Distance: 47.20 miles
Elevation gain: 4,941 feet
Avg speed: 10.9 mph
Max speed: 37.0 mph
Moving time: 4:20:55
We DID it - we made it successfully to the first rest day!
This morning somehow went a lot smoother for me than yesterday morning. Perhaps it was the extra sleep I got, I’m really not sure. All I know is I didn’t end up scrambling to get to the front of the hotel for the start of today’s ride. I had a nice, relaxing breakfast, went back to my room to change, finish packing, and preparing for the ride. I got to the front with all my stuff with time to spare.
Today’s route took us along Arizona Highway 89A to Flagstaff by way of Sedona. This was my first time in Sedona, and I was absolutely blown away by how beautiful it is! What a great way to see the country!
Along the way, our first stop was at a coffee shop in downtown Sedona where I had a coffee and a delicious blueberry muffin. Is it just me, or does everything taste that much better when you’ve worked so hard to get where you’re going? Anyway, once I had finished my snack and taken the pictures I wanted to take, it was time to once again hit the road. Getting through downtown Sedona was a little congested, but once we made our way through and entered the canyon, traffic became more manageable. Or maybe the beautiful scenery had me too preoccupied to be stressed about the cars.
After going through the canyon, it was time to attempt (and complete) my first-ever switchback climb. There’s really something a bit surreal about looking down and to one side to see the road you’ve traveled, and looking up and to the other side to see the road yet to come. Perhaps the best (or at least the most satisfying) part is to reach the top, make your way to the scenic overlook and see the road way below that you just came up.
At the top of the climb we had our SAG stop for today, followed by a series of rolling hills leading the rest of the way to Flagstaff.
Once settled into the hotel (and having had a much-needed warm shower), I made my way over to Sizzler for dinner. Steak and lobster - yum! Tomorrow is the first rest day. Time to wash the bike, enjoy a couple more restaurants for lunch and dinner, and catch up on my social media. And, of course, REST!
And, of course, my blog post just wouldn’t be complete without sharing my favorites of the photos of the day!
And, of course, today’s video:
And that is all for now! Time to finish up the last of my laundry and get to bed. Tomorrow is another day!
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