun.
  Larry was great today. He brought lunch about half way through the day.  Much needed!

Day 3 - Madera to Visilia 84 miles

 Beautiful day!

  Not too eventful.  I did cause a cattle stampede at one ranch.
  Met 5 ladies from the Fresno Biking Club.  Had fun talking with them. They had even heard of Ragbrai.Speaking of Ragbrai, for you veterans, cornfields beat out orchards.
  Fresno was an interesting city.  I had a nice chat with the minister from the Armenian Presbyterian
Church and a few minutes later, was approached by a gentleman on the street wanting to make sure I was saved.  I don't know how I missed out on the opportunity to say I was part of " a church  group".

  I met Larry and Jackson later for a picnic lunch in the park.
  A great day.

40 cards to go!

Day 2. Turlock to Madera CA 90 miles

This was a doggone good day.  I outran 9 of them!  Another dat through farmland - fruit, almond, and dairy farms. They are huge acreages.  Google Maps presented a problem today.  They sent me to a dead end--even the locals couldn't figure out where I was supposed to be.  Luckily, Larry saved the day with his I-pad.  Also went to an "On" ramp for the highway.  Had a nice chat with the guards at a farm, at least just with walkie talkies--no guns that I could see.
All in all a good day---music tunes helped pass the 90 miles and 86 degree heat.

Day 1 Oakland to Turlock CA 87 miles

Day 1 - Oakland to Turlock - 87 miles

Four things I learned today:
              1) California is a great place to bike - almost every road has a bike lane.
              2) Love the sound of rumble strips- you know they saw you.
              3) Chevron has cookies that rival Cheryl's.
              4) I know the way to San Jose.

It was a great day for biking. Windy, sometimes good, sometimes not. Warm and a bit hilly.
I got to see a huge horse ranch that was getting ready for competition and stopped to watch some boys flying around a BMX track.
           
3 directional cards done, 42 to go!