Where's Joe?
Arizona, Nevada, California
Stage 7 of the Journey: August 25 - September 17
Arizona
The First Time
August 25
Joe has left a memorable Utah behind and pedaled, still on the high desert, into Arizona. He rode 57 miles with the temperature in the mid 90's to Kayenta. On the way, he passed through Monument Valley which was "like a dream. 400 to 600 foot sandstone monoliths rising from the desert floor." Many cowboy movies were filmed here. Most of the people Joe has come in contact with for the last few days have been from the Navajo Nation. He is quite impressed and describes them as a remarkably gracious group of people. He is collecting newspapers from The Navajo Nation to share with our students.
Monument Valley
August 26
High Desert. Temperature, high 90's. Joe rode 62 miles to Tuba City. He is still on the Navajo Indian Reservation. In a conversation with a Navajo family, Joe explained that the educational aspect of his journey is to benefit the students of Kentucky. He told them that teachers in Kentucky were interested in Native American culture. The family took him to the grandmother's home, a Navajo hogan, built in the early 1900's. Joe will describe it in his narrative. Cool! Both literally and figuratively.
A Hogan.
August 27
Joe rode to Cameron. The main thing to report is that it is hot and there are not many folks out riding their bicycles in the desert in the summer. In fact, near as we can tell, there is only one.
August 28
Due to the heat, Joe began riding before daylight. He pedaled 58 miles from Cameron to Grand Canyon Village. 30 of the miles were uphill.
August 29
Grand Canyon. The Grand Canyon cannot be adequately described by words nor can it's magnificence be captured on film. Joe, of course, will add his efforts to the many who have tried. He will spend some here. His cell phone doesn't pick up a signal and the last time he reported in he was trying to arrange a three-day hike to the bottom of the canyon. I doubt we will hear from him for a few days. But rest assured, he's having a great adventure.
Grand Canyon.
August 30 - Sept 3
Joe is having a grand time in the Grand Canyon. He just returned from a three-day hike from the south rim, down to the Colorado River, and up to the north rim. It's a 22 mile crossing with a mile of elevation change both down and up. The hike was lead by a 79-year old man known as the Maverick of the Grand Canyon who Joe describes as "one tough cookie." Until recently, the record for the crossing was 22 by a single person in a year. Last year the Maverick made 42 crossings and has made 20 so far this year.
Sept 4
Joe finished his Grand Canyon experience and pedaled 30 miles south to Valle. Of the week he spent at the Grand Canyon National Park, three days were spent down inside the canyon along the Colorado River. Hotel prices are so high that Joe has been camping for over a week. No cell phone signal in this area.
Sept 5
Joe rode 54 miles to Flagstaff. He is at a motel and trying to catch up on his narrative writing but is having computer problems. On his first bicycle trip through this area he discovered a small prayer chapel that was very special to him. He has searched for it, in an automobile, on five subsequent trips to Flagstaff but could not find it. But he found it today and was quite excited. He says that on a bicycle you see more because you have time to look.
Sept 6
Joe was interviewed by a radio station in Flagstaff. He said that at first the interviewer was "just doing his job interviewing some nut on a bicycle." However, as the interview progressed and the reporter understood what the trip, and especially the educational aspect, was all about he really got excited. A great interview. Wish we could hear it. We got our signals crossed and he missed his interview with the newspaper.
Sept 7
Joe pedaled 30 miles to Sedona, a truly picturesque town. When he came through in '67, he was invited to a film location where Elvis Presley was making a movie. He met Elvis and was invited to stay with the film crew for several days. He is staying at the same hotel as a guest of the owner and friend who is a wonderful and remarkable person. Barbara arrived from Kentucky and will stay for a couple of weeks. Joe is pretty excited.
Sept 8
"Nothing. Absolutely nothing." And that is a direct quote.
Sept 9
I think we can all agree that Joe has had some amazing adventures bicycling 5,000 miles (so far) across the great American landscape. Well, today was special. He talked for over an hour via speakerphone to the fifth grade students of Ms Pam Miller's class at Rogers Elementary in Rogers, KY. Ms Miller has incorporated Joe's trip into her curriculum in several interesting and educational ways. The students had carefully prepared, and practiced, the questions they asked Joe. He was very impressed with the caliber and preparation of the questions, the knowledge of the students and the the professionalism of Ms Miller. "And," Joe said, " to hear the sweet, romantic Eastern Kentucky accent of those wonderful, smart children was just music to my ears and a blessing to my heart. It was the highlight of my trip so far." Way to go, Rogers Elementary!
Sep 10 - 11
The geological wonders of Sedona with its sculpted, towering red cliffs have been the setting of many Western movies for the past 40 years. The Kings Ransom Hotel, where Joe and Barbara are staying (a special thanks to Clara, Amy and Cheryl) often serves as the headquarters for the movie industry. There is a picture of Joe from his first bicycle trip on the wall in the restaurant. Joe and Barbara have had a great time seeing the sights of Sedona but its time to get back on the road.
Sept 12
The temperature has dropped to a balmy 87 degrees. Barbara is following Joe and Rocinante in a car. She is also carrying most of his gear. This lightens his load and makes riding easier. Joe pedaled 57 miles to Chino Valley. On the way, they passed through Jerome, known as the largest Ghost Town in the country. In the early part of the 20th Century, this gold, silver and copper mining town had 15,000 residents. Now it has about 400 and a lot of gift shops. Many of the original buildings, including the restored hotel, are still there.
Sept 13
Joe pedaled 76 miles from Chino Valley to Grand Canyon Caverns. He is now on historic Rt. 66. Desert temperature is back in the high 90's.
Desert bloom
Sept 14
There has been more rain out West this year than normal. Not that "more rain" in the desert adds up to much. It does, however, cause the desert plants to bloom quickly and profusely and Joe got to see it. He is still on Rt. 66. The construction of Interstate-40 has taken almost all the traffic and many of the towns along Rt. 66 have shriveled up and died. Joe and Barbara are staying in Kingman. He rode and she drove 61 miles. Joe hopes to make it to Hoover Dam tomorrow. It depends on the heat.
Nevada
Sept 15
Joe crossed the Hoover Dam and is now in Boulder City, Nevada. The main highway crosses over the dam and the traffic was heavy and slow. Lots of tourists. Joe crossed with a group of motorcycles. The water level in Lake Mead is very low. It would take years of above average rainfall to bring it back to its normal level. Joe said it was a beautiful, flat ride today. Temperature was 67 in the morning and 100 in the afternoon. He is headed south into some serious desert country.
Sept 16
Joe's time in Nevada was fairly short, two days. However, since it was spent riding a bicycle in the Mojave Desert, in the summertime, it has to be memorable. That needs repeating for emphasis- "riding a bicycle in the Mojave Desert, in the summertime." We hope the lesson of perseverance, determination, and overcoming obstacles is not lost on the children following this project.
California (again)
Sept 17
Well, odd as it may seem, Joe is back in California for a couple of days. The astute reader may recognize that although Joe has ridden his bicycle 6,000 miles across a dozen Western states and two Canadian Provinces that he is only a few hundred miles from where he started. This is not the way most of us would do things. Not that many of us could. Joe and Barbara took the day off and drove over to San Bernardino to see Barbara's mother.