Day 5: Tuesday

Time in motion: 4:28:57
Distance: 63.6 mi.
Average: 14.19 mph.
Maximum: 28.4 mph.
Climbed: 2,600 ft.
Temp: 53-105°F!

Shortly after six o’clock we were having breakfast in the motel lobby.  As we took our bikes and were about to head for the highway, I noticed my front tire was flat.  This was my first flat of the trip.

With the flat repaired we rode east, eventually crossing the Colorado river into Arizona.  We then began our first climb of three for the day.  Because we rode on Interstate I-10 for much of the day, the route was fairly smooth with large shoulders and a reasonable grade.  The downside of riding interstate is, of course, the loud and fast traffic.  But in these hilly areas, interstate is much safer than a two-lane, curvy road for bikers. 

Soon we reached Quartzsite and stopped for a snack and a short rest.  Quartzsite seems like a huge R.V. park, but more permanent than some of the others on the route and with better services, like restaurants, etc.  It’s been called a “big parking lot,” full of snowbirds from up north.  These R.V. parks appear at random in the desert.

Once leaving Quartzsite, we began the second climb of the day.  The climbs were surprisingly easy.  I think we even had a slight headwind, but it was not troubling.

The desert here is much different than it was in California.  Almost immediately upon entering Arizona, huge cacti appeared and there were more flowering plants than before.

A bit east of Quartzsite we stopped in Brenda, another R.V. “town.”  We ate an early lunch at a food stand called “Kathy’s Kitchen.”  The food was good and inexpensive.  Refueled, we began the third climb through Hope and Harcuvar, two more collections of campers and retirees.  Jesse and I felt like the youngest guys in the county.

Soon we arrived in Salome.  The sign on the edge of town is subtitled “Where she danced!”  Even though several residents proudly proclaimed that Salome was “where she danced,” I just don’t know who “she” is, why she’s dancing, and what that has to do with Salome. 

This little town of 1700 people has a couple of motels, a bar, restaurant, and more.  We’re staying in Sheffler’s Motel.   For the first time, we each have our own room because only single rooms were left.  It’s not a bad place except that the pool is out of order and my door doesn’t latch shut.  But it’s better looking than the International Inn, just outside of town.

While waiting to check into our rooms we ate ice cream at the town’s Mexican restaurant.  By the time we got checked in, showered, and relaxed for a while it was supper time.  We meandered back across the street to the café again and enjoyed some delicious tacos.

As the sun neared the horizon, the air cooled significantly.  There is something special about sunset in the desert.  The air is comfortably warm and the sky seems more expansive than it did during the oppressive heat of the day.  The peace that descends with the sun is like a sigh of relief, a reprieve so pleasant that one might just fall in love with this place.

Tomorrow we do 50 miles of climbing to an old “Western Town,” Wickenburg.  It’s said to be a tourist destination worth visiting.