For the last 3 days I cycled on and off with a lady from Amsterdam on a 3 month tour of the US. It was nice to have some company. She is a seasoned world traveller and is heading north now while I’m heading south.
The weather forecast was calling for temperatures in the low to mid 30s celcius today so I got on the road early, just after 6:30. The ride today was over 80 miles so I wanted to get as far as I could before it got really hot.
The first 10 miles out of Wickenburg on US 60 were mostly downhill so that was nice. When I reached SR 74 at the 12 mile mark, I left the ACA bike route and followed US Bike Route 90 which followed SR 74, the Pleasant Valley Parkway, Deer Valley Road and then on to the New River Bike Path. That route is much more safe, scenic and relaxing than the traditional ACA route. Just before turning on to Deer Valley Road I stopped at a McDonald’s to fuel up on an egg McMuffin and coffee before riding the rest of the way to Tempe.
Along SR 74
Pleasant Valley Parkway
New River Trail
Arizona Canal Trail
There weren’t too many people on the New River Trail, just a few cyclists and runners I guess the hot weather kept most people off the trail today. When I reached Rio Vista Park I connected with the Skunk Creek trail and the Arizona Canal trail and followed the ACA route the rest of the way to downtown Tempe. Google maps on my smart phone lead me to the Tempe Super 8. There’s even a convenience store across the road that sells beer and munchies. I found a Thai restaurant nearby and had Thai eggplant stirfry for dinner.
Today’s ride was 85 miles. It was a long day in the sun with over six hours of cycling and an hour or so for breaks.
Tomorrow will be a rest and tourist day in Tempe.
On another note, I hate typing with my thumbs on this smartphone so please ignore any typos. I’m too lazy to go back and make corrections.