Weather was a grab-bag: Grey, low clouds and sprinkles of rain in the morning on the Salome Hwy, warm sunshine mid-morning; Around midday, storm clouds race into the Phoenix valley from the west, high winds, thunder, rain, and blowing dust....then back to sunshine by late afternoon...!
A strong westerly wind blowing me into Phoenix in late afternoon, the storm just ahead of me soaking the valley.
Late afternoon, the staff at the Visitors Center in Buckeye helping me chart a course east across the city to Gilbert, 60 miles away. Instead of holding up here as I had originally planned, I decide to push on to Jeff's house; The wind is favorable, so GO FOR IT!.... Through Avondale and Liberty, Phoenix, Tempe, then Mesa. Evening, I'm in the 'numb' zone....nothing will stop me now...not even the 3 fl_t tires I get before rolling into my brother's driveway.
While traveling down the Pacific Coast, I often thought about coming home to Arizona....I thought about how great it would be to see my family, and to spend the holidays with them. But until yesterday, when I crossed the Colorado River, and saw that sign: "Phoenix 153 Miles", I didn't really think I was gonna make it home in time for the holidays. Things just went right.....I call Jeff from a convenience store at 40th Ave and Baseline Rd...he says "Come ahead!".....
Photo of my bike computer showing 200.05 kilometers on the trip odometer; Taken 8:45 PM, on Gilbert Road, a half a mile from my brother's house