I woke up to a cloudy sky and cooler temperatures today. The high temperature for the day was forecast to be in the mid 80s. It was nice to have a break from the heat I had been experiencing for the last 4 or 5 days.
I had a really good sleep last night at the Holiday Inn Express in Florence. I think riding in those extreme temperatures and being in the sun all day was starting to wear me down. I felt well rested today when I left the hotel at 7:15 and headed for Picacho Peak State Park.
The traffic was heavy along highway 287 as I headed west to Coolidge. I had to ride in the bumpy shoulder if the road most of the 10 miles to Coolidge.
Once I got to Coolidge I headed south on highway 87 for about 20 miles. There was a nice wide shoulder most of the way and traffic was very light. It was great riding with little traffic and cooler temperatures.
When I reached I reached Interstate – 10, I headed southeast along a frontage road that I seemed to have all to myself.
After another 10 miles or so I arrived at Picacho Peak State Park. The park is quite beautiful with several varieties of cactus, wildflowers and shrubs. The park us also home to a couple of types if rattlesnakes. I’m hoping not to see any up close.
Today’s ride was 39 miles and I arrived before lunch. I spent the afternoon mapping out my route for tomorrow to Catalina State Park, north of Tucson, doing a few crossword puzzles and enjoying the scenery. 
Spagetti for dinner.
Precipitation and stronger winds are in the forecast for the next several days. They haven’t had any rain here in over 2 months. I’m hoping it holds off a little until I’m finished camping in a few days.
