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.

We slept very well at Nancy's home last night and were up at 6 am to find Nancy already preparing breakfast.  While we changed into biking clothes and packed, she continued preparing a delicious bacon, egg, and cheese torta with tortillas, in a single skillet, which she then turned out onto a cutting board for serving.  It was delicious.  Then she served up some accumulated wisdom about the road we were to travel.  South of Palo Verde, CA 78 is a twisting curvy road, she told us, with many shor

steepisode hills that doesn't afford drivers much visibility.  Further, there is very little shoulder, and sometimes even worse there's a curb that keeps you from easily moving off the road.  Further, since it's a link for truck drivers to and from Yuma, there would be many larget trucks on the road.  And finally people driving large RVS and towing traIles would be on the road heading for the sand dunes with recreation on their minds. We should expect those conditions for the next 30 miles.  One thing you have to like about Nancy, she doesn't exaggerate.  Our experience on CA 78 lived up to her description.

Fortunately before we left I had my flat for the day, a depressingly low rear tire that both Barb and I worked on repairing before we even got on the road.  Jerome 17 Barb 0.

On the positive side there was fantastic scenery all day.  We gradually climbed as we skirted the Palo Verde, Midway, and Chocolate mountains, before descending into Glamis in the heart of the Algodones sand dunes.

Fortunately, the convenience store and restaurant in Glamis were open, so we stopped for lunch, breaking up what would have been 64 tough serviceless miles.

Then we  descended below sea level into the heavily agricultural Imperial Valley.

Finally we arrived hot and thirsty in Brawley, and headed for the first place we could find for a few sodas, and to check directions to our warmshowers hosts for the night, Bill and Theresa Meister.

Bill was out of town for the day, but Theresa welcomed us warmly and introduced us to the family's three dogs,  and half dozen parrots.  Then we both showered, ordered a pizza for supper, and got to hold Peaches, one of the family's cockatoos while we waited for the pizza to arrive.

We're now finishing a load of laundry and will then be getting a well deserved rest.

Tired, but happy we're through the long desert stretch.

130 miles to San Diego.

We slept well last night in the hold of the USS Constitution, as our coverted trailer at the Quartzsite Yacht Club was christened.   6 AM rolled around and both of us had been awake for 10 minutes or more, and it didn't take long for us to pack our panniers and get them back on the bikes which had spent the night tethered to the boat.  Sailing boats are always so cramped.   It wasn't until I began rolling mine toward the road that I noticed the back tire was three quarters flat.  Jerome 13 - Barb 0.  So I sat in front of the hotel office and proceeded to repair it whIle Barb got us a complimentary cup of coffee.

Tire repaired, we headed up the street to the Times Three restaurant which had been recommended for breakfast.   Fast service, standard breakfast fare at a good price.

Then we got on the road and started another gradual climb out of town on I -10.   The shoulders were smooth, the temperature mild, and there was very little wind.  We did the 8 mile climb in less than an hour and were enjoying the ensuing downhill.

That's when we ran across an old office chair, without a few of its casters,  but sitting upright off the shounder of the interstate.   How could we resist such a photo opp.  Look! Arizona has set up a rest stop for cyclists.   I should have known better.

A few miles later and just short of the real rest stop my bike began feeling strangely erratic.  Flat front tire as Arizona taught me respect.  Jerome 14 - Barb 0.

The rest of the ride out of Arizona was easy as we soon crossed the Colorado River and entered California.

Blythe CA is the last town to get supplies before tackling a 90 mile stretch of the route without services, so we stopped at an Albertsons supermarket to get Gatorade and food for lunch tomorrow.   Then Barb spotted a busy Mexican cafe as we passed by, so we stopped there for a quick lunch of shrimp tacos.

Then we took off into our long stretch, taking back roads through agricultural fields along the Colorado River.  A favorable wind had come up and we were making great time as we got on CA 78.  But five miles north of Palo Verde the squishiness in my rear wheel was back and we needed to stop while I changed yet another flat.  Jerome 15 - Barb 0.

Back on the road, we stopped in Palo Verde for a soda --Barb's treat as she was feeling sorry for me. We only had 5 miles to go to our host's home for the night.  Less than a mile from our turn.  Yes,  Jerome 16 - Barb 0. But this time I was able to simply pump a bit more air into the tire and didn't have to make a roadside repair.  Trying to be thankful.

We arrived at Nancy Dean Mercury's home in the desert south of Palo Verde shortly thereafter.   Nancy lives in a comfortable trailer in the tranquil peace of the desert and is a blessing for touring cyclists trying to bridge the long dry haul between Blythe and Brawley CA.  She's lived a very interesting life and has traveled much of the world before returning to her roots here in the desert.   She's greeted us warmly and provided snacks while I worked repairing my flat and patching tubes.  She cooked a delicious filling meal and has been a valuable source of information about the road ahead.

Despite the flats, it's been a good day and we're anxious to be through tomorrow's difficult stretch.

Well and resting comfortably.

Today's theme was another "You never know what to expect".

The morning started routinely, we were up at 6 am,  and packed and ready to leave shortly before 7.  The Salome Restaurant didn't open until 7 or 7:30, so we thought we'd take our chances a bit further on the route at the small town of Harcuvar.

We had an easy climb for four miles into town without much breeze and temperatures in the mid-50's, and of course the sun was just peeking over the mountains,  casting dramatic shadows.

The restaurant in Harcuvar was a bar and grill that hadn't opened for the day, so we just continued on, starting a pleasant descent into the next valley.  That's where we had our first unexpected encounter.  Andy an east-bound cyclist, came rolling up the grade toward us and stooped to briefly say hello.  He'd camped at Hope the night before and was getting an early start as well.  He mentioned that Graham another older cyclist was behind him and to pass on his greeting when we met him.

We continued our descent and next rode by a guy camping by  the side of the road, with all his gear in a shopping cartcart.  He hadn't awakened as far as we could tell, and didn't stop to get his story.  But we'd heard of more that one person walking and camping cross-country using a shopping cart.  Still it's a little jarring when you actually encounter it.

We stopped at the convenience store in the little town of Hope for coffee and a prepackaged roll, eaten standing in the corner with an chest freezer for a table.  The sign leaving town indicated that we were now beyond Hope.

Four miles west of Hope (beyond Hope, if you must) we passed a restaurant that addendums to our maps said was closed.  It had.  But just a half mile further was the Dos Amigos restaurant that was open and advertising Mexican and American breakfasts.  We still had an impending climb into Brenda and onto I -10,  so  we stopped for a more substantial breakfast.

We had just ordered and started a conversation with the other customer seated behind us, a contract self-taught mechanical engineer from Wyoming who prospects gold and gems when he's not building geothermal turbines, when a familiar face arrived, our young friend Jake.

We had expected Jake was already in California,  but he'd been  shopping for turquoise and was delayed.  Jake joined us for breakfast and then we enjoyed a pleasant morning cycling into Quartzsite together.

On the way, we met another east-bound cyclist, and knowing what Andy had said immediately began hailing him, asking if he were Graham.  Oops, wrong cyclist.   Mark, from Birmingham England started five days ago in San Diego. He'd run into warm weather crossing the California mountains, and was much hoping for cooler weather.

We wished Mark well and he was on his way.  Later Barb snapped one more photo of Jake and I.  The thin, attractive young man with the full auburn beard isn't me.

We reached Brenda, but still needed to climb further to reach the pass on I-10.  I was running a little short of water, so I stopped at the store and picked up a quart of cold Gatorade.  Rather than finding room for it in my panniers, I tucked It under the elastic cargo net I have strapped to my rear rack.  Then we were off climbing again.

The descent wasn't overly steep, so we were able to coast without serious braking at 16 to 18 mph.  It was glorius.  We went under an overpass and on the other side I could see we were rapidly approaching a rather sharp bump in the asphalt.  I called out "Bump" to alert the others and lifted myself out of the saddle to reduce the jarring effect.  As I went over the bump I heard a clunk, then watched as my newly purchased Gatorade rolled across both lanes of 70 mph traffic and over the far shoulder and into the median.  So long Gatorade.

The remaining descent into Quartzsite was uneventful.  As we pulled off the interstate to head through town there was a sign "Book Oasis 1/4 mile ahead".  Knowing that Barb's been trying to get a new paperback for a few days, I suggested we pull off and look, and soon were stopped in front of a used book store that appeared perfectly mundane.  That's when the 60ish proprietor stepped through the front door to greet us.  He was comfortably attired in absolutely nothing, save for a knitted black cod piece that covered, but hardly hid, his genitals.  Modesty, one supposes.  Then he retired back to his stacks.  Barb invited me to choose a book for her, but not knowing her literary taste I politely declined.   Fortunately, she was able to find something adequate on the 'Free' table outside the store, and we were soon on our way.   Paul, we later learned, is well known in the area and is happy to pose for photos with visitors.  My blog is G-rated and you'll have to check the Internet for his photos independently.

One of our warmshowers hosts suggested that we check the Quartzsite Yacht Club for accommodations.  So while we stopped at a convenience store, Barb called and learned the rooms were very reasonable.  So we finished our sodas, and began riding towards the Yacht Club .

That's when we ran into Graham.  He's an older gentleman who's been touring on his bicycle and limited budget since April, first cross-country east-to-west,  and now back in the other direction.  He declined lodging at the Yacht Club, or eating at their restaurant, but happily went on his way seeking camping and groceries.  You can tour in many styles.

We made it to the Yacht Club and said goodbye again to Jake.  This time probably the last on this tour.  There's a Halloween party in San Diego he's trying to attend and has some serious riding in the next few days.

The Yacht Club is one of those quirky places, that seems to have found its niche in an equally quirky town.  Their motto "Long time no sea" is prominently displayed. Their rooms are mostly converted mobile home trailers in a variety of configurations, though they do have a few permenantly dry docked yachts that are available for rent.

The associated bar and grill has a nautical decor, and fish and chips is a featured menu item.

We're resting comfortably in the USS Constitution, our room for the night.  It's been an interesting day.

We have 250 miles to go.

We woke this morning to the standard 6 am alarm, and were up for the complimentary hotel breakfast a half hour later.  By 7:15 we had checked out of the hotel and were on our bikes heading west on US 60.

The temps were cool, and the winds light and variable as we started a long gradual climb out of Wickenburg.   It was a pleasant morning with several chances to stop and photograph the surrounding mountains and a raptor perched regally atop a large Saguaro.  There were even folks out riding the high desert on horseback.

We had expected the climb to last a full sixteen miles, but when it ended a few miles early,  we weren't complaining, and began an even longer and more gradual descent.  Life was good, until I felt that strange squishiness and looked down to see I had another flat rear tire.  Jerome 12 Barb 0.  Embedded in my rear tire was a familiar piece of green glass.  A few Dos Equis will be drained tonight in revenge.

We did the 26 miles into Aguila and stopped at the Coyote Flats Bar and Grill for lunch. The place seems a watering hole for locals and tourists alike, though at 11 am in the morning, the ccustomers were of a distinctly gray-haired vintage.  We fit right in.

After lunch we had 23 miles to get to Wenden, and a bit of a headwind had kicked up.  Nothing fierce, just enough to know we were working into it.  At first, it appeared that the convenience store in Wenden had closed, but a block further down the street was a store with a sign that said hardware and market.  Exactly what the sign said, like an old country store, they dealt in a bit of everything.

The last four miles into Salome were easy after our break and we found a room at Sheffler's hotel, slightly updated, but more like a motel from the 50's.  Rooms are spacious and clean at a very reasonable price.

Dinner was next door at the Salome Restaurant, when we found the Mystic Wolf restaurant, that serves an native American menu, was closed.   The bar had no Dos Equis in stock so revenge served cold will wait for another day.

We plan to ride to Quartzsite tomorrow.

Feeling fine and enjoying the adventure.

We only planned a 38 mile ride today because of our last three longer days of riding.  So we slept in until 6:30 before we began packing and having a cup of coffee that our warmshowers host had prepared before he went out to try to reserve favorable tee times for his golf group.

Larry returned as Trudy made us smoothies for breakfast, and whipped up a batch of scrambled eggs, sautéed tomatoes with parmesan, and really delicious multi-grain bread.

Larry strongly recommended that we visit the Desert Caballeros Western Museum when we reached Wickenburg,  and wrote us a note to the staff to help us with entry.

Then we were off and beginning our day's ride.  The legs were a little sluggish from the start, but we plugged away, stopping at Whittman  for a break at the halfway point, and then continued heading for Wickenburg.

We got to the outskirts of Wickenburg,  and were about to stop for lunch,  when unexpected things happen.  An older gentleman approached us and began to ask how we were doing and the conversation headed to a decidedly bicycling direction.

Bob Reynolds is planning a Southern Tiers ride with a friend next spring and insisted on buying us lunch for a chance to spend time chatting with us.  He had passed on the road some 8 miles back and was hoping we'd pull in as we got I to town.

So we accepted Bob's gracious offer and had a delightful conversation as we enjoyed lunch.  Bob was particularly interested in our upcoming route as we cross the California coastal mountains and descend into San Diego.  We exchanged contact information and will be in touch again.

We checked into the Best Western near the town center, and laid on our beds for a few minutes relaxing, before heeding Larry's advice and heading over to the museum.   Larry's note gained us free admission and for nearly an hour we strolled through Western art, exhibits, and reconstructions, and generally had a great time.  Larry's advice was right on target.

Then we returned to the hotel and napped.  I ended up sleeping for two hrs and awoke to Barb encouraging me to come see the sunset.  I missed the best part, I'm afraid, but even what I caught was pretty spectacular.

Then we headed over to Anita's Cocina for Mexican food, one of Bob Reynolds suggestions.

We noticed a unloaded touring bike parked outside the restaurant,  and I thought it looked familiar.  And indeed when we entered the restaurant, there was Jake, young riding partner we had assumed was at least a day ahead of us.  So we sat down and caught up on recent experiences on the route over dinner.  Jake has been riding some of the tough sections we've chosen to bypass and has taken a few rest days with family and newly-made friends.  It was great to see him again, though he'll be riding longer distances starting tomorrow and this may be our last encounter on this trip.

We're back in our room, relaxing and getting ready for a good night's sleep.  Tomorrow we'll be riding to Salome.

Tired, and ready for sleep.  But feeling good and getting close to the end of our adventure.  Only 344 miles to San Diego.

Tonight we're in Sun City AZ at the home of Larry Vroom and Trudy Bryson, our warmshowers hosts.

The day was one of urban cycling. We had 5 miles this morning to get into Apache Junction,  then it was an entire day of riding though residential developments and outlying shopping areas while skirting the Phoenix downtown.

We made it to Tempe about 11 am, and stopped at a bike shop to have a bolt tightened and pick up a few replacement parts for my rear derailleur.  Then it was only a few blocks to Rosita's Fine Mexican Food, a restaurant highly recommended by Sally and Garth Molyneux,  our good friends.

Per Sally's recommendation, we both ordered the chicken rellenos.   It was delicious and filling, as the following photos will attest.

After lunch,  we got back on our bikes, and followed the route through less busy streets and then along a bike path that followed a canal to the outskirts of Sun City.  From there we called Larry for directions to their home.

Today's mileage was more than we'd initially expected, but was rewarded by the hospitality of our hosts.

We dined on salads, grilled ahi tuna,  ratatouille,  with strawberries and chocolate hummus for dessert.  Trust me it was delicious.

We'll be back on our bikes tomorrow morning and heading for Wickenburg AZ,  a relatively shor ride of 40 miles,  after some longer days recently.  Hard to believe, but San Diego is only 385 miles away.

We're well and enjoying our adventure.