It's been a nominal riding day that's been more of a rest day.

We slept well at Meister's last night, waking to the 6 am alarm to find Bill had returned home while we slept and Theresa had already risen and left for work.

We packed and discussed the implications of an impending storm due in the mountains on Saturday.   The forecast is for 35 mph winds tomorrow, with gusts of between 55 and 70 mph possible.   Hardly conditions for safe riding.  Ocotillo,  our original goal for today, is a small village of just a few businesses at the foot of the mountains.  Bill strongly suggested that we'd probably be there for two days with very little to do.  And the Meister's, gracious as they have been,  have other plans for Saturday and can't host us for a second night.

So we've chosen to ride the 12 miles to El Centro,  and are spending a relaxing day in a hotel.  Then tomorrow we'll brave whatever headwinds there are on the way to Ocotillo, camp the night there and start climbing the mountains on Sunday. 

Barb and I thought you might find it interesting to see what we're facing on Sunday.

We're riding from right to left.  Ocotillo is just about where map 3 begins.  And that steep elevation change is the beginning of our Sunday ride.  How far we get into the series of peaks will depend on how our legs feel.  If the first long climb of the day were in a professional cycling race, it would be categorized in the second most difficult class of climbs.  Of course,  it's different because we won't be racing, but the pros wouldn't be hauling 45 lbs or so of gear with them.

So today we're doing what the pros would do.  NO, NO, NOT TAKING DRUGS TO ENHANCE OUR PERFORMANCE.   I mean resting our legs and eating well.

Before we left Bill, he treated us to a great breakfast at his favorite coffee shop in Brawley, the Rock Coffee Shop and Cafe.  Then on the way into El Centro we stopped at a Carrows restaurant for a very early dessert.  Then we did a quick light spin on our bikes to a local park where we napped on a couple of picnic tables waiting for our masseur to show up and work any residual soreness from our calves.  He never did, just  a guy with a shopping cart, fetching recyclables from the nearby garbage can.

Then we found reasonable and clean lodging with a friendly staff at the Brunner Inn and Suites, and rested until 5:30, when we took the very good recommendation of the hotel clerk, and dined at the Mexican seafood restaurant La Resaca.   We stuffed ourselves on three different preparations of shrimp, and as a bonus I finally took my revenge on a pair of unsuspecting Dos Equis. 

We're back in our hotel room and will sleep well tonight while the winds begin to rage in the mountains.  Tomorrow Ocotillo, and Sunday we'll climb.

Feeling refreshed and well.