We did it!

Yesterday we made it to the Pacific Ocean!  Seven riders, plus our leaders, rode from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific.  We had all done a cross country ride before, several riders more than once, but only Nancy had ridden the Southern Tier before.  It was a much tougher ride for me than when I rode from Seattle across the country in 2016, and not just because I am three years older now.  This route had the hardest rides at the end of the trip, when we were tired, had a lot more mountain riding, and obviously altitude sickness didn’t help.  But we made it!
As I expected, the ride yesterday was challenging, as riding into a major city always is.  We rode as a group for the last 25 miles and approximately 40 turns.  Southern California is so green and lush this year, after record rains, and we rode some trails surrounded by wild flowers, but there wasn’t much time for photos.
After the excitement of riding to the beach, we went to a very nice hotel in the Gaslight District of San Diego.  My daughter and grandson drove down from Los Angeles to meet me, making the day even more special.
All in all, what a trip!

First view of the Pacific 

Color everywhere 

Susan and I dipping our bikes and our feet in the Pacific 

One more mountain

What a a glorious day!  The second to the last day of a trip is frequently more fun than the final ride, which is into a city.  Today we rode 40 miles from Borrego Springs to Wynonna, up in the hills east of San Diego.  The weather was perfect, bright blue skies, and not too hot, as we did over 4000 feet of climbing, most of it in a 12 mile stretch.  As soon as we started down from the summit of that climb, we went from desert to temperate zone, a huge contrast in about a quarter of a mile.

Coming up the steepest parts of the ride, I was only going about 4 mph.  

The scenery was breathtaking, and I was quite ready to stop and try to take it in.

California poppies and California lilacs on the green side of the mountain.

This area is famous for its apples and pies, and we were told that Mom’s is the best.  Mom gives free pie ala mode to hikers, and when she heard about our trip, she decided we had earned it, too.  

Across the country, by hook, crook, or van

We rode the 57 miles from Brawley to Borrego Springs in ease and comfort—in a van,which handles headwinds better than a bike.  Winds a good bit of the way were about 30 mph, with gusts up to 50 mph.  Nancy shuttled the riders in a rental van in two trips, while Ken packed 15 bikes plus all our gear in the truck and camper, which required taking pedals off all the bikes, seats off a few, and loosening handle bars to turn them parallel to the bikes.  Unpacking was a lot easier, as we all grabbed our bikes and reassembled them.

We had been looking forward to biking to see the sculptures in the desert around Borrego Springs.  We did see a few of them, piling out of the van to get our photos.

This lovely plant is ocotillo, and it is blooming dramatically this year.

More desert, more sand dunes, more wind

Our ride today was supposed to be 88 miles, the longest of the trip.  Six hardy souls went the distance, and the rest of us were ready to ride in the truck for the last 28 miles, after 60 hot, hilly miles, mostly riding into a headwind.  Two of the day’s highlights came when we were in the truck.  We rode through the Algodones sand dunes, some of which are 300  feet high.  We also saw approximately 100 fifth graders, each with a parent, riding into the wind, on an annual 270 mile Ride Across California sponsored by a San Diego YMCA.

We rode through about 20 miles of irrigated farmland when we left Blythe.  This mailbox is one of the few creative ones I have noticed on this trip.  I remember many more on the Northern Tier ride.

Once we started climbing, there wasn’t much shade.  Looking out from my little shrub, the landscape looked like my idea of a moonscape.

This bush looks like a desert pussy willow.

Some of the kids and their chaperones riding through the dunes.

I had no idea we have Sahara-like dunes in this country.

California!!

We are celebrating our eighth and final state.  We left Parker, Arizona at 7 am in order to enjoy the ride before the heat arrived.  As we had only 50 miles, we arrived in Blythe, California about noon.  The ride today was flat, a nice change, as we traveled through the Colorado River valley and the Colorado River Indian Tribes reservation.  The valley is one of the few irrigated areas of Arizona, a legacy of the internment camp for Japanese-Americans.  With approximately 17,000 internees, a water source was needed, and the irrigation system developed from that initial diversion.

What a difference water makes.

Tribal symbols 

Only a few buildings from the camp remain.  The camp, the largest in terms of area, was built on tribal land. The tribes opposed the idea, but the Bureau of Indian Affairs intervened.  After the camps were closed, the tribes were able to utilize the remaining infrastructure.

Poston Memorial Monument, erected in 1992

California, Here We Are!

Along the Colorado River

We rode 38 miles today, from Lake Havasu City to Parker, Arizona.  We were looking across the Colorado to California most of the day.  A few riders rode over the Parker Dam and down the California side, but we opted to stay on the Arizona side.

John G. And I as we started downhill after a 9 mile climb out of Lake Havasu City.

The Parker Dam on the Colorado River, which creates Lake Havasu.  It’s foundation is the deepest of any dam in the country,

Looking across to California 

We were relaxing and enjoying milkshakes, as we were in no hurry to get to yet another motel. Alas, as we were about to finish the ride after our ice cream break, Susan discovered that her rear tire was flat.  She is a very capable tire changer, but that isn’t the best way to end a beautiful ride.

There is an optical illusion in this painting, which was on the wall of the small Mexican restaurant where we had dinner.  I hope you can see it.

London Bridge

We rode 65 fast miles to Lake Havasu City, about 2/3 of the way on Interstate 40.  We coasted downhill with a bit of a tailwind into summer, a balmy 75 degrees.  Today was the first time in close to a month, I think, that I wore shorts.  And of course, it was a fine day for ice cream.  We had plenty of time to explore the town, which was founded way back in 1964.  I vaguely remember when London Bridge was moved here, but I didn’t realize that the bridge was reconstructed on dry land and then water was diverted from Lake Havasu to flow under it.

Lots of great scenery as we came into Lake Havasu City 

London Bridge, with a few British touches

We had a two mile climb to a very nice rental house.  You don’t take the sunset for granted when you have worked that hard for it.

Route 66

Because both our days and the internet have been a bit crazy, I will combine two days of oddities along Route 66 in this post.  Today we set out in 42 degrees, 10-15 mph winds, for a 60 mile ride, all of it along Historic Route 66.  Fortunately, both temperature and wind went in the right direction, and after a chilly start, the ride was very pleasant.  Yesterday’s ride, which was in the truck, was also along Route 66.

A must stop in Seligman, Arizona 

Grand Canyon Caverns, where we had plenty of time to tour the Caverns before we could check into our rooms.  Like many places along Route 66, it was ignored after the Interstate paralleling the old road opened.  It is being restored, and the Caverns include a dining area, and for only $900 a night, a bedroom suite.  Above ground features a growing collection of dinosaurs.

Route 66 runs through the Hualapai Reservation; we visited an excellent cultural center there.

There is lots of memorabilia along the way.  Interiors tend to feature Elvis and Marilyn Monroe;  Betty Boop was featured at the Caverns breakfast room.

Grand Canyon, part 2

A few Grand Canyon pictures, mostly to prove I was really there.

Relaxing at the El Tovar, the fancy old hotel where we did not stay.

And the train robbery on the train.  Children on our car loved it.  The little girl sitting behind me took off her colorful plastic beads and hid them, and then produced them after the bad guys disappeared.