Pulled out of our delightful little cowboy town to a cool, 59°, no wind morning.  The charming town of Wickenburg would be worth a longer visit, but definitely off season.  Saloons and restaurants had a warm local feel; but during the high/winter season it is filled with cowboys (three roping arenas) and RV’s.  In fact the last three days we’ve ridden by ghost towns that come alive in the winter, as the RV-driving snow birds flock in.

Crossed the very dry Hassayampa River into the uninhabited Arizona countryside.  The word desert does not seem applicable to such pretty surroundings;flowers were blooming and even the roads wore a smile.  White fluffy clouds obscured the sun from heating the morning and a breeze had begun to kiss our shoulder, so our slight downhill ride remained cool and comfortable.   It was two hours before we saw civilization, as we entered Surprise (yes, that is a town name) and another hour later before our course became a busier roadway.  Shortly thereafter, our map directed us through quiet neighborhoods where golf carts were the preferred mode of transportation; it was a delightful ride.  By 11:00 with 40 miles under our belt, we took a rest stop at a local park and enjoyed an orange.  This was the beginning of our Greenway Channel Trail, a paved path along the overflow canal and Phoenix water supply canal.  The canal wound through the backyards of neighborhoods and parks avoiding busy roads.  With the day still cool, we enjoyed the quiet and scenery this path provided.  The downfall of neighborhoods was no places to eat and we were getting low on energy.  After five hours of biking and 56 miles, we finally found the perfect place; a bike store and cafe.  The hour rest was not only delicious, but informative.  Suggestions abound for the perfect route to get us to the end of the day.  Instead of traversing roads as our map directed, we were told of more canal routes; we were in!  This new route was filled with a variety not seen from a car.  We biked past the front door of the Arizona Biltmore and Country Club, and the backdoor of Scottsdale neighborhoods.  Our ride through Papago Park took us through the Desert Botanical Garden and past the Red Mountain and Phoenix Zoo. The scenery was stellar. By 3:30, we crossed the Gila River into Tempe and our hotel on the edge of the Arizona State University campus.  It had been a cool, downhill, Gorgeous ride; we actually felt pretty good having polished off 70 miles.  But we had promised ourselves a day off and we knew the following week was going to be grueling, so rest was in order, but so was dinner.Now we are ready for bed.