Day 3

December 30, 2010

You know, when I thought about this trip I didn't have high expectations. Having driven some of the roads on the route I didn't expect great scenery, aside from day's 1 and 2 in the Borrego Springs area. I wasn't sure about the weather either, would I have to bail out in Yuma and take the train? I certainly did not expect to find any other riders on the road, like I did while touring this summer. To tell you the truth, part of the reason I wanted to do this ride was for training, just because; I was going to visit my friends anyway, why not ride?

So I guess I'm a little surprised that I'm having as much fun as I am. And I guess it just shows to go you that you don't HAVE to have spectacular scenery to have a good time on a bike trip, that sometimes it's about the people you meet and all of the other things that happen.

I woke up to bright sunny skies and strong tailwinds, always a spirit lifter! The ride from Calexico was pleasant with a good road surface. About 30 miles from the start I had to get on Even Hewes "Highway." It's the old road that was built before interstates were even a glint in Eisenhower's eye. As a result, the road surface, well, sucks. It gets no maintenance so you're dodging potholes, pressure cracks and rough surfaces. So I was glad when that short stretch ended and could legally get on highway 8. Now THAT was fun, with a smooth shoulder and a monster tailwind! I made great time and before I knew it I was at Gordon Wells.

Gordon Wells appears to be there only because of the ATV vacationers, and though I'm not into that kind of thing I could see how people who are into that kind of thing would like that place. It was there, at the Dune's Diner I met Judy. "I really admire you bike riders. I wish I could do that, I used to be really athletic but now I have bad knees," she said. She said a lot of touring cyclist come through, which I find interesting, considering it's not an official ACA route. Anyway, that was fun, talking to her and a few of the ATVers.

After that I moved on. I had a bit more freeway riding and saw more ATVers. I rolled off my exit, the one where I would get back on the frontage road again, and made a left turn over the freeway bridge. On the other side I saw someone stopped on the side of the road. I got closer--did he have a bike? I got even closer--I think that's a bike, not only that, it's a touring bike!

He rode over to my side of the road and seemed as thrilled to see me as I was so see him. Chi, from China, has been on the road for 5 months and started in New York. "You're the first touring cyclist I have seen on this trip," I said. He had not seen another touring cyclist in a long time either. We chatted for a while about all of the things touring cyclist chat about-directions, road conditions, winds, terrain, and of course, bikes. First, the Girl Friday, which is always a conversation starter, and he was riding a Long Haul Trucker! Meeting Chi was a nice surprise.

After some pictures we said our goodbyes and we both headed out in separate directions--he into the wind and me with the wind.

Not far down the road was the "tourist attraction" called "The Center Of The World". I had been eyeing it since I was planning my trip. It looked different and something I could possibly write about. So I pulled in and rolled my bike up to one of the buildings near the pyramid (see pics).

"You can't leave your bike there," a man said, kind of rudely. "Put it on the bike rake."
"What bike rack?" I asked.
"Down there." He pointed to a little rack (that could never hold a loaded bike anyway) located closest to the road in the parking lot and behind what looked like a transformer.
"I can't see it from there if I'm looking around."
"We've never had a problem," he said.
As I was weighing the odds of ME being the first "problem", of someone picking my bike up and throwing it in a pickup truck without me seeing it, the woman standing next to him said, rather snottily, "You know there is a $5.00 entry fee."
I rolled my bike back to the parking lot and asked a couple what this "thing/place" was all about.
"It's some kind of thing about how the world began, or something."
"Is it worth $5.00?" I asked.
"No."
So, the Girl Friday and I got the heck out of there.

After that it was on to Yuma and a nice hotel that was having a special on suites! WOO-HOOO!

It sure was a fun day! I wonder what tomorrow will be like?