March 6 - 11: California

3/11 - Blythe (0 miles 239 total)

layover day in blythe--0 miles for most of us

i saw a few of us out on their bikes, perhaps to do errands or test bikes after tweaking bike parts, but for the most part, we spent our rest day resting.

resting for us includes trips to the post office & to the laundromat (since the one here at the motel doesn't work reliably).

it was surprising to see so many of us in the motel's continental-breakfast room by 6:30 this morning. we can't get out of bike-tour mode. it was still nice, however, knowing we didn't have to get on our bikes right after breakfast.

at 8, michelle held a flat-fixing & bike-maintenance workshop in the parking lot. many women on this trip are already experts at such things, but some of us aren't, so we attended.

here's michelle describing the fine points of flat repair using rita's front tire, as rita watches nervously on the right. on the left in the red jacket is mary from boston, in the blue shirt is bryn, & in black is catherine, one of our staff persons & also a good bike mechanic.

afterwards, a few took to the cleaning rags themselves to work on their bikes. here are, from left, bryn, patty, sandy, gay, & karen.

sitting around the pool was a favorite rest-day (in)activity. here are, from left, jane, loralee, deb, CJ, & donna.

here's a view across the parking lot that gives you an idea of what motels have to contend with when they host a bunch of bikers. you notice there aren't lots of folks working on their bikes there at the trailer; the cleaning supplies are going untouched. but there's a clothesline full of wash up there on the 2nd-floor railing.

we learned at the map meeting late afternoon that we cross the colorado river into arizona very early into tomorrow's ride (at mi 5), then spend almost 25 miles on interstate 10...over 1/3 of the day's 65 mi. the good news is that there's a lunch stop in quartzsite called sweet darlene's that has "great pies." as i bike on the interstate, i'll distract myself by keeping my 'eye on the pies.'

michelle warns us not to blink as we go thru tomorrow night's overnight town, salome, or we'll miss it. our accommodations there, at sheffler's motel, are basic; she says we fill up the motel. whether or not i'll have access to a phone jack...it sounds iffy. perhaps tomorrow's ride report will be a day late, we'll see.

If you would like copies of the original, full-size photos, feel free to e-mail my son Mark with your request. Stay tuned....

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