I love Technology, always and forever - GPS and photo update

See below, as we are now able to load pics. More pics means less words, and this is a good thing. We'll get the best ones posted as time permits.

Also the GPS is experiencing intermittent issues, and we apologize. Our chief IT manager, Jubal Harpster is working day and night for resolution.


over and out

Day 5 - Wickenburg, AZ to Tempe, AZ 72.36 miles/14.4 mph average 6 hrs 30 min.

it was cold this morning, but no rain.

We left Wickenburg, AZ around 6 am since this was a shorter day. The route shoots you straight toward Phoenix, AZ on Highway 60. The sprawling congestion began at the town of Surprise, and we needed a break. Several miles back we spied a Burger King billboard and that was all it took. I started talking about the BK french toast sticks, and that was where we headed. The food tasted good, but did not stick to the ribs too well.

Several more miles down the road we hit Phoenix proper. The route takes you through the city on strategically mapped out residential streets and for nearly 10 miles on the Canal bike path. OK, we did get lost once or twice while negotiating the residential area. One very important lesson for Phoenix is they have a 24th Place, 24th Street and 24th Avenue, all right next to one another. Too much fun.

One other side note, we were in a left hand turn lane at a light, and as our light turned green (no arrow, just yield), the oncoming traffic hesitated to let us go. As we started making the turn, a Fast and Furious car came blasting through the intersection at about 45 mph, youngish female driver on her phone. I jammed the front brake as the rear wheel came off the ground about a foot. We live to ride another day.

Near the end of the route we skirted Arizona State University, one huge complex. There is new construction all around it, and we picked our way through it to Tempe, AZ, our home for the night.

over and out

Day 4 - Ehrenberg, AZ to Wickenburg, AZ 78.75 miles/14.2 mph average 5 hrs 7 min.

Here we are, leaving Ehrenberg, AZ. Us against the trucks.

We are center frame, small and insignificant.

Jasper, Gear Inspector # 4275.

The beautiful southwest, they aim to please

Most hotels and motels offer continental breakfast. This makes our mornings much easier and faster. We ate breakfast at 6 am and headed down the road. Today was the first day we had real heat, and it got to about 80 degrees or so. The route also consisted of 15 to 20 mile sections of straight road, with a slight climb. Highway 60 also offers minimal traffic and you can see it coming for miles and miles. Very few surprises. We arrived in the town of Hope, AZ, and as we were picking up lunch at a market, the only one on this part of Highway 60, my dad and Phyllis pulled up.

See the vanishing point - be the vanishing point

They have this knack for being right where we need them, making us feel pretty lucky. We hung out with them and ate, then saddled back up and pushed on for another 40 miles or so, into Wickenburg. Chris was feeling much better, with a tweak here or there. We both go into physical pain management mode as soon as we hit the motels.

We arrived into Wickenburg around 4:30 pm, even though it was suppose to be a shorter day. Even the short ones put up a fight. The hotel was a piece of work, a mom and pop arrangement that worked out just fine. Wish we had some interesting stories about the ride, but it was just a flat grind.

over and out

Day 3 - El Centro, CA to Ehrenberg, AZ 115.83 miles/13.5 mph average - 7 hrs 56 min.

The day started great. Cool temps with clear skies. We were on the road by 6 am, and pedaled through Brawley and onto highway 78. This one road serves as the only passage through the North Algodones Dunes Wilderness Area. This area changes from agriculture to scrub brush in about 100 yards. The scrub them changes to miles and miles of dunes. The dune buggy crowd meets in Glamis, California for the sand party.

Turkey and Cheese in Glamis, California - a ride staple.

rolling into Palo Verde, wearing most of our cold-weather gear. It rained in the desert.

Chris did well, but there is that tiny issue of her rear end. Imagine an adult diaper rash brought on by too many miles in the saddle. Props go out to my sister, Roxane, mother of two. She had the great idea to suggest using over-the-counter diaper rash remedies. Hey, it works! She toughed it out and stood out of the saddle as much as her knees and arms could take, and we rolled into Ehrenberg, AZ around 5 pm.

Dad and Phyllis travel in this little number

We can afford this. Note the free hay bale

bench the dealer threw in no charge.

The Flying J truck stop runs a hotel and eatery. We checked in, cleaned up, and went to grub. By the time I sat down, I had that familiar, shaky feeling of bottomed out blood sugar. I was prepared to start insulting people if the food did not arrive damn quick. Truckers eat well, the plate of food spanned from fork to knife, shoulder width. We chowed.

over and out

The trouble with Jasper

Jasper, a few hours before the jail break

On Saturday night, first night here, we returned from dinner to Jasper the motor home cat, sleeping on the dash. It did not take long for all of us to get busy with this or that, and at some point Jasper slipped out the door and was gone. Keep in mind this is a cat who has NEVER been outside, so one can image what the big world must look like to him. He has no reference point for getting back to the rig, since he's never seen it much from ground level.

Add a busy and noisy RV park on a Saturday night, fireworks going off, kids and dogs everywhere, and the end result is a freaked out cat, nowhere to be found. By the time we realized he was gone, around 9 pm or so, we were planning to call it a night and get some sleep before the 3:30 am alarm. Jasper's flight changed everything, and we spent the next 1.5 hours searching for him, burning up flashlight batteries. We roamed the park several times, no cat.

My dad and step mom love this cat for several different reasons. First is that he is just a cool cat, no question. He replaced Ajax, who was hit when he got too close to a busy road. Jasper's sister Sophie had a feline infection that was too much for her, so she was put to sleep. Dad needed some good cat Karma, but it was not forthcoming. Suddenly the ride became secondary to finding Jasper, so we all went to bed, exhausted and sick at the idea that the cat was gone. Conventional wisdom states that it is best to leave the cat at home when bumping around in an RV. If the cat gets out, it is gone.

Sunday morning, we loaded everything in the car, and while searching for the start point down at the marina, Phyllis my step mom called. She went out into the park, 5 am. A few hushed calls to Jasper elicited a loud MEOW, which led her to a rig two spaces down. Phyllis had the wisdom to go out into the quiet park, the only time you can hear anything as soft as a cat's meow. She called us in the car with the news, just as we found our takeoff point. With park security, a few fellow travelers and dad returning to the scene, they discovered that Jasper had crawled up under a motor home and wedged himself headfirst between a small corridor of space between the gas tank and frame. He could not back out, nor was he interested in any coaxing and protested with load traumatic cat screams.

Out of ideas, Phyllis decided to locate the nearest fire department. A call did no good, as the fire station was just starting the morning shift change. She then got in the car, drove to the station and said the magic words, "we might have to remove the gas tank." This got their attention, and off they went to the park to save Jasper. After just 30 minutes and a tag team effort, an unwedged Jasper found himself back in dad's firm grip, seemingly fine about the whole affair.

Rescued at last. Who's Happier, Dad or Jasper?

Phyllis called us at the moment of rescue, as we rode up Alpine blvd away from the Pacific coast. In an instant our motivation for the ride came flooding back, knowing that Jasper was safe, dad and Phyllis had their travel partner back, and we had a second chance at keeping the cat inside.

Over and out

day 2 - leaving San Diego, to El Centro, CA 138.24 miles/13.6 mph average 9 hrs 22 min.

With a bit more than four hours sleep, we got up around 3:30 am. Showers were out of the question the previous night, due to the search and rescue underway. The bikes were already jammed into the back of my Dad's Jeep SUV, so we gathered up all the other stuff and headed out.

The start point sits next to Sea World, seemingly easy to find. Not so this day. We drove around looking for Old Sea World Road, which had been replaced with Sea World Road. We tracked a few circles, lost. Phyllis then called to let us know that she heard a cat up under a motor home a few spaces over (see above post). Although we really wanted to get the ride started, this information lent an urgency, as we wanted Dad to get back to the park and help find Jasper. I can tell you this cat is part of the family, and when a member just disappears, it is freaky.

Once we located a road a mile or two from where we'd normally start, we popped out, threw the front wheels on the bikes and off we went. The road went up immediately as we left the coast. It was a slow grind, through rain, hail and a bit of sleet. We had no idea we'd get this kind of weather. Were we really in California? The elevation gain was no more than about 4200 feet or so, nice and slow. The clouds hid the road ahead. Every time we thought we'd hit a summit, the road went up, again.

Once on the plateau, it warmed up a bit, and the going got much easier. We passed a wind farm with a few dozen massive, turning wind mills. We have pics, and will get them up soon. The route then dumped us onto I-8, descending under the strongest cross winds I've ever dealt with.

From there we exited onto state route 98. The tail wind pushed us along at about 25 mph, and up to 30-35 mph if we decided to peddle, soft peddle at that. These winds cut about an hour off our already slow and steady pace.

We rolled into El Centro at 5 pm, cleaned up and went to Denny's!

Over and out

day 1 arrival in SD

Phyllis successfully wrestles the camera from Dad's hands and snaps a pic

Phyllis supervises our gear organizing session

We took the early flight to SD and the excitement started right away. Our friends dropped us off, and as we stood in the line for checked bag security, I realized we'd left the camera bag either at home or in their car. We can do without cameras, but the maps and GPS phone were also in the bag. After a bit if hand-wringing we got in touch with our airport ride and they returned within 15 minutes. Off we went. We then had a bit of trouble finding the gate, and walked up to our flight as they were boarding. Normally airport time goes well, but not on this day.

The one stop in Reno packed the plane, but the flight was short. SD weather was a bit cooler than normal, and we would get a better taste of it when we rode away from the coast. Mission Hills Bike shop received our bikes and had them assembled and ready. They were a great group, and the shop had that grease and rubber smell that every good shop should have.

So everything fell into place, bike ready, a quick dinner, one stop at the Whole Foods for last minute items. We'd anticipated an early relaxing night, but Jasper the cat had other ideas. More on that later, I am unable to download pics in this motel lobby, as I write this, so we'll post again with a nice portrait of this very cool cat. My Dad and Phyllis travel with a 7 month old orange tabby, but he has never been outside.

over and out