We left Houston on Monday morning with both her and my bikes plus gear packed in the van and by taking turns driving have made the 1500 mile drive in good time.
Yesterday we started out from Las Cruces, New Mexico and ended in Casa Grande, Arizona, just south of Phoenix. On the road we stopped of in Tombstone, AZ, for lunch and a gander at the touristy sites. They have closed off the two old main streets of the town, covered them with dirt and packed all of the shops and saloons with appropriately garbed characters. The Daltons, all dressed in black in white stood around looking sullen and menacing, while the ladies flounced and the Earp gang worked the sidewalks.
sign from Tombstone, AZ
We didn't pony up $20.00 each to watch the re enactment of the gun fight at the OK Corral, but I did come across a sign about politicians and shit that seemed appropriate to the place, both in the past as well as the present. Nor did we trudge up to the Boot Hill cemetary, but it was a fun respite from the endless straight highway and endless vistas of distant mountains and miles and miles of very dry grassland, dormant vegetation which could have been burned or dead, and the occassional group of cattle.
We took a brief detour just before Tucson to visit the church of St. Xavier de Bac on one of the small reservations. This cathedral was founded in 1792 by the Francisan monks. The interior is strongly reminiscent of churches in Spain and Mexico that I have seen from the same period. The area over the altar had a magnificent domed rough, richly painted with liturgical figures and each of the side chapels was similarly decorated. The plaster work decorations on the inside were deeply sculpted and painted making it seem like you could almost stroll from saints' niche to saints' niche high up on the walls, by strolling along the plasterwork. Between the interior plasterwork and the amazing sandstone frontal around the door, it was a truely amazing homage to the faith and industry of those who built and decorated it back when it must have been about the only thing around for 100's of miles in each direction.
San Xavier de Bac, Tucson, AZ
Today's drive brought us through some interesting mountains, and a lot of suguaro cacti. There were a yellow type of daisy blooming along the highway, most of the barrel cactii looked like they were about ready to burst forth and here and there there were carpets of a small lavendar flower. It will be interesting to see the spring progress as we ride and it looks like we will be going through in time for most of the wild flowers, if not the cactii as well.
The coastal mountains coming in California were alternately nothing but stone and beautifully green and grassy. There were also occasional swathes of poppies and as we came down into the coastal area, bright hot pink and magenta purple ice plant blossoms added to the color.
It looks like the first days in California, while blessedly short on distance, will be a lot of climbing. We actually passed through the first two towns, Alpine and Jacumba and it looks like it's all pretty much a 5-7% grade, unless they have found some alternate routes with tramways or elevators. Sigh.....
Theoretically though, the wind should be blowing as a tail wind which might be some consolation.
Tonight we are meeting up with another sister, Lovisa, for dinner and then tomorrow I will check in at the starting hotel and get to know some of the other ladies. Our kick off orientation/map reading/ get to know one another will be followed by tire repair clinic and then a farewell dinner.
Friday the fun starts in earnest with a dip of our rear wheels in the Pacific Ocean and family and friends to wave us on our way.
I'm beginning to wonder what I have gotten myself in for. Time and miles will tell.
the front of the church
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