Upon waking up I realized that I had a broken spoke and a severely bent rim. I planned on fixing it myself, but my stepdad insisted that I take it to a bike shop. We dropped it off and told them we would pick it up in about an hour after breakfast. When we got back to the bike shop the mechanic was still working on the rim. I wished I had just fixed it myself, because I wanted to finish my last 55 miles of the trip so I could spend the rest of the day celebrating. He finally got done and we headed for the point I left off the night before. Halfway there I received a phone call from the bike shop saying they forgot to put my skewer in the wheel. Instead of turning around and taking more time out of the day we found a bike shop in the area and purchased a rear skewer from them. My stepdad dropped me off at the same location he had picked me up the night before and told me he would see me at the beach later in the day. The first few miles were nearly all uphill, but finally I reached a downhill run. I coasted through town after town on the backside of the mountain. In one small town I saw a large amount of police cars in front of a small store and asked someone in the surrounding crowd what was going on. He said they had finally caught a local fugitive. I pedaled on past the ruckus. It was a beautiful ride as I got closer and closer to San Diego. I hit some uphill and flat spots, but it was mainly all downhill. As I got closer to San Diego I got more and more anxious to finish. I arrived in the San Diego area around 6pm and pedaled on in search of the beach where my family was waiting. The Adventure Cycling maps were not detailed enough and I got a little mixed up on where to go the last few miles. I finally got it sorted out and saw my family waiting on the bridge before the beach for me. They took some pictures and drove beside me as I rode the last half mile to the beach. At about 6:30pm I dipped my front tire in the Pacific Ocean. It was bitter sweet as I was very tired, but knew it was the end of a great journey. We took more pictures and celebrated in San Diego the remainder of the evening and the next few days. Over the next few days I debated in my head the next big things I want to do in my life. I have some ideas so check back later for more adventures!!!

I was taking my time at breakfast so Samuel went on ahead of me and we had plans to catch up with each other later in the day. The farm road through Plaster City the map took me on was very rough and worn out. I ran out of water halfway through the first leg of the day and was happy to finally spot a gas station where I-8 met up with the road in a small town. I downed two Gatorades and discussed the road conditions with the workers at the gas station. They said the road only got worse. I had to get on I-8 for awhile later in the day and they advised to go ahead and get on it now. After about 5 miles I hit the bottom of the last mountain I would have to climb on this journey. While pedaling up it I realized it was the steepest mountain I had climbed yet. I started at sea level and would have to climb over 4100 feet. About 1000 feet into the climb I spotted three guys with binoculars pulled over on the side of the highway. They were looking at the rock formations and said one of them formed what looked like a goat. They tried to point it out to me for a few minutes, but I finally relented telling them I was too dizzy to spot it. They gave me some extra water, an energy drink, and two energy bars. One of them gave me a bandanna to wet with water and put around my neck to keep my core temp down. This mountain was supposed to be easier than Emory Pass according to other cyclists, but combined with the desert heat it seemed much harder to me. I continued climbing for hours on end and stopped at the radiator bins on the side of the mountain every mile to wet my bandana. I finally reached Old Highway 80 and was glad to get off of the interstate. I stopped in the first town near the top of the mountain and got some lunch. I asked if I was done climbing yet and they said I still had more to go. Continuing on I got a text message from my family saying they had landed in San Diego and were picking up their rental. The plan was to pick me up to hang out with them and drop me back off at the exact pick up point the next morning to finish the last bit of my trip. I told them to head east on I-8 and call me in about an hour. Pedaling on I saw a highway patrol on the side of the road. He told me I had one more 500 foot climb after a small downhill ride, but after that it was mainly downhill/flat to San Diego. It was getting dark and I was worn out from the day. I rode for about another 10 miles until I received the phone call from my family that they were in the area. I gave them directions to my location and a few minutes later they were yelling out the window at me. They couldn’t believe I was pedaling down this dark country road alone and I told them I had been doing this same thing nearly every night of the trip. I had them meet me at the next mile marker so I could pinpoint my location for the next morning. We loaded my bike up in the car and enjoyed the rest of the evening near San Diego.

I stopped for a Frappuccino and pedaled out of the city with it. A car swerving between traffic nearly causing multiple accidents honked at me as if I was in his way. I pedaled on through California farm roads for a few hours before hitting a town with only a gas station. This would be my last place for food and water for 43 miles according to the maps. I had a quick snack/drink and got on my way. I hit desert almost immediately and rolled through sand dunes for hours on end. There was no shoulder for most of the day so I had to watch my back every time I heard a vehicle coming. Samuel called about noon and said he had rode through the night for a 190 mile day and was calling it in El Centro. He asked if I could make it there and wanted to split the cost of a room. I agreed and told him I would probably arrive around 9pm. Halfway to Glamis I hit a border patrol station and stopped for a break. When I finally got to Glamis I found the only grocery/restaurant in town closed at 3pm. The next town was 27 miles which would make 70 miles total with no food or water stops. Luckily I had packed about 4.5 liters before I left the hotel. I pedaled on through total sand dunes with little to no foliage for miles on end. I finally arrived near El Centro about 8pm and zigzagged through the city in search of the hotel. Coasting along a sidewalk I heard a dog and it jumped through a picket fence at me. Trying to get away my BMX instincts kicked in and I bunny hopped off a curb with my loaded bike. It put some bad kinks in my rear wheel, but it was still in good enough shape to get to the hotel room. I arrived around 9pm to find Samuel still sleeping.

I ate breakfast at the same café as the night before while Samuel skipped and pedaled ahead. I had delicious blueberry pancakes made with blueberry pie filling. Just the carb load I needed for the long day ahead. A truck pulling a boat passed me on the road and later I passed it. The wheel on the trailer had fallen off the trailer and damaged the axle. I wished the driver well and hoped he was able to find a replacement as I pedaled along. In the next town I spotted a coffee shop with Samuel’s bike sitting out front. I walked in to him chatting with the locals, sat down, and joined the conversation. I stayed and loaded up on a little caffeine while he left to get a head start. I told him I would catch him up the road. A few hours later I saw his bike lying on the shoulder with him repairing a flat tire. I stopped to help him and a few minutes later two women pulled up. They were professional road bicycle frame builders coming from an expo in San Diego. Very kindly they gave us three tubes knowing there were no bike shops anywhere in sight. I was happy as I had used my last two the night before. Samuel got his problem fixed and we pedaled on in hopes of making California before dark. In the middle of the desert we found a small café, had lunch, and chatted with a local man for a while. After he left the cashier told us he had kindly bought our lunch. The heat had increased so we stayed for another hour to let it cool down before continuing on. We crossed the Colorado River and California state line right at dark and were happy to have made it to our last state. We stopped in Blythe for dinner and coffee. I was on pace to make it to San Diego by my goal of 20 days this leg of the trip so decided to stop for the night. The caffeine buzz and excitement had Samuel wanting to do his first night ride of the trip. He continued on and I told him I would catch him tomorrow or in San Diego. I went to bed praying for his safety from the desert nights.

We woke up, showered, and waited for Frank to get back from a quick meeting at work. He took us to the same point he had picked us up the night before and greeted us goodbye. We rode through Phoenix along the bicycle route next to their canal system. It is beautifully setup for cyclists in that there is an underpass for nearly every road and the scenery was excellent. About midday we finally hit the long highway 60 and eventually the historic Wickenburg, AZ. It was everything I envisioned a Wild West town to be. I was about an hour ahead of Sam, planned on making it to Aguila before dark, and waiting for him there. I was on track to make it on time, but developed a slow leak in one of my tires and later also in the other. At first I was able to pump them up every few miles without changing tubes, but the leaks progressed to the point I had to pump them every half mile. I played this game for about 10 miles and finally I could see city lights ahead. I got sick of pumping them and the shoulder was too narrow to change the tubes. I walked the last half mile and got lucky in that the first places I saw happened to be a café and motel. I told the motel owner my mechanical situation and he knocked the room down from $55 to $35. I paid for the room and went to the café to wait on Samuel. I chatted with a local lady named Sandra who gave me a lot of advice about the desert ahead. Samuel arrived about a half hour later and also decided to stay in Aguila for the night. Luckily the motel owner had given me a double bed at no additional charge. Samuel fell asleep quickly and I stayed up working on my bike. I first tightened the loose spokes in the rear wheel and replaced one broken spoke. I replaced the rear tube with no problems, but had to replace/patch the front tube three times before I got the leak problem sorted out. One of the Apache Indians, Edward, called. He said he had been worried about us and wanted to know our progress. I thought it was very kind that he was concerned about us and chatted with him about our upcoming route before bed.

We spent the morning riding up a large pass and hit our first tunnel of the trip. A guy pulled over and asked if I would like a ride through the tunnel for safety. I could see light at the end of it so knew I could make it through quickly. I politely declined telling him I hadn’t took a car ride yet on the trip that helped me gain distance and would like to leave it that way. That way I can say at the end I completely crossed the country by bicycle even if it would have only helped me a few hundred yards. I waited until no cars were in sight, pedaled fast, and made it out of the tunnel ahead of the traffic to see Samuel waiting at the other side. We pedaled on to the Phoenix suburban area through some rough road. There were lifted cracks every ten feet which made me feel like I was riding on a jackhammer. At mid-day we finally arrived to Mesa and quickly realized how cyclist friendly the Phoenix area is. They had marked bike lanes completely throughout the city. People were very polite to us as we rode by ASU. We got lost for a little while, but multiple people offered to help us find our way when they saw us looking at the maps. We finally got back on track after pedaling through a beautiful city park. A distant family member who lives in the Phoenix area offered to pick us up where we were at dusk and to drop us off at the same location in the morning. We accepted and were treated like kings by Frank Butcher and his family. They have a beautiful home in suburban Phoenix where we were able to wash clothes, use the hot tub, and get a great night’s sleep.

In the middle of the night I was freezing so had to put on all my clothes. I put the rain fly on my tent for the first time to try to keep it warmer inside. I was awoken to a hot sweat in the AM when the sun started to heat the inside of my tent. I stayed up and was greeted by the Indian family. The family told us stories for about an hour and made us breakfast. The father decided to take us to an Apache Indian ritual celebration. What I got from it is that it is when a young Indian girl becomes a woman. Samuel and I had to watch from the truck, because there was worry the medicine man would not like white people being there. It was quite interesting and a definite learning experience in their rituals and customs. When we got back they all greeted us with a warm goodbye and gave us directions off the reservation. Edward happens to live in Mesa where we were heading and invited us to stay at his house. We were given a San Diego jersey by one of the family members before we left to use as a flag at the finish line. We pedaled on in hopes of making it to Mesa. I got chased by a few dogs while riding through the last 15 miles and finally hit the casino at the end of the reservation. I had hopes of going in and spinning one slot for luck, but there were too many drunks around and I was worried my belongings would be stolen. I rode to the next town and looked behind me, but didn’t see Samuel in sight. I waited about a half hour and finally saw him approaching slowly. He told me he was feeling very sick from the heat and we both decided he should stop for the day. I stayed behind with him and we got a hotel room. We took a dip in the pool and ate some great Mexican food. This seemed to help with his sickness and he was feeling a lot better later in the day. Before bed I walked across the street to a gas station and found a hat that said “5” on it. Not paying attention I took it to the register and it rang up as $12.99. It turns out “5” was the brand name, but my forehead was so sunburned that even $12.99 seemed like a good deal. I rotated my tires, hit the sack, and slept like a baby.

We went to the same grocery store for breakfast we had attempted to go the night before. This time they were open and we were able to eat before a big climb we had ahead. The lady who snubbed us the night before walked in as we were eating. She tried to tell us her boss makes her close down the registers early which was obviously a lie so I just continued eating and ignored her. The climb was close to 10 miles right from the get go and wasn’t bad, but just long. When we got to the top there were many taking photos of the poppis that had recently flowered. We coasted down the backside of the mountain for some time and then hit some flat land. We had lunch in Safford and picked up some supplies at Wal-mart. Our goal was to make it to the campground at the Apache Gold Casino which was approximately 60 miles away. All of the road from 45 miles before the casino to 5 miles after was Apache land. We had already been warned that we could have our bikes and gear confiscated if we got caught camping on Apache land without a permit. We pedaled on through the reservation, but were still about 30 miles from the casino when dusk approached. We pedaled on fast and reached the city of Peridot on the reservation a little after dark. It was a Saturday night and the traffic seemed out of control. Both of us were getting bad vibes about continuing on and started to search out a place to get a permit in order to camp. Samuel went inside the grocery store and I stayed outside to guard the bikes and gear. An indian man walked up to me and told me it wasn’t safe for our kind to be around these parts on bikes this time of night. He also said it wasn’t safe to camp. I waited outside another 15 minutes for Samuel to tell him the news. He walked up to be with a smile on his face and told me to grab my bike and gear and to load them in the van of an indian lady he was with. Apparently she had overhead him inside the grocery and offered for us to camp at her families house. I was a little adiment at first, but was out of choices and loaded my bike in the van. She drove us about 5 miles up the road on the reservation and we arrived to a group of indian men sitting around laughing and drinking beer. She took us inside to meet her parents. They made us dinner, let us take showers, and pitch our tents in the yard. The men said they would be back in about 45 minutes from the store and wanted us to drink a beer with them. We chatted with the family and got settled in until they got back. We were treated extremely well by all of them and sat up until about 12pm chatting with them and exchanging stories. They referred to us as the white men a few times which I thought was funny.

We spent the morning cleaning the apartment before giving the keys back to Ellen at Adobe Agave. I rode over to the bike shop and bought some back-up tubes. The mechanic noticed my back tire was starting to show thread and said it wouldn’t make it to San Diego. My plan is to rotate it to the front in the next few days. I had bought slime tubes the day before at the same shop and installed one in the front. Within the first few hours of riding I got a flat in the rear so I installed the other slime tube in hopes of getting no more flats until San Diego. The maps said there were restaurants in all of the small towns, but none of them existed. We ended up finding a liquor store that served pizza and subs. It was the only store in town and they only sold liquor, food, and lingerie. The last 15 miles of New Mexico we hit some extremely slow road and lots of wind. We pushed through and finally hit Arizona a few hours before dusk. We took some pictures and chatted with a couple from Kenya touring the state park. We climbed for about an hour and hit the peak of the mountain looking down upon eastern Arizona. This was by far the most beautiful scenery I have seen the entire trip. It was also the most rewarding in that we coasted down the mountain for about 15 miles into the sunset. We arrived in Three Way, AZ at 7:20 pm and attempted to get food at the only store in town. The sign said they closed at 7:30pm and there were two women inside the locked door closing the store down. I knocked, but they refused to open the store for me. Many cyclists ride through here so I assume they knew we had been riding all day and were likely hungry, but it was Friday night and they didn’t seem to care. The ranger station allows free camping. One of the rangers gave me a can of chili, some peanut butter crackers, and some chips. I used my stove for the first time and made chili and rice before setting up camp under the gazebo. I woke up freezing in the middle of the night and had to put almost every piece of clothing I had with me on.