Hank – I woke just before dawn. Kathy was up a little later. We both got to watch the sky catch fire during the sunrise. It was pretty awesome. Birds sang with the rising sun and for about an hour or so the desert seemed to be a very inviting place.

Clouds helped keep the sun at bay when we got back on the road. The day called for 38 miles and a slight downhill for much of it. The miles quickly passed. We stopped in the shade near the General Motors section of the Yuma Proving Ground. We fixed peanut butter sandwiches and made short work of the vukgar graffiti apparently left by unhappy GM workers.

We’re going to visit Janet and Steve. Kathy used to work with Janet at the Sacred Heart Emergency Department in Spokane. They decided to meet us when we were 10 miles out. They wanted to give us a ride but there wasn’t enough room. So they took our panniers, which allowed us to finish much more quickly. The bikes are always faster when they’re light.

Once we arrived they made us feel right at home. We showered, did laundry, and Janet whipped up a great dinner of salmon and a spinach salad. We spent the evening catching up and doing a walking tour of the RV park they’re in. It’s very nice and has tons of things to do for the active 55+ group. I could hear the gears whirring in Kathy’s mind.

Kathy – I slept great in the desert and awoke to a glorious sunrise. It was so peaceful drinking my tea in the tent as I watched the sunrise directly in front of us gradually pop up over the mountain range.

The ride went very well today. An easy 38 miles with views of the desert landscapes and beautiful mountains encapsulated our day. We had a nice headwind but it wasn’t strong enough to deter me too much, and it kept us cool. Temps were in the high 70’s with partly cloudy skies.

During the ride we saw lots of sign to watch out for animals. The only animals we saw the past few days were birds and butterflies. Yesterday I Googled what animals I need to be mindful of in the Arizona desert near Yuma. The results were a bit terrifying, the Gila monsters (some venomous lizards), rattlesnakes, Africanized bees, scorpions, Arizona coral snakes, tarantulas, brown spiders, black widow spiders, and Sonoran Desert Toads. I guess you can say I stayed very alert around the campsite. 😬😱😳☠️

Let’s move on to better things. The desert is very green right now. We saw so many beautiful flowers which were a nice contrast against the brown and green desert colored landscape. As we were riding Hank pulled up next to me and said to look to my left where the Dolly Parton National Monument was…it was two large brown mountains that stood out against the blue backdrop of mountains.

Janet and Steve Met is about ten miles outside of Yuma with nice cold refreshing water. They wanted to give us a ride to their place but the bikes wouldn’t fit in their car. They did take our panniers which really made it a light easy finish to our days ride. That was so kind of them.

We got to the RV Park that they are staying at for the winter and it is pretty sweet. So many RV’s and a ton of amenities within the RV park. They take care of your every need here. They have a huge selection of daily activities to choose from to keep both your mind and body healthy. You really don’t need to leave this place except to get groceries on occasion. Janet and Steve have a pretty sweet deal here. They also have many wonderful friends that join them back here each winter. Their “roughing it” every winter in Arizona sounds pretty good to me! 😱❄️🥶…🌵☀️🏝

Janet made a delicious dinner and then we spent the evening hanging out with them. Janet and Steve are two really amazing people. They are smart, fun, very relaxed and enjoying their retirement life. They are also some of the kindest and sincere people you would ever meet. I am so thankful for their warm and inviting welcome. Looking forward to more time with them over the next few days.

A couple of notes… 

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