Turn, Turn, Turn

To everything there is a season and a time to every purpose….

Today was a day of turns…..really, a LOT of turns.  We resumed our route at 7:05 a.m. exactly where we left it yesterday – at the McDonald’s on the outskirts of Surprise.  We had stayed overnight at a motel a little over 2 miles away, but thanks to Rick’s “I”, we rode back to where we left off and continued from there, adding about 5 miles to our total for today. 

So today we crisscrossed through the Phoenix/Scottsdale/Tempe/Mesa urban area.  Our average mph is compromised due to all the stop and go cycling we did today.  It wasn’t a hard day, though; some downhill, a lot of flat, a little bit of rising out of Scottsdale, but overall not a hard day at all.  The weather gave us a break with a lovely cloud cover most of the day keeping the temperature down to the low 100’s.  And, best of all, today we finished Map 1 of the Southern Tier!!!

Tonight we are at the Superstition Inn & Suites in Apache Junction.  We actually had enough energy after the ride to go to the pool and hang out a bit, do laundry, and walk next door to the Waffle House for “dinner” (salad for me, loaded hash browns, and the most scrumptious Pecan Waffle I’ve ever had).  Going back there in the morning for another one before tomorrow's ride!

Total miles:  70.12

Time:  5:26

Avg:   12.91

For those of you following a day or so behind us….

When you get onto the Phoenix “detail” insert, note that the left turn onto Bethany Home Road is a really weird left turn.  You have to turn left onto what looks like a sidewalk going through some shrubs, before you get to the traffic light.  This takes you into a residential area and from there, the directions on the course map are spot on.  If you get to the actual stop light, you’ve gone too far; make a U turn and go through those shrubs.

Also on the “detail” insert, when you get on Oak St., you think you’ve got a straight shot down Oak until you turn right on 68^th.  However, at one point, you’ll see a road sign indicating that Oak St., is “not a through street”.  Keep going.  It’s NOT a through street to cars, but it is to bicycles.  You will get to a place where it seems to end, but there’s a path that goes through a greenbelt and takes you to the continuation of Oak on the other side of the greenbelt at Orangedale.

When we got to the Rio Salada (river), we actually had to ride into the Marina there, go left through the parking area at the end of which we saw a bike trail.  Got on that bike trail for a bit, then exited at Scottsdale Rd. and rode up and over Scottsdale Rd. across the river.  And there at the corner of Scottsdale and Rio Salada Pkwy, is the Matchline for the end of Map 1.

You turn left at Rio Salada Pkwy.  Go about a mile and on the left there’s the Tempe Marketplace and a number of restaurants to eat at and shops for anything you might need (including a Target).