Nancy’s Travel Journal

We left El Paso a little later than usual because of traffic in the city.  But, it didn't take long to get on the Old Mission Trail (Rte 258).  I rode by myself for a while, but then saw some folks at the San Elizario Mission.  The mission was originally a Spanish presidio, built in 1789 and used to defend settlers from Apache and Comanche raids.  It was eventually abandoned.  It is said that the Spanish explorer Juan de Onata celebrated a Thanksgiving here in 1598, 23 years before Plymouth.  Today, it is a beautiful mission church built from the ruins of the original presidio.  My friend Maggie from Hawaii is sitting on the wall just in front of the church.

 From the Mission, we rode on to Tornillo, with our main focus on a local restaurant, La Calesa.  While the new owner (only 20 days on the job) was excited to see us, she had to call in her extended family and order more groceries to feed 28 hungry women.  The food was outstanding.  We also had an interesting experience at the school across the street, which will be in a special post.

From there, it was an easy 20 miles into Ft. Hancock.  But, there are always flat tires to change.  We do this whenever the need arises.  It is heartwarming that these women support each other and never ride on if they can lend a hand or moral support. 

Our destination for the evening was the Ft. Hancock Motel, only a small step up from Sheffield's. The good news is that I had my own room for the night.  It seemed like a luxury, but I found that it was a bit lonely.  There was no one to talk to and no one to look around in the morning and tell me what I had left behind.

 Despite its questionable appearance, it is a favorite stopping place for cross country cyclists on the Adventure Cycling southern route, perhaps because it is the only one from many miles.  We  met two men who are doing the same route we are.  Since one of them had a shirt that said Georgia Tech, I asked if he had attended there.  Irv Hoffman graduated in 1960.  Of course he had dated some women from Agnes Scott!  When I told him I was from Metter, he replied that Robert Hulsey was a fraternity brother.  What a small world.  I called Bill later in the evening and he called Robert to tell him.  So this picture is for you, Robert.

One unfortunate event occurred today.  Ellee, one of our guides, fell in El Paso and broke her arm.  She will be out for a few days, but will join us again soon.  We are so glad nothing worse happened.  

We left Las Cruces around 8:00 AM with members of the Bike and Chowder Bicycle Club, who escorted us for about 30 miles.  For a while I rode with "Bo" who has a nephew, Jeff Davis (not hard to remember that name) in the landscaping business in Gainesville, GA.  Wonder if Adrian Flack has run across him?  That would be a small world.  The terrian and crops made me feel right at home.  We pass Stahmann Pecans, http://www.stahmanns.com/ one of the largest pecan growers in the world.  Unlike South Georgia, pecan grove irrigation is done by flooding the fields three times a year.  Thought folks might enjoy the sign as well.  Jimmy Trapnell, do you have to put up signs like these?

In addition to chili peppers (not planted yet), the farmers also grow cotton (also not planted) and onions.

Just when you think you have seen it all, there are more interesting sites to see.  I hesitate to share these yard art photos, because it might give Bill some ideas for our yard.  The giant squirrel may cause problems for the pecan farmers.

We might just want to stick with our bicycles instead of this car.

Somewhere around mile 36 on this day we left New Mexico and entered Texas.  Going through El Paso was a bit scary at times.  We did ride through downtown, which was quite charming.  But, soon we entered the Cesar Chavez Parkway for about 8 harrowing miles.  It was basically an expressway with wide shoulders.  Thank goodness it was Sunday, so the traffic was not bad.  For you cyclists who know me, I was able to set the pace for 5 other women along this road.  Somehow I was feeling strong for a while.  The expressway was along the Mexican-American border.  The picture below depicts what we saw to our left the entire 8 miles.

From the exit to this road, we cycled about three miles to our motel for the night.  My roommate for the evening is Anne Cowan from Bristol, TN.  You can see her website from the links on this site.  Once again we had our traditional celebration on crossing a state border with "adult beverages" with dinner.  It was a long hard day.

From the time I awoke to the smell of coffee and bacon, the day felt like something really special.  We enjoyed a hearty breakfast of eggs (from local "deranged" chickens), bacon, hash brown potatoes, and fresh squeezed orange juice.  As we were loading the van,  the sounds of Cat Steven's "Morning Has Broken" came from the piano played by one of our riders.  Then I walked outside to this scene.  Notice the fresh snow on the mountain.                                                                                                   

It was 40 degrees when I pedaled out of Kingston, dressed in my regular cycling clothes, plus arm warmers, booties over my shoes, long-fingered gloves, and a headband.  So I felt warm as the road took us down 2000 feet in the first 10 miles.  The vistas were incredible.  I had to stop several times to contemplate the beauty of God's world and take some pictures.  The pictures don't tell the whole story, but give a flavor of what we saw.  This part of the ride was truly a spiritual experience.

After a few more miles, we were in the flat lands, but the weather was still cool.  This farm scene was not far from our first site of the Rio Grande River.

After this point we pedaled along the Rio Grande for quite a while.  In Hatch (famous for its chilies) we stopped after 51 miles, at the Pepper Pot (appropriately named) for lunch.  Some riders from the Las Cruces cycling club had been there earlier and pedaled into Las Cruces with our faster riders.  After lunch, it was a long way to Las Cruces, passing pecan trees, chili fields (ready for planting) and some very expensive homes scattered along the road.  After 88 miles, I arrived in Las Cruces and the Hampton Inn, our home for the evening.  The Las Cruces Cycling Club, called Bike and Chowder, hosted a reception for us before dinner.  One of the members told me that her 85-year-old mother (Esther) who is an athlete, would be meeting us in St. Augustine.  I must remember to look her up.

My roommate for the night was Barb Cassels, a retired elementary PE teacher from NY.  So we talked education for a while.  Tonight I was more exhausted than any day so far on the trip.  But, I did sleep well.  

Well, it has been a few days since my last entry.  Lack of internet access and fatigue are my major excuses.  We left Silver City with a temperature of 40, a threat of rain, and the prospect of climbing to 8228 feet.  On this ride, your mind and body speak volumes.  At the first SAG, a blowing rain and cold wind convinced me that this was the day to catch a ride.  So I rode in the SAG to Emery Pass at 8228.  What an awesome site!

That night we stayed in Kiingston, NM, a former thriving silver mining town and the largest city in New Mexico in the 1890s.  At one time it supported 23 saloons, 14 grocery and general stores, a brewery, three newspapers, and an Opera House.  The establishment of the new gold standard and resulting silver panic of 1893 dropped silver prices 90%.  The town dried up almost overnight.  Most of the buildings were either torn down as residents carried the materials with them to other locations or have fallen into disrepair with time.  The Black Canyon Lodge, our residence for the night, was once a garrison for the cavalry and is constructed from the ruins of a casino and saloon.

It is one of the most charming places I have ever stayed.  There were bedrooms in every nook and cranny, my assignment being in the bunk room, where I almost had to sleep on the top bunk. We enjoyed a delicious turkey dinner, cooked by the owners.  The "parlor" was heated by a wood stove.  But, we were warm and comfortable.

Thank you to Mrs. Tammie and Mrs. Dennie Kay's class for cheering me on.  I am so proud of you.  When I get back, I will come to your class and tell you all about my trip.  You can send me a message at the end of these pictures.  Seage, you and your class are so special to cheer your Aunt Nancy on and wear that shirt.

Where is Miss Nancy? 

After leaving Lordsburg around 7:00 AM, we had a long steady climb for at least 15 miles.  It was so gradual that I wondered if the higher elevation or lack of energy was causing me problems.  I just couldn't seem to pedal faster than 8-10 mph.  At the first SAG we looked back and realized how much we had climbed.  It was really apparent at mile 25 when we crossed the Continental Divide at an elevation of 6355 feet.

Once over the divide, what a sail down the other side!.  But alas, there were more hills to come.  In all we climbed 3716 on this day.  I logged 46 miles with a speed of 9.65 mph, whew! We passed a huge copper mine just before Silver City.

We were all glad to see this town (boyhood home of Billy the Kid), because it meant a day of rest after eight straight days of cycling! 

This is a time for laundry, writing post cards, restocking at Walmart, Walgreens, or whatever, and just sleeping in.  After breakfast on our day off, we had a yoga class taught by one of the tour leaders.  I wandered into the town with a few friends, did a little sightseeing, and enjoyed a great Mexican lunch (no Margurita this time).  Bill sent me a package with a recording device that I can take on my bike and record interesting sights for my journal.  (It is hard to remember everything you see, especially at 62!) Now if I can just figure out how to use it.  He also included the little puppy that usually sits on my bike when I ride.  I missed him (Well, the puppy and Bill) Tomorrow we are off toward the highest peak on the trip (over 8000'), then down the other side to a "quaint" little lodge in Kingston, NM.  Forecast is for thunderstorms.  There is very little chance of internet service so my next post may be in Las Cruces

We took a detour from the Adventure Cycling route today, for those of you trying to follow it on the AC maps.  Tomorrow our destination is Silver City (for two days!).  But, it would have been 100+ miles over mountains and no place to stay on the route, so the Womantours created this alternate route.  While the terrain was relatively flat, it was a hard day for almost everyone, despite the fact that it looks like we are having fun at one of our stops. I'm the one on the left without the helmet.  We have to do something to keep our spirits up!

Since we eat breakfast around 6:00 AM each day, it is traditional (and necessary) to have a second breakfast later in the morning.  I enjoyed a huge plate of French toast at Ol Jo's Cafe in Duncan, AZ, about the size of Cobbtown, GA. 

At about mile 45 we crossed into New Mexico.  Now we have been in three states. (insert photo)  Then the real challenge of the day began.  The wind began blowing ferociously from the side and one of my cycling friends had a flat.  We survived both to arrive in Lordsburg around 4:00 PM (the time changed when we crossed the state line).  Whew!  Tomorrow we will arrive in Silver City with a layover day after 8 straight days of cycling.  I look forward to sleeping in.

What a difference a day makes!  After a great night's sleep and much cooler temperatures (in the 50's when we started at 6:30 AM) I was ready to tackle the 80 miles that lay ahead.  The first 15 miles were fantastic, slight downhill and wide shoulder.  At mile 6 we entered the San Carlos Apache Reservation.  After much discussion, we decided to pass on the casino.  The reservation was so desolate and depressing.  After seeing a local high school in session, it is understandable why so many of these kids drop out of school.  For about 35 miles we had "rollers", fun little up and down hills that break up the flat land, but don't make you work too hard.  This is a scene from the road to Pima, see the snow on the mountains.  If you hover over the picture, you can see a description.

After 73 miles on a bicycle seat, there is just no way to sit on that tiny seat that is comfortable.  So we sought respite at the local "Taylor's Freeze" in Pima, AZ.  Like a step back in time, we enjoyed burgers, fries, and root beer floats in a place that has operated for 40 years under the same family ownership.   After the goodies, we were good to go on to Safford.  It was a very good ride.  I hardly felt tired at the end of the day.  But, we did spend time in the hot tub to soothe the aching muscles.  So far, we have ridden a total of 615 miles.

One of the outstanding experiences of this trip is to witness the support each woman gives to the other.  Early this day, two of us came upon Outrun, the 70-year-old German lady who now lives in the US.  She had left her backpack at the last SAG and was shaking with cold and crying.  As we waited for the SAG to arrive, Robin put her arms around her to share her warmth. Things turned out okay and Outrun was back on the road after sagging for about 25 miles.  As you can see from the picture, she was okay later in the day.

At the end of the day, the first riders to arrive unload the trailer.  Most of us brought too much stuff, especially when we have second floor room in the hotel.  I plan to send lots of my clothes home when Bill meets me in Navasota, TX.  It is amazing to find out what you REALLY need to survive.

This was probably the toughest day I have had so far.  We left Apache Junction around 6:30 AM to beat the heat.  At about mile 18 we began a two-mile climb.  After riding much of the way in my "granny gear", I managed to make it to the top.  At mile 29 we stopped in Superior, AZ at the Buckboard City Restaurant for a second breakfast of French toast.  It is a favorite stop for the bikers who ride the mountain roads around that area.

 That was the fun part!  Then came the major climb(s) of the day and a tunnel.  Some of the grades were at 6% as we climbed to 4777 feet.  In the midst of that came a short dark tunnel, where the SAG escorted us through.  When I was within three miles of the top of the climb, I just gave out of steam.  After finding that there was no phone signal to call the SAG, I decided just to wait and watch major traffic (including big trucks) go by until the SAG came.  I waited and waited and waited, for about 45 minutes, thinking I just could not go any further.  Finally, after a little prayer, I decided that I must keep going.  From somewhere deep inside I found the strength to push on to the top.  There was my reward, a long and beautiful downhill, where I reached a speed on 39.8 mph.  That is both terrifying and thrilling! Lesson learned from this experience…when you feel like you can't go on, just let your body have a complete rest, find a positive mental attitude, say a little prayer and somehow the strength will come.

Finally, arriving in Globe, I was totally exhausted.  After a shower and brief rest, I felt refreshed and ready for our nightly gourmet meal.  Four Canadians cycled into the motel shortly after we arrived.  Of course we invited them for dinner.  They accepted, brought wine AND washed dishes!  What great experiences we are having!

We started out from Wickenburg as soon as it was light enough to ride.  The traffic got heavier as the day progressed.  But, the bike lanes were wide enough for us to feel safe.  We took time out to stop for a few photos, but as traffic got heavier, the photo ops decreased.  Phoenix has really great bike lanes, except where they are closed for repair.  It gets a little scary when there is no shoulder and we share the right lane with BIG trucks.  Even with a temperature of 115 when we arrived, everyone managed to arrive with only some sunburn and fatigue.  Tomorrow we go to Apache Junction, staying in metro Phoenix the whole 50+ miles.  As time goes on, we are all learning to appreciate each other's strengths, while we are all so different.  Each night we talk about "thorns" and "roses" of the day.  The best news of today was that there were no flats!  

My GPS is not working again.  But, Matt continues to work on it.  Stay tuned!