Tucson rest day - I'm Happy To Be Here - CycleBlaze

December 1, 2021

Tucson rest day

Last night I stayed up until midnight reading Only When I Stand On It, a book about a man hiking the Appalachian Trail. I’m enjoying the read. Especially the part about the hostel that would only let him pay for half of a queen bed, $20., but wouldn’t let him pay for the whole bed in case someone else needed a place to sleep!

As a consequence, I slept in this morning. No problem, Jan wouldn’t arrive until noon. I had plenty of time to eat, sort my gear, and patch that flat tire. 

Time flies on free days. I hardly accomplished my chores before Jan arrived. She declared we needed a non bicycling activity. We went to the Sonoran Desert Museum. It was $25. To get in. Oren had said it was easily worth an entire day. I’m afraid we zipped through quickly. In almost all of the exhibits, we couldn’t see the animals/reptiles who were supposed to be inside. The few places that did have animals, I felt sorry for the them for being in such a small area. I guess it’s been awhile since I was at a zoo. All of the scenery photos below are from there. 

On the way back, we stopped at Ajo Bikes, a recumbent specialty shop. I was chagrined to discover I had passed within a couple of blocks of there yesterday. It’s almost directly on the bike path down by the VA Center. 

We ate dinner at Casa Valencia. It was good and the music was not turned up loud. The combination plates are a good value. 

We discussed expectations about start times, riding speeds, etc. I have the only map. Jan insists we are going to ride exactly together. She’s concerned about going around corners with the Wheelie and catching a tire, causing her to fall. I said she would be far more likely to fall from going slowly enough to ride with me. 

Let’s see how the morning goes. 

It has been great fun catching up in person. Jan and I did a couple of long weekend rides together at least 20 years ago, back when we were both newbie cyclists. We were much younger then!

Heart 2 Comment 2
Bill ShaneyfeltAmazing display of Sonoran Desert plant diversity!
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3 years ago
Marcela I.To Bill ShaneyfeltThank you for mentioning it, it helped me see and appreciate the photo better!
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3 years ago
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Marcela I.The palette here with the mountains in the center background and the cactus lining up perfectly is so great. One of my favorites for this trip.
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3 years ago
Kelly IniguezTo Marcela I.Thank you!
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3 years ago
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jerry witherspoonI remember the Sonoran fondly. Your terrific photos brought my recollection back clearly. Great drive getting there too.

spoon
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3 years ago