Day 8. 65 mi. Some downhill

Funny how 60 miles can change from day to day and road to road. Nice stay at our City park in Aguila. Cold morning so we didn’t rush to get started. Went back to the Coyote Den for breakfast since they gave us a free meal last night. Same daughter server, young teenager. She’s not overtly friendly, doesn’t ever smile or react when complimented and speaks really softly. Something tells me when she grows up she won’t be working in the restaurant business…she’ll run fast and far from that!

Anyway off we went. Up up up and over for about 20 miles then down to Wickenburg. Real homes, they outnumber the RV parks. Most of the RV villages were pretty nice. Big step up in economic zone between Maricopa county and La Paz (Quartzite). The countryside is very, very green and beautiful vistas off to mountain ranges. The desert in all its glory. One more rain storm and all the flowers will pop out! Hope we get to see them. Speaking of rain. It’s suppose to start raining Tuesday through Friday.

To answer a few questions. No we haven’t been to a hot springs…yet. Yes we are taking our first day off on Tuesday. The plan is to set off again Wednesday but we will be checking the weather to the East. Tomorrow we have about a 50 mile ride through greater Phoenix heading southeast to Mesa. Jims good friend/ former boss/former coworker (Tom S) is wintering in Mesa RV Park. He’s out of town right now so he’s offered it to us. Isn’t that just about the kindest thing to do? We are really grateful and looking forward to all the comforts of home for 2 nights!!

We plan to meet up with a few friends and Jims sister Annette /Larry while we’re here. Kickback and share beers and stories and meet our friend Teal/Keith’s brand new baby, Tatum, but I think I’m going to call her tater-tot😊

We need supplies in Phoenix. First of all more fuel for jetboil camp stove. Energy bars and electrolyte tablets, a rear view mirror for my bike (the one I brought was too low) and most importantly a brighter taillight and brighter clothes for Curt ( or an orange helmet). He sits low “ like Fred Flintstone” so he’s not as readily seen as Jim and I!

MooDelicious camp meal. Asian noodles ( 3 varieties, pho, Thai, Japanese) and dehydrated 4 cheese mashed potatoes, oranges. Vegetables will be in our near future.

Tonight we are camped in a beautiful regional park northwest of Phoenix. It’s called Pleasant Lake. We are high on a hill above. Best of all it has showers. It’s been 2 days so all of us were looking forward to that. The moon is almost full and it looks great in the dark.

The view from our campsite, my hacienda, charging our bike lights and phones outside the outhouse.