Day 8

Another 85 mile day, from Kingman to Seligman, AZ - on Route 66 the whole way. Thought this would be an easy day, but the wind and perhaps 8 straight days of riding said otherwise. Probably the least scenic ride so far, but still beautiful and still fun. My major tactical blunder of the day was chasing after Jeff and Joseph when they decided to go out hard. About 2/3 of the way up the hill I finally realized I'm an idiot, slowed down, then spent the next few miles trying to catch up. I caught them, but only because they stopped for water. I felt great before the lunacy started, not so much by the time I caught up with them.

Bill, the science officer for our small riding group gave us the start of a fascinating lecture on the geology of this region, focused on the formation of the Colorado Plateau. We'll get the rest of the story over dinner.

So, here we are in historic (and tiny) Seligman at the Historic Route 66 Motel, where I write this from a room with a plaque on the door that tells me Burl Ives once slept here. Be sure to ask for the Burl Ives room the next time you're in Seligman. Everything in Seligman is "historic" as this was apparently the birthplace of Route 66. It's not the General Store, it's the Historic General Store. It's not the gas station, it's the Historic Route 66 Gas Station. And so on. We'll be having a great dinner at the Roadkill Cafe which, scary as it seems, does seem to be a step up from last night's dinner at JB's. They actually have three white wines and a large selection of beer to choose from. We just hit the cafe for a round of malts, milkshakes and a chocolate sundae for me.

Tomorrow is a hilly, 105 mile ride up to the Grand Canyon - and a day off on the following day. While I'm very much looking forward to seeing the Grand Canyon (never been), I could easily live without the 105 miles!