Tempe to Florence AZ

I had originally planned to ride to Picacho State Park, north of Tucson today but changed my plan when I saw the weather forecast.   They were calling for a high of 98 Fahrenheit or 36 Celsius and I knew a long day in those temperatures was not going to be a good idea.

I was on the road by 630 this morning and by the end of the day had covered 58 miles when I arrived in Florence just after noon.

By 730 in the morning a northeast headwind had come up and that made for slow going for the first part of the morning. Once I arrived in Apache Junction the road swung to the southeast and the wind began to help me.   I stopped at a McDonald’s in Apache Junction to fuel up and take advantage of their air-conditioning and a chance to cool down.
After Apache Junction I continued to follow Highway 60 for another 13 miles before exiting and heading south on Highway 79.  The next 18 miles to Florence went by quickly as I had the wind at my back and was able to cruise into town averaging 20 mph.

Highway 79

After having lunch at Taco Bell I hopped on the bike and rode over to the Holiday Inn Express where  I’m staying tonight.

Florence

Tomorrow they are forecasting cooler temperatures in the mid-80s Fahrenheit so I’ll find a place to camp for the next couple of nights.  They are also calling for a chance of precipitation over the next couple of days.