It takes both time and energy to sit down and write on the computer, Today is going to be a really big day for us, we'll be climbing up and over the largest peak of our entire trip at 8,228 ft. above sea level. But I am going to try and quickly update as to what the past week has been filled with!
First and foremost, in my last update I talked about how we were in Phoenix and were going to leave that day. That isnt what ended up happening, we decided to stick around for the day and spend one more night at the Hostel. The weather was perfect and there was talk of a large art walk that evening just up the street.
I am so soo glad we decided to stay, the art walk was hardly that. It was more of a festival. They apparently do this every first friday of each month. There were Bands playing all over the place, the streets were lined with vendors selling art and food of all kinds. We spent an hour or so walking around with our friends from london that we made at the hostel then parted ways so we could get a beer. We headed over to "hoodRide" which is a house/bikeshop/art gallery where a band was playing in the front yard and a dj in the back. 5th st is lined with places of this nature. There are houses families live in but in between there are these houses that have been converted into businesses. Another favorite of ours was "Conspire" which was a house that doubled as a gallery selling clothes and zines/library and a full stage in the back yard area where bands were playing all night. Here is where we met a fellow cross country traveler. Her name is Shay, She was on week 5 of her journey Walking across america. She was super inspiring and you can read all about her journey at http://www.fakeplasticshay.blogspot.com/
So we did eventually leave Phoenix after sitting in the morning for about an hour with shay sharing stories over coffee from our new favorite coffee spot. We have been making good mileage since that day off. We want to travel far every day for two reasons, 1. Everyday we travel further then average gives us more opportunity down the road to take time off and hang out. and 2. We DO in fact want to make it to New York before it gets two hot and humid on the east coast.
We have had a few more nights camping on the lawns of RV parks, One night In the grass next to the camping area in the parking lot of APACHE GOLD CASINO. And one night In a great camping area at 6,290 ft. elevation In the mountains 8 miles to the Arizona/new mexico boarder.
2 Days ago was probably the most visually stunning bicycling of our lives. Arizona was absolutely full of things we did not expect. We climbed up and over a Larger pass that day and on the back side we were welcomed by miles and miles of poppy flowers. It was unlike anything either of us have ever seen with our own eyes. It made me think of the wizard of Oz. We later climbed back up into the mountains and into a real pine forest which is unlike anything we have seen so far. Thats where we camped and thats were we froze. We are traveling quite lite and therefor not really prepared for almost freezing temp.
So this brings me to yesterday which was quite big for us. The day started with us coasting down from our camp site into the state of New Mexico. with that means we hit a new time zone. We took a picture to remember it. New mexico is nothing like the new mexico we saw when driving through a few years ago. Its much more "Home on the range"ish. And its quite nice. We later in the day fought through some hard uphills all the way back to the same elevation we camped at the night before and crossed the great continental divide.
Southern New mexico is Mountainous, which is what were dealing with right now. But after today things will mellow out again for a while as we head into Texas.
I'll try to upload a few pictures now but that can sometimes take alot of time so i'll see what i can get done before vanessa gets on here. (hoodride. Phoenix, Az)
(Oz is just beyond that hill, Arizona)
First and foremost, in my last update I talked about how we were in Phoenix and were going to leave that day. That isnt what ended up happening, we decided to stick around for the day and spend one more night at the Hostel. The weather was perfect and there was talk of a large art walk that evening just up the street.
I am so soo glad we decided to stay, the art walk was hardly that. It was more of a festival. They apparently do this every first friday of each month. There were Bands playing all over the place, the streets were lined with vendors selling art and food of all kinds. We spent an hour or so walking around with our friends from london that we made at the hostel then parted ways so we could get a beer. We headed over to "hoodRide" which is a house/bikeshop/art gallery where a band was playing in the front yard and a dj in the back. 5th st is lined with places of this nature. There are houses families live in but in between there are these houses that have been converted into businesses. Another favorite of ours was "Conspire" which was a house that doubled as a gallery selling clothes and zines/library and a full stage in the back yard area where bands were playing all night. Here is where we met a fellow cross country traveler. Her name is Shay, She was on week 5 of her journey Walking across america. She was super inspiring and you can read all about her journey at http://www.fakeplasticshay.blogspot.com/
So we did eventually leave Phoenix after sitting in the morning for about an hour with shay sharing stories over coffee from our new favorite coffee spot. We have been making good mileage since that day off. We want to travel far every day for two reasons, 1. Everyday we travel further then average gives us more opportunity down the road to take time off and hang out. and 2. We DO in fact want to make it to New York before it gets two hot and humid on the east coast.
We have had a few more nights camping on the lawns of RV parks, One night In the grass next to the camping area in the parking lot of APACHE GOLD CASINO. And one night In a great camping area at 6,290 ft. elevation In the mountains 8 miles to the Arizona/new mexico boarder.
2 Days ago was probably the most visually stunning bicycling of our lives. Arizona was absolutely full of things we did not expect. We climbed up and over a Larger pass that day and on the back side we were welcomed by miles and miles of poppy flowers. It was unlike anything either of us have ever seen with our own eyes. It made me think of the wizard of Oz. We later climbed back up into the mountains and into a real pine forest which is unlike anything we have seen so far. Thats where we camped and thats were we froze. We are traveling quite lite and therefor not really prepared for almost freezing temp.
So this brings me to yesterday which was quite big for us. The day started with us coasting down from our camp site into the state of New Mexico. with that means we hit a new time zone. We took a picture to remember it. New mexico is nothing like the new mexico we saw when driving through a few years ago. Its much more "Home on the range"ish. And its quite nice. We later in the day fought through some hard uphills all the way back to the same elevation we camped at the night before and crossed the great continental divide.
Southern New mexico is Mountainous, which is what were dealing with right now. But after today things will mellow out again for a while as we head into Texas.
I'll try to upload a few pictures now but that can sometimes take alot of time so i'll see what i can get done before vanessa gets on here.
(hoodride. Phoenix, Az)
(Oz is just beyond that hill, Arizona)
(self explanatory, New Mexico!)
1 comment:
i am so stoked that i get to read about your trip. it really is cool getting updates and i couldnt be happier for you two. sounds like i should move to arizona..that festival sounds killer :) alright you two, peace and love, roxanne
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