17-04-30 Day 22

Groom, TX to Sayre, OK

This morning Karen and I awoke to temperatures just below freezing, a snow and rainy mix, and wind gusts from the north at 30-40 mph. Not much of a surprise as the local weather guy, Cameron, was predicting these conditions. Given the fact we expected this type of weather we began implementing our Plan B yesterday.

Plan B was arranged through a local contact on Warmshowers.org. If you are not familiar with Warmshowers it's a web based service, or cell phone App, exclusively for bicyclists who need a warm shower, a place to stay, or just logistical support as they bicycle though your town, region, or state. The limits of the services each host provides is completely defined by the host.

So, our Plan B was simple - given the current weather conditions, get us and our bikes transported to Sayre, OK. Reaching out to a local contact, Angela B., we were able to make the necessary arrangements.  Although Angela was not available to help us she quickly got us in contact with Matt and his wife Shannon. Matt and Shannon agreed to take us to Sayre without conditions. What an awesome couple. They even offered to pick up supplies or anything else we may need before leaving this morning. So, just as promised, Matt and Shannon arrived around 10:30 am. We loaded up the bikes and all of our equipment and off to Sayre we went. THANK YOU Matt and Shannon. We are very grateful.

Our angels today - Matt & Shanon

As we discovered during our 80+ mile trip to Sayre, Matt used to work at Sun Adventure Sports, the bicycle shop which was so helpful to us checking out Karen's bike after her mishap. These guys really enjoy helping those who are making the Trans America ride. If your passing through Amarillo you got to stop in and see them - Sun Adventure Sports #sunadventure.

To finish our day,  when we arrived in Sayre, we were promptly greeted by Glenn and Leasa H. Glenn and Leasa are friends of Craig's who agreed to accept one of our supply drops along our route. What a wonderful couple and so supportive of our journey.  

17-04-29 Day 21

Groom, TX

Today's weather started out as the weather service predicted, rain, wind and cold temperatures.  Our decision to hold up in Groom, TX was probably a good idea. Randy and I would have been wet and hyperthermic in short order.

We did get a burst of energy and walked a half mile to The Grill for lunch the only real restaurant in town other than fast food, Dairy Queen.  It was raining lightly and a cold brisk wind at our backs.  Tummies full, Randy found a ride back to the hotel with a local young man which was very much appreciated.

Our lunch venue today.

FYI - Panhandle PBS has many interesting shows on Saturday afternoons.

Current weather forecast in Groom.

17-04-28 Day 20

Amarillo, TX to Groom, TX

After the events of yesterday Karen's mishap and Randy's recovery from Rooster's Revenge (🐓) today was a true rest day.  We stayed overnight at the Quality Inn in Amarillo waiting to hear the diagnosis on Karen's bike.

Fortunately, the bike had a clean bill of health as well, except for the small chunk out of the bar wrap.  Thank you to Sun Adventure Sports for the quick turn around plus their great service.  Devin from the shop picked up Karen's bike at the hotel last evening on his way home from work and was able assess the bike this am.

Randy and Karen came into the 21st Century by utilizing the Uber phone app to make their way to the bike shop and back to the hotel.  For return trip, ordered up the XL Uber ride to haul the bike.

Bike shop in Amarillo, TX

Rather than ride again, the miles that we had completed yesterday on the way to Groom, we opted for a taxi ride (Rapid Taxi Service) to the Motel in Groom, Chalet Inn.  Gina did a great job of getting us there safely and hassle free.  BTW, only hotel in town adjacent to a gas station and DQ (Dairy Queen).

07-04-27 Day 19

Vegas, TX to almost Groom, TX to Amarillo, TX

The morning started out on not such a good note.  Randy had been up all night fighting the sandwich he had for dinner at Rooster's. Apparently the chili peppers wanted to party long after dinner was done. Lack of sleep, belly ache and all the other issues that go with that made for a slow start. Struggling to discover food again at breakfast that would not reappear, he decided that we should forge onward.  The weather was cold with 16 mile an hour cross winds.  Our trip progressed to Amarillo slowly but steadily. After navigating the city, decision was made to continue to Groom, our final destination for the day.

The winds were beginning to be in our favor as we were traveling on rough side roads and occasionally on route 40.  During our final approach a bit of rain and crosswinds appeared as well.  Approximately 10 miles from our destination, Karen was riding the edge of the road and over corrected her retun to the center, with the added cross wind, Karen went down. Unfortunately, taking a pretty hard spill. Randy decided she needed to seek medical attention due to the impact to her helmet.  So, a ride back to Amarillo to be thoroughly examined via ambulance.  After, CT Scan for the head neck and torso, everything was given the thumbs up.  Results of accident, cracked helmet, road rash on right backside, black eye, sore muscles, and bike at shop for some TLC as precaution.

All things considered, we are still blessed to be on this venture.  Life never goes according to plan.  It'seems how you handle plan B.  🙄  

Cadillac Ranch RV Park prior to entering Amarillo 

Our Amarillo map set took us through Historic Route 66

17-04-26 Day 18

Tucumcari, NM to Vega, TX

Yes, we crossed the New Mexico border into Texas today at approximately 12:25 pm and a few moments later we entered Texas at 01:26 pm. With the time change at the border we lost an hour today but we were very happy to keep moving East. With three states behind us we only have seven to go.

Leaving New Mexico - 12:25 pm

Entering Texas - 01:26 pm

So, how was our day today, you Ask? Well, for the first time since we left Santa Monica on the morning of April 8th, we awoke to rain. While this was not unexpected, as we keep a close watch on the weather forecast each day, the cooler temp and damp air caught Randy a little unprepared as we headed out. Now, you need to know the rain had stopped, as predicted, but the air temperature remained in the low 40's. So after cranking out the first 25 miles Randy needed a wardrobe adjustment. We stopped at one of the only available stops along the way (San Jon) where Randy changed his wet undershirt, added a second layer of socks, added a wind breaker layer, and duct taped his shoe vents to prevent air infiltration. Now, that cold weather grimace look on his face was gone. Warmth and comfort has returned.

Randy's duct taped riding shoes. Thank goodness for duct tape once again!

With our wardrobe finally appropriate for the day, down the road we went. The weather continued to clear and improve as we pushed on towards the border. The one thing we've come to realize, with each ride, is the first 50 or 60 miles clip along at a reasonably quick pace. At least in our minds. It's the last 20-30 miles that appear to take the longest. At times it feels as though we will never reach your destination. Well, today was sort of like that. Before we knew it we were at the New Mexico & Texas border. Then, the remainder of our 80 mile ride just seemed to go on, and on, especially with the time change. But we finally made it into Vega, TX just before 5 pm.

Now that we've arrived, we needed to find a place to eat. As with most towns we visit along the way we rely on local knowledge to guide us to the best restaurants. Most times there are only one or two places to choose from, but we at least make an effort to ask. Today we had two choices, Rooster's or the Hickory Inn Cafe. With the cafe closed our decision was rather easy, Rooster! To be fair there is a DQ and Subway in town, but we can visit those places when we're back in York. Rooster's turned out to be a very nice experience. Primarily Mexican food, which was homemade, it was interesting to visit and the people we met were very very nice and engaging. A good choice, if you can officially call it a choice. The owner Roy was quit interested in our trip and has seen numerous cross country cyclists visit his establishment.  Just yesterday three other cross country bikers stopped by for the local cuisine.  Tourist traffic just starting for this area.

Rooster's restaurant in Vega, TX. 

As a final note to our day, as we approached Vega, it was hard to ignore the miles and miles of wind miles to our left. The photo below represents just a small clip of the hundreds of wind mills located here. Our best estimate is this wind mill farm exceeded 20 miles or more. An amazing sight.

Wind Mill farm just outside of Vega, TX.
The sky was beauteous background.

17-04-25 Day 17

Santa Rosa, NM to Tucumcari, NM

The WIND Saga continues in New Mexico.  Our day on the bikes began at 8 am with a stiff wind attacking us as we began our quest east.  Behold! We had a stiff tailwind from the first mile to the final miles with the exception of a 5 mile stretch. The five mile stretch came after 13 miles of bliss as we were pushed along at times in excess of 20 mph. Then, we turned north on this near cow-path like road. The only thing that qualified this as a road was the road sign and a stop sign when we made our turn into the crosswind. The surface of the road was not really paved, rather, it was a compact stone with periodic side to side lose gravel. A one lane wide, no berm or shoulder, rough terrain, path. Just plain terrible. During this five mile path, as we passed open pastures, the steers were snickering as we slowly passed. In spite of this, we had a good day.

We've not spoken much about the wildlife so today on our travels we were treated to seeing a flock of turkey and a lone deer, which was a step up from the prairie dogs and ground squirrels over the past week.

The photo below is a typical view of the road ahead Karen and I have seen over and over again as we have traveled across Arizona and New Mexico. Many times we've crested a small mountain top to be treated to a view such as this. Road straight ahead  as long as you can see with vast open landscape on both sides. You make the 8-12 mile ride across the basin to be treated to yet another stretch of road as you top the next hill or mountain. Beautiful. Zoom in on this photo to appreciate it to its fullest.

After our first small climb of the mourning just outside of Santa Rosa.
The road lay ahead of us an the wind behind us.
We could see the hill in the distance that was 7 miles out.

Our Route 66 welcome into Tucumcari this afternoon.

Our lunch stop today recommended by a local native of Tucumcari

Throwback Route 66 gas station, for viewing pleasure only. Across from Del's Restaurant. 

17-04-24 Day 16

Santa Fe, NM to Santa Rosa, NM

I'm very excited to give you an up-date on gifts given to the Cheryl Kay Foundation. In the past few days we received two gifts totaling $175.00. THANK YOU to Lewis D. and Cheri S. With these two gifts we are now at a grand total of $1,200.00!!! Given our goal we still have some work to do but Karen and I are confident, with your help and support, we'll meet or exceed our goal. Please don't forget about our "NIGHT IN FOR CHERYL" challenge we put forth in our blog on 4-22-17. Check it out!

Trip mileage including today 4/24.       1131 miles
Cheryl Kay Goal @ $2 per Mile.             $2,262.00
Current amount gifted.                           $1,200.00

Please spread the word to your family, friends and FB social network.  Refer them to our website, "Support Us" tab, then click on the Donate button.

Yes, you read the cities above correctly,  following our map set we covered 115 miles today.  We mounted the bikes @ 7 am leaving the Bobcat Inn headed for Pecos. Beautiful cool temp ride that took us eventually past the Pecos National Historical Park.  Overall, this was not the most direct route, but semi bike friendly route.  What I mean by semi bike friendly is the roads were good, but support for beverages and food was limited.  Basically we carried our supplies the first 40 miles and the last 60 miles of the trip with only one stop in between.  That one main stop was Romeroville, NM which was a typical interstate pull off station - gas, food, bathrooms.  We split a subway turkey flatbread and returned to the road for a 42 mile ride on Route 84 south.

The trip was mainly uneventful except for the WIND.  We went from a tailwind to a crosswind and back to a tailwind.  The gusts this afternoon were 40-50 mph. We stopped on an overpass to enter the final leg of our journey,  the wind was so strong I had to literally brace myself and bike to hold my ground.  Getting back on the bike was a struggle.  It was relentless.  The silver lining today was the 17 mile stretch into Santa Rosa, wind at our backs, we covered 17 miles in 45 minutes. Any cyclist would agree the wind pushing you from behind and just cruising is awesome.

Headed for dinner and wind still gusting in our faces, URGH!

Looking over Santa Rosa from hotel

17-04-23 Day 15

Madrid, NM to Rowe, NM  Santa Fe, NM

We woke to a gorgeous sunrise this am in the town of Madrid.  The picture below does not do the view the true justice it deserves.  Lonnie prepared a wonderful breakfast to get us energized for the day. We said our goodbyes and headed off towards Sante Fe.

Bedroom view at 6:15 am

Lonnie our host at the Lotus Sanctuary

Unfortunately we did not make it Pecos, NM today.  As we soon discovered, while making our moring calls to confirm overnight accommodations, there are no hotels actually located in Pecos even though a Google search lists 10. When we looked closely and began speaking to some of the establishments, the addresses of all the places listed are in Santa Fe 🤔😔.  Then we discovered the camping areas are not open because it is still considered the winter season - they open in May.   So we ended up holding our ground and staying at the Bobcat Inn for the night. The Bob Cat Inn is a B&B just outside of Santa Fe. Believe it or not the hosts/innkeepers, Jessica and Ryan Miller, are from PA as well as is their helper, Rob.  How about that for a coincidence?

We did have an interesting accidental meeting in Santa Fe, the four gentlemen that flagged us down were part of the City of Santa Fe Bicycle & Trails Advisory Committee (BTAC) and Bike Santa Fe. This group assists Adventure Cycling with creating and updating the map sets that are used to navigate across the route 66 bike trail.  They we excited to see us and receive our feedback and it was a real pleasure meeting them.

Roadside chat with the BTCA crew.

L to R Randy, Karen (back turned), Paul C., Stephen N., Tim R., and Joe A.
BTAC Members

The Bobcat Inn
442 Old Las Vegas Hwy, Santa Fe, NM

17-04-22 Day 14

Albuquerque, NM  to Madrid, NM

Since we last up dated the gifts given to the Cheryl Kay Foundation, we've received four more generous gifts from Thomas G., Heather K., Brian G. and Lori G. for a total of $350.00. With these gifts we are now at $1,025.00! Thank you sooooooo much. We only have only $5,565.00 to go. Karen and I know you can make it happen.

To that end I have a challenge for each of you who are following Karen and I. The challenge is simple, during the next six weeks give up one evening out and take the money you would normally spend for dinner, entertainment, and adult drinks, and gift this amount to the Cheryl Kay Foundation. I know from experience it is all too easy to spend $100.00 or more for a Friday or Saturday evening out. I'm asking you stay home, watch a movie, enjoy some popcorn and snuggling together. Then, send the money you did not spend as a gift which will mean so much to those who appreciate the in home comforts.  When you've completed the challenge I'd like you to share it with us on the c2c2gether Web site just specify a "NIGHT IN FOR CHERYL".

Getting out of bed this am our thoughts were on a short ride day - 40ish miles and ready we decided to stop at a local bike shop (Cycle Cave) as we exited Albuquerque.  We met a local group of cyclists who were heading out for their Saturday ride and they gave us a dose of reality. The winds were not in our favor as we needed to climb out of the city.  They were correct, the 7 mile stretch through the canyon was a bear.  We left the city headed  out on historic 66 with a head wind that made us cringe plus a climb.  Needless to say a very slow go 😮.  Our thoughts - holy crap, our persistence - holy smokes.  Let's bring today's ride  full circle, not complaining as with other days there is silver lining.  We were treated with a venue that would have not been on our radar to experience, Madrid, NM.  A speck on the map that was once a coal mining town in it's day.  Now a diverse cultural area with handcraft artists and transplanted locals.

Final climb gives us a view of Madrid in the distance, 3 mile descent.

Grabbing food in town at The Hollar, local eartery.

BTW  we are staying at  remote airbnb while here. Our host Lonnie is very kind and generous.  A treat from the hotel scene 😆.

Lotus Sanctuary 

17-04-21 Day 13

Grants, NM to Albuquerque, NM

Today was a day about a tailwind on our ride.  We were blessed with a strong tailwind this am that assisted us in expediting our journey to Albuquerque.  This reminded me of when I was taking care of my mother in 1994 when she was dealing with cancer.  I was her tailwind in a sense. I was able to take care of her and push her gently along on a daily basis.  Initially it was a small tailwind dealing with small things, but as her cancer progressed it was much more involved.  I was able to spend precious time with her that I will always cherish.

The Cheryl Kay Foundation helps women that may not have the support that I was able to provide for my mother. There is nothing like being able to be in your home as you face adversity on a daily basis with some sense of normal no matter what the age.  Please contribute so others may experience the comfort of their home and support of their family and loved ones as they struggle through thwireless personal battle. Help them and give them the gift of a "tailwind"

As Karen mentioned above, we were blessed to have a tailwind today. I know we often talk about the wind but you must appreciate the impact the wind has on us. Yesterday afternoon we had a side wind, off our right shoulder, that was very strong. At times it was so strong we had to ride the middle of the road, leaning into the wind and reducing our speed to less than 5 mph, so we had enough to road space to push back or regain our position once the wind faded a bit. At one time, riding the shoulder of the road, I intentionally spit directly in front of my bike and it did not hit the ground until it passed the center line of the road. That was a stiff wind. So, today with the help of the wind we covered 60 miles by 01:00 pm. Our average mph at this point was 15+mph. Sweet!

Along the way we today we met up with a very interesting guy, Jeffery Hellen. Jeffrey is on his seventh, yes I said seventh, trip on his bike from New York to California to raise awareness for human rights. You can check out his website at www.humanrights.org/ride. Jeffrey was not experiencing a tailwind on his quest to the West coast. Notice his flag fluttering.

Along the way to Albuquerque we were once again treated to the magnificent views of New Mexico. As we've mentioned so many times previously the views are breathe taking. At times, the large mountainous outcroppings were just an arms length away.

At the end if the day we met up with our friends, and "on the road support team" at the HB & Lucille Horn Family YMCA  in Albuquerque, NM. There we were greeted by Amanda (left) and Zizi (right) of the Albuquerque YMCA family. Amanda and Zizi offered unconditional support and assisted us in receiving our third support package. THANKS SO MUCH to the Albuquerque YMCA TEAM!

17-04-20 Day 12

Gallup, NM to Grants, NM

I'm very excited to share the news we have received three donations today, or more appropriately, we received three gifts today for The Cheryl Kay Foundation. The gifts were graciously given by Dale K., Clark E., and Lori W. for a total of $200.00. This brings our current running total to $675.00. A GREAT start for a GREAT charity.

Okay, if you've not had an opportunity to check out The Cheryl Kay Foundation let me take a moment and give you a few facts that may help you understand why Karen and I chose this charity. The Cheryl Kay Foundation is a grass roots family charity founded in 2013. Since inception they have doubled the number of CareGifts they give out, year over year. This is amazing for such a small charity. Many of these CareGifts have gone to individuals who were facing the fight against breast cancer alone. In 2016 they shared the gift of care with nearly 60 individuals ranging in age from 33 to 94. This is a great charity providing needed financial support for older adults, AND, assisting women of any age who have breast cancer. Your $100.00 gift will provide five hours of professional care given to someone in desperate need. So please click on the Donate button and give that gift.

 As along with our other days in the saddle thus far every day provides an adventure.  Everything happens for a reason.  We decided to go rogue today from our route 66 map set based on the mileage.  We carefully mapped the new route per phone GPS.  Not good 🤔.  Started out fine through Gallup covered 17 miles then an uh oh. The GPS went rogue on us.  A bit of backtracking eventually ending up on route 40 which presented it's own ugly shoulder berm.  Pulling over at a truck stop to regroup and stop vibrating, we decided to perserve on the highway which eventually was bike friendly - when an exit presented it self for a continental divide photo opportunity, we exited and were treated to a breathe taking view and route 66 for the next 40 miles.  Must add that we met a biker on 66 headed west, Cici, a young female who started her trek in Florida.  Holy crap Batman!  BTW she was half our age 😆.

Continental Divide

Continental Divide pic - Does not do justice to our view expand the mountains in the background.

Entrance to Grants, NM.

17-04-19 Day 11

Chambers, AZ to Gallup, NM

As we mentioned yesterday, for the remainder of this week, we'd like to begin our blog focusing on The Cheryl Kay Foundation. The foundation assists senior citizens in financial need and women facing the difficult challenge fighting breast cancer. Their mission is simple but it is so meaningful to the families and individuals they touch. So please help us, help them, to help others. Visit our Web page at www.c2c2gether.com, click on the "Support Us" tab at the top of the page, then click on the donate button.

Prior to our mention yesterday, we had seven donations from our friends and supporters. They are; Matt L., Neida L., Marjorie S., Gina K., Thomas B., Kenneth  J., and Shelly M. Combined these 7 people donated $475.00. THANK YOU!!  This is an great start to our desired goal of approximately $2.00 per mile which totals $6,590.00 based on our planned route. Karen and I are confident you can make this happen. So please spread the word and ask your friends and family to make a donation.

With the shorter mileage planned for today we took advantage of this and slept in until 6 am. Gathering our stuff, preparing our bikes, packing our panniers, having a good breakfast, we headed down the road at 09:00 am. We felt kind of lazy about the morning but it was needed after the long ride yesterday.

Leaving Arizona and entering New Mexico

NEW Mexico greeted us with spectacular scenery. 

So the prevailing wind was once again in our favor as we made our way to Gallup, NM. Yes, New Mexico. We finally made our way across Arizona on into New Mexico. Of course not without a challenge or two. The good news? No flat tires!!! On the down side, because we were primarily on side roads, as opposed to route 40, we crossed numerous cattle grids. If we crossed one of these we crossed 30 or more. Each time we needed to dismount our bikes and walk across the grid. Too slick to risk riding over.

Karen navigating across the cattle grid.

Then, there was the flowing water at a low point in the road. Once again, dismounting was a must. Shoes off, socks off, and bike in hand we each made it across the obstacle. And so we rode on.

Randy wading his way across the water obstacle on our route today.

17-04-18 Day 10

Winslow, AZ to Chambers, AZ

Since the beginning of our journey we've focused on our experiences, challenges, and thoughts of the day as we write our blog each night. Tonight, and for the remainder of this week, we want to shift our focus to The Cheryl Kay Foundation at the beginning of each blog. So, if you've already visited our "Support Us" you know Karen and I feel very strongly about the The Cheryl Kay Foundation and all they do for seniors and those battling cancer. Tonight, we are making a personal request from each of you, please take a moment and make donation to this very worthy and effective foundation. Thank you.

In order to appreciate how our day started, you first need to know Randy spent some extra time last evening switching his front tire and rear tire based on wear. This manuver was intended to be a proactive, defensive action, after changing three flat tires (tube punctures) during our day yesterday. So at 5:30 am this morning when he awoke to two flat tires, the tone of the day did not begin on a positive note. Fortunately, our day did not continue down this path.

After early am tire fixes, our first stop of the morning was Walmart for more tubes.  Bought the last three in rode bike size.  🙄  Second stop before heading out of town is the famous park - Standin' On the Corner - yes named after the Eagles song Take it Easy.  So at 7:30 am we were doing just that.

At least are bikes are leaning comfortably

Once again this morning found us on Route 40, first town was Joseph City. Exited 40 to more rural roads to take us just outside Holbrook.  Anticipating no support services for 60 miles, we stopped at a petrified gift shop (intersection of 180 East and Apache Dr) and purchased water to get us through.  We were pleasantly surprised to be routed for 28 miles through the Petrified National Forest, it was filled with wonderful sights and overlooks.  It was probably the biggest surprise or our trip thus far.  Although extremely warm and windy it was worth the trip.  Our final leg was back on Route 40 East for 20 miles to one hotel town of Chambers, AZ located on the Navajo Reservation.  Our 11 hour in the saddle 109 mile journey was complete, feasted on Navajo Taco and fried onion rings at the only restaurant.

Park entrance 

Standing in front of area named Teepee

17-04-17 Day 09

Williams, AZ to Winslow, AZ

Up early to face the chilly morn and once again sunny day, we biked through Williams to begin our trip to Flagstaff to pick our our next shipment from home. Needing to replenish some items and switch out some clothing, we had a box shipped to Jessica at the Flagstaff YMCA.  

Jessica our box assistant in Flagstaff

Hoping for no issues and good road we hit Route 40 with enthusiasm.  We were soon greeted with a berm of the road that was anything but accomodating for our 30 mile trek to Flagstaff.  Luckily we were routed on to historic route 66 for a short trip off the highway with better roads and beautiful scenery.  Then back to route 40 for another deteriorating section that was even more frustrating than our previous encounter.   The miles crept along extremely slow.  Our saving grace was finally entering Flagstaff and meeting the nice staff at the YMCA.  They were great and helpful.  Thank you Jessica!

Top of a climb and a small indication of the road conditions

We anticipated a rough remainder of our lengthy journey today, but were treated to a tail wind for 42 miles into Winslow with a berm of route 40 that permitted us to roll along at times at 27 mph.  A monkey wrench in the day were three flat tires (Randy 2, Karen 1).

Breath taking view prior to entering Route 40 for our leg to Winslow

17-04-16 Day 08

Peach Springs, AZ to Williams, AZ

Happy Easter to ALL our friends and family! We miss you and appreciate your continued support.

Last evening we spent the night at the Haulapai Indian lodge in Peach  Springs. It is part of the Indian Reservation that extends to the rim of the Grand Canyon.
By the way, the freight train runs every 15 minutes by there so you can get complimentary earplugs.  Nice touch.

In spite of the train sounds duringbthe night, and after a good nights sleep, we started on the road at 8:15 am with a slight chill in the air and bright sunshine.  Goal destination - Williams AZ.  We were immediately greeted with a persistent head wind that would last until the final miles of the day.  A bit of up and down during the day with the final push into Williams that was 15 miles of up hill. Stats - 79 miles, 8.5 hours, 9.3 avg, 4130 ft ascending, and 2000 ft of descent. Does not look so challenging unless you were in the saddle.

Along our way we stopped several locations to enjoy the local scenery. One of our stops was the Road Kill Cafe. This place offered a feast for the eyes with so many nostalgic items on display. Too cool and really too much to take in during a 15 min rest stop. Regardless, we loved seeing all the items on there.

In addition, we stopped briefly to enjoy once again the beautiful, wide open, views of the mountains. If you zoom in close, near the middle of the photo below you will see some snow capped mountains in the far distance. In real time these were more obvious and most spectacular.

17-04-15 Day 07

Kingman, AZ to Peach Springs, AZ

Today began as a wait-and-see day. Our typical day, if we are riding, would begin around 5:30-6:00 am with breakfast then on the road around 7:30-8:00. Today, however, we needed to wait until the bike shop opened at 10:00 am. Then, we needed to wait and see if the front fork arrived. At 10:30 the waiting got the best of us and we called the bike shop to see if they had heard anything. To our surprise they did have some news for us but it certainly was not what we expected. The young man at the bike shop, Kyle, said he had just spoken to UPS and they are trying to find our package. He continued on to explain the fork had been shipped but not as instructed, Saturday delivery. Rather, the fork was shipped UPS ground. This means the fork will not arrive until Tuesday. Not a desirable outcome. So, on to plan B, C, and D.

Plan B - Our immediate thought was to identify the location of the package in the UPS system, then drive to the specific location, pick up the fork, and bring it back to the shop. This proved very difficult as it was hard to get real people on the phone for UPS on a Saturday morning. Plan C - Then we considered purchasing a new road bike and continue on our way until Randy's bike can be repaired and shipped to a forward address along our route. This is not the most desirable plan because riding 80+ miles, approximately 8-9 hours, a day on a bike that may not be best configured for your unique body type could cause a lot of unnecessary pains and discomforts. Plan D - Lastly we discussed the schedule impacts if we waited until Tuesday. This was really out of the question. So, it appeared our only option was Plan C to buy a bike, swap parts from Randy's current bike, then hit the road.

As we gathered our stuff and headed to the front desk to check out, Karen got a call from Kyle. Kyle had been doing some research and found the specifications for the new fork, still in UPS land, was similar to the specifications of a Fuji bike fork they had on the show floor. He offered to try to make it work but he needed Randy's current bike. Fortunately, Randy's aunt and uncle insisted on staying with us until we had the bike back on the road. So, Uncle Bill, Aunt Gig, Karen, and Randy were off to Bicycle World where we had dropped off the bike initially, pick it up, and deliver it to Kyle at Bicycle Outfitters.

Now I realize this may be a bit confusing when I talk about the bike shops so I'll try to clear things up a little. We have had two bike shops helping us with the fork repair. The first is Bicycle World. On the day of the accident they thought they had the needed repair parts so we went there with Randy's broken bike. Then, we discovered they did not have the needed repair parts, and, the fork replacement may be a warranty repair. So, with the advice of Bicycle World we contacted the second bike shop, Bicycle Outfitters, who was a Trek authorized dealer, and ask their opinion. Kyle, at Bicycle Outfitters, agreed and kindly offered to process the repair parts needed through his Trek contacts. In the end none of us were sure who would be doing the repairs once the fork arrived, but both shops agreed to cooperate and do whatever we needed.

Alright, now back to using a Fuji fork on Randy's Trek bike. It worked! After an hour or so of disassembly, slight modifications, then, reassembly the fork was on. Although the not a matching color, and using a slightly inferior front brake assembly, all is together and functional. Now, it was time to hit the road once more.

The red Trek with a blue Fuji fork.

One of our rest stops along Route 66 on our way to Peach Springs.

Happy to be on the road again. 

17-04-14 Day 06

Stuck in Kingman, AZ

If you've been following our daily blog you'll know we are temporarily held up in Kingman, AZ. During our unplanned and unexpected down time we were blessed to have Randy's aunt and uncle from Prescott, AZ come spend some time with us.

So, what do you do in Kingman when you have a free Friday afternoon? Well, you go for a short drive to mile marker 115, Historic Route 66, Peach Springs of course. Doesn't everyone? What's at mile marker 115, Route 66, Peach Springs you ask? The Grand Canyon Caverns. Here you'll be taken by elevator down over 210 feet below the surface to discover an enormous cavern with over a mile of concrete paths. The guided tour lasts about 50 minutes and covers not only the interesting geological details but the complete history of the cavern. The most notable feature of the cavern was the fact its a dry cavern. Zero water and zero humidity.  We had a wonderful afternoon together which was followed up with very filling and delicious dinner.

We really appreciate the time and hospitality of Randy's aunt and uncle. They offered to do anything for us in support of our journey and made our short stay in Kingman a very memorable one.

At the Grand Canyon Caverns with Uncle Bill and Aunt Gig.

Tomorrow we hope to be on the road again. Cross your fingers, perform all you good luck rituals, and send us all your positive vibes for a positive outcome. Our goal is to be on the road by 2 pm.  Parts delivery is critical.

17-04-13 Day 06

Kingman, AZ to Peach Spring, AZ  Kingman, AZ

Today, our 6th straight day on the road proved to be our biggest challenge so far. What started out as a promising day quickly went in the wrong direction. As we made our way out of town, and after completing another long climb, we had a small mishap that has now made a huge impact to our schedule. Well, I guess when you consider the condition of Randy's bike you could actually call it a near disaster. If you take a close look at the photo below you'll notice an obvious problem with the front forks. Yes, they are snapped in two.

Randy's broken bike.

As we made a typical, routine, left-hand turn, in a close formation, Randy trailing with Karen just ahead, Randy hit a large shoulder bolt lying in the roadway which immediately turned his handle bars to the left. With his front tire now almost perpendicular to his bike frame, his momentum created an unbearable force on the front forks and they gave way. The good news is that Randy sustained only a small scratch on his left hand and a small fracture in the first knuckle of his right thumb. The bad news is we are now scrambling to get a bike repaired.

Fortunately, Nate had only left our company just a short time earlier so with a call from his mom he was our support team one last time. In the mean time we were blessed to have a local lady, by the name of Michele, stop and offered her unconditional assistance. Without asking Michele prepared her SUV to carry Randy's bike to a local bike shop which Karen found with a quick search on line. In the end, although she offered to take Randy to the ER, Michele stayed at the bike shop until Karen arrived on her bike a few minutes later. Then Nate arrived and took Randy to the ER. Hours later discharge papers were served with only a splint on Randy's right thumb. 👍

A selfie with the angel in pink, Michele at Bicycle World.

At the close of today, with Karen's highly skilled negotiating techniques we are expecting a new fork to be delivered on Saturday and hope to be completing our ride to Peach Springs. Stay tuned for updates......