Arizona doesn't observe Daylight Savings Time so it gets light earlier in the morning.
Of course, I don't suppose that really matters when you get up at 4:20.
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| From mark on a bike 08 |
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| From mark on a bike 08 |
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| From mark on a bike 08 |
We were on the road by 5:15, pedaling straight into a mild headwind. We passed through Florence Junction (pop. 0) and began climbing.
I took some pictures of the flora along the way.
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| From mark on a bike 08 |
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| From mark on a bike 08 |
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| From mark on a bike 08 |
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| From mark on a bike 08 |
These are pictures on the road to Superior.
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| From mark on a bike 08 |
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| From mark on a bike 08 |
We passed Dromedary Peak and Comet Peak. By 8:45 we had traveled 25 miles and stopped for "lunch" in Superior (pop. 3254).
Normally, the mere THOUGHT of eating a hot dog from a convenience store at 9 AM would elicit a clenching sensation of my stomach and bowels, with accompanying high-pitched vocals screeching "No room at the Inn!! Go away! Keep Out!!" However, I had been up (and "exercising") for almost five hours. Besides that, the hot dog was the healthiest item in the store, and the convenience store was the only place in town to buy something. (coming in at a close secong were the brick-colored corn dogs which could double as a bludgeon)
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| From mark on a bike 08 |
And really, you know, it WAS a "Superior" hot dog.
We rested a while then headed east out of Superior.
As soon as we left town, the road got really steep. There was some construction, which was both good and bad. The road was down to one alternating lane, so there would be no cars for about five to seven minutes. That was nice, but then there would be a lot of cars for a minute or two.
We also passed through the mountain via a tunnel. I had forgotten just how LOUD it is in a tunnel... the echo of even the tiniest sound, and the bone-jarring palpable waves when a vehicle is in the tunnel with you.
There were a surprising number of cars but the shoulder was wide and generally free of debris. There was one section, a short slice of road about a quarter of a mile, which was possibly the most dangerous I've ever traveled.
This section curved to the right, so I wasn't visible to cars (or semis) coming around the corner. A giant wall of stone kept me hidden until the last second. The shoulder was about two inches wide, which isn't necessarily a problem in itself. Normally, if the road is that dangerous and there isn't a shoulder I'll just ride next to the shoulder... on the grass if I have to. Walking my bike if I have to. However, I wasn't able to do that because there was a guard rail right next to the road. Fortunately, this section wasn't very long. Fortunately, I didn't die.
There are some beautiful rock formations along this part of the route.
We continued climbing over Signal Mountain Pass and stopped in Top of the World. There we paused to take some pictures. While I was snapping a few photos, I heard a gravelly voice behind me say, "You're takin' a picture of the wrong thing. You oughta be takin' a picture of that diner. It's been in five movies." I turned around and saw an elderly gentleman pointing across the street. Then he started talking about the diner.
His name is Paul Bumpas and after talking about the diner for a while he continued his history of the area by walking us down the street a little ways and showing us a plaque, now becoming overgrown with weeds, on the side of the road. It told when this highway was built, and included the astronomical cost of $1,000,000. He remarked that a million dollars would now pay for about a quarter mile of highway.
Mr. Bumpas is in his mid-80's, a World War II veteran. When he learned Klaus is from Frankfurt he began speaking in German to him. Apparently, he was stationed at a German prison camp during the war and learned to speak German at that time.
After 35-40 minutes we eventually excused ourselves and left. He had a lot more to tell us, but we needed to put some more miles behind us.
Klaus borrows my camera.
We continued riding, past Bloody Tanks Wash, and eventually arrived in a series of connected towns in the valley: Miami, Claypool, and Globe.
Globe (pop. 7486) is our destination for the day. Our first order of business was to get something to eat. We stopped at Wendy's and ordered some burgers.
I collected my order and began walking to a table. A man in his late fifties asked where we were going and we continued the conversation at our table.
His name is Don Reynolds. Don was a triathlete for many years, and even qualified for the Iron Man in Hawaii. Unfortunately, he was unable to go because of his job requirements. He's been in the military and in Iraq (not at the same time) and has an interesting story about how he and his wife got together.
When we were finished with our lunch he pulled out his cell phone, called his wife and asked her a question. After he hung up he explained that he received a voucher in the mail for a free night at the casino hotel for two people. Since he and his wife live there in Globe, they don't really need it and he asked if we were interested. We jumped at the offer. He drove to get them and we met him on the edge of town.
When he brought the voucher in his very cool car, he thought it would be a good idea to check in to the hotel himself. The voucher was in his name, and that way, he could be sure there wouldn't be a problem for us at the front desk when we arrived.
We started pedaling the ten miles to the casino. One mile from the casino, he pulled us over on the side of the road and explained that there were no vacancies at the hotel. He felt pretty bad about it, and gave us the vouchers, saying we might be able to get on a cancellation list.
By the time we arrived at the casino/hotel on the San Carlos Indian Reservation the temperature had climbed to three degrees above hellish. During the last week or so, I've regularly wondered how people lived in this area a hundred years ago.
As soon as I saw the hotel I realized how desperately I had been looking forward to spending the night in an air conditioned room.
We decided to talk to the people at the front desk and explain our situation. Perhaps there had been a cancellation. There WAS, at least, a place to camp since we wouldn't be staying in the hotel.
Klaus did the talking because it's more impressive to say, "I started in Germany and pedaled 8,000 miles" than it is to say "I started in San Diego." Besides, he has a cool German accent.
When he told the desk attendant our story, she simply gave us a room. Just like that.... as if we had reserved it a week ago and had finally arrived. I floated on air down the hall to our room.
After luxuriating in the air conditioning for a little while I gave Don a call to let him know we got a room and to thank him for his thoughtfulness. He sounded very relieved.
Then we walked across the parking lot to the Circle K and bought breakfast (WHAT?!?! No breakfast at the hotel??? For the price we paid?!?!).
That evening we walked down the hall to the casino. The first thing we noticed was the smell. Smoking is permitted, and a lot of the people there smoke.
Our room came with a "Fun Pack" which includes: 1) a "50-cent Keno game." (Apparently, that doesn't mean a free Keno game that costs fifty cents. It means you get fifty cents off a dollar game) 2) a "free drink up to $2.50." (Drinks cost $3.75-$5.00) 3) $1.00 worth of chips to play the slot machines. (Woo-Hoo!)
This is a picture of Klaus after losing at Keno. We were SURE he was going to win.
More casino pictures. Obviously, these are people who KNOW how to party:
We wandered around a bit, drinking a Dr. Pepper, getting the tickets from our Fun Pack, and playing a game of Keno, before going over to the restaurant.
The restaurant is in the casino, making sure you don't have to stray very far from your chance to win big. On the way Klaus took a couple of pictures, and we sat down in restaurant. I was about to point out the cigarette smoke billowing over the partition and down onto us when a woman in a security uniform came over and asked, "Does one of you have a camera?"
We played dumb for a second, but the jig was up. When Klaus said he did, the woman said cameras aren't allowed and that he would have to delete the pictures. He asked, "What about all the cellphones? Are they allowed?"
She responded firmly and in a monotone, as if she'd said it a hundred times today, "Cameras aren't allowed in the casino."
He shrugged and walked back to the room and left it there, pictures intact.
After two tries, they finally had an item I ordered.
I think it's kind of fun occasionally going to a casino and losing ten or fifteen dollars. It's like going to a movie - I consider it money spent on "entertainment."
However, although I really liked the hotel, the casino seemed subtly miserable and sad, with a sense of desperation in the air.
We went back to our room smelling of cigarette smoke and prepared for another day of bicycling.
58.4 distance
9.1 avg
35.4 max
6:11:04 time
462.5 cumulative
As soon as we left town, the road got really steep. There was some construction, which was both good and bad. The road was down to one alternating lane, so there would be no cars for about five to seven minutes. That was nice, but then there would be a lot of cars for a minute or two.
 |
| From mark on a bike 08 |
 |
| From mark on a bike 08 |
 |
| From mark on a bike 08 |
We also passed through the mountain via a tunnel. I had forgotten just how LOUD it is in a tunnel... the echo of even the tiniest sound, and the bone-jarring palpable waves when a vehicle is in the tunnel with you.
 |
| From mark on a bike 08 |
 |
| From mark on a bike 08 |
There were a surprising number of cars but the shoulder was wide and generally free of debris. There was one section, a short slice of road about a quarter of a mile, which was possibly the most dangerous I've ever traveled.
This section curved to the right, so I wasn't visible to cars (or semis) coming around the corner. A giant wall of stone kept me hidden until the last second. The shoulder was about two inches wide, which isn't necessarily a problem in itself. Normally, if the road is that dangerous and there isn't a shoulder I'll just ride next to the shoulder... on the grass if I have to. Walking my bike if I have to. However, I wasn't able to do that because there was a guard rail right next to the road. Fortunately, this section wasn't very long. Fortunately, I didn't die.
There are some beautiful rock formations along this part of the route.
 |
| From mark on a bike 08 |
 |
| From mark on a bike 08 |
 |
| From mark on a bike 08 |
We continued climbing over Signal Mountain Pass and stopped in Top of the World. There we paused to take some pictures. While I was snapping a few photos, I heard a gravelly voice behind me say, "You're takin' a picture of the wrong thing. You oughta be takin' a picture of that diner. It's been in five movies." I turned around and saw an elderly gentleman pointing across the street. Then he started talking about the diner.
 |
| From mark on a bike 08 |
 |
| From mark on a bike 08 |
His name is Paul Bumpas and after talking about the diner for a while he continued his history of the area by walking us down the street a little ways and showing us a plaque, now becoming overgrown with weeds, on the side of the road. It told when this highway was built, and included the astronomical cost of $1,000,000. He remarked that a million dollars would now pay for about a quarter mile of highway.
 |
| From mark on a bike 08 |
Mr. Bumpas is in his mid-80's, a World War II veteran. When he learned Klaus is from Frankfurt he began speaking in German to him. Apparently, he was stationed at a German prison camp during the war and learned to speak German at that time.
 |
| From mark on a bike 08 |
 |
| From mark on a bike 08 |
After 35-40 minutes we eventually excused ourselves and left. He had a lot more to tell us, but we needed to put some more miles behind us.
Klaus borrows my camera.
 |
| From mark on a bike 08 |
 |
| From mark on a bike 08 |
We continued riding, past Bloody Tanks Wash, and eventually arrived in a series of connected towns in the valley: Miami, Claypool, and Globe.
Globe (pop. 7486) is our destination for the day. Our first order of business was to get something to eat. We stopped at Wendy's and ordered some burgers.
I collected my order and began walking to a table. A man in his late fifties asked where we were going and we continued the conversation at our table.
His name is Don Reynolds. Don was a triathlete for many years, and even qualified for the Iron Man in Hawaii. Unfortunately, he was unable to go because of his job requirements. He's been in the military and in Iraq (not at the same time) and has an interesting story about how he and his wife got together.
 |
| From mark on a bike 08 |
When we were finished with our lunch he pulled out his cell phone, called his wife and asked her a question. After he hung up he explained that he received a voucher in the mail for a free night at the casino hotel for two people. Since he and his wife live there in Globe, they don't really need it and he asked if we were interested. We jumped at the offer. He drove to get them and we met him on the edge of town.
When he brought the voucher in his very cool car, he thought it would be a good idea to check in to the hotel himself. The voucher was in his name, and that way, he could be sure there wouldn't be a problem for us at the front desk when we arrived.
 |
| From mark on a bike 08 |
 |
| From mark on a bike 08 |
We started pedaling the ten miles to the casino. One mile from the casino, he pulled us over on the side of the road and explained that there were no vacancies at the hotel. He felt pretty bad about it, and gave us the vouchers, saying we might be able to get on a cancellation list.
 |
| From mark on a bike 08 |
 |
| From mark on a bike 08 |
By the time we arrived at the casino/hotel on the San Carlos Indian Reservation the temperature had climbed to three degrees above hellish. During the last week or so, I've regularly wondered how people lived in this area a hundred years ago.
As soon as I saw the hotel I realized how desperately I had been looking forward to spending the night in an air conditioned room.
We decided to talk to the people at the front desk and explain our situation. Perhaps there had been a cancellation. There WAS, at least, a place to camp since we wouldn't be staying in the hotel.
Klaus did the talking because it's more impressive to say, "I started in Germany and pedaled 8,000 miles" than it is to say "I started in San Diego." Besides, he has a cool German accent.
When he told the desk attendant our story, she simply gave us a room. Just like that.... as if we had reserved it a week ago and had finally arrived. I floated on air down the hall to our room.
After luxuriating in the air conditioning for a little while I gave Don a call to let him know we got a room and to thank him for his thoughtfulness. He sounded very relieved.
 |
| From mark on a bike 08 |
 |
| From mark on a bike 08 |
Then we walked across the parking lot to the Circle K and bought breakfast (WHAT?!?! No breakfast at the hotel??? For the price we paid?!?!).
That evening we walked down the hall to the casino. The first thing we noticed was the smell. Smoking is permitted, and a lot of the people there smoke.
Our room came with a "Fun Pack" which includes: 1) a "50-cent Keno game." (Apparently, that doesn't mean a free Keno game that costs fifty cents. It means you get fifty cents off a dollar game) 2) a "free drink up to $2.50." (Drinks cost $3.75-$5.00) 3) $1.00 worth of chips to play the slot machines. (Woo-Hoo!)
This is a picture of Klaus after losing at Keno. We were SURE he was going to win.
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| From mark on a bike 08 |
More casino pictures. Obviously, these are people who KNOW how to party:
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| From mark on a bike 08 |
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| From mark on a bike 08 |
We wandered around a bit, drinking a Dr. Pepper, getting the tickets from our Fun Pack, and playing a game of Keno, before going over to the restaurant.
The restaurant is in the casino, making sure you don't have to stray very far from your chance to win big. On the way Klaus took a couple of pictures, and we sat down in restaurant. I was about to point out the cigarette smoke billowing over the partition and down onto us when a woman in a security uniform came over and asked, "Does one of you have a camera?"
We played dumb for a second, but the jig was up. When Klaus said he did, the woman said cameras aren't allowed and that he would have to delete the pictures. He asked, "What about all the cellphones? Are they allowed?"
She responded firmly and in a monotone, as if she'd said it a hundred times today, "Cameras aren't allowed in the casino."
He shrugged and walked back to the room and left it there, pictures intact.
After two tries, they finally had an item I ordered.
I think it's kind of fun occasionally going to a casino and losing ten or fifteen dollars. It's like going to a movie - I consider it money spent on "entertainment."
However, although I really liked the hotel, the casino seemed subtly miserable and sad, with a sense of desperation in the air.
We went back to our room smelling of cigarette smoke and prepared for another day of bicycling.
58.4 distance
9.1 avg
35.4 max
6:11:04 time
462.5 cumulative
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