According to Katherine: Day 6 Recap

We left Blythe, CA at 8:00 this morning. It was 51 degrees and sunny, with 10 to 15 mph cross winds. (Thank goodness they weren't head winds!)

I was tempted to stop in to get the sand washed out of my hair!

We crossed into AZ five miles after we left the motel, so it became an hour later! We rode about 30 of today's 63.6 miles on I-10, dodging lethal tire shards and lots of bungee cords. (Really makes you wonder where the cargo is that the bungees were strapping down!) The traffic and noise from the 18-wheelers was deafening.

Yep, us and the big rigs will be high-balling east on I-10.

It was a relief to turn onto US 60 East. The desert was pretty hot -- mid-80s in the afternoon. However, it took us five hours & 38 minutes to complete the ride, so we started getting some cooler evening temperatures during the last five miles.

We arrived at our funny dilapidated old motel after 5:00 p.m. My computer says I burned over 3,000 calories today, but I sure didn't consume that many!

Our guides, Carol and Linda, explain the motel in Salome, AZ: "If you find a critter in your room, just flick it or kick it!" The motel is 60+ years old, with just a shower renovation in our room over those six decades!

For breakfast: Two hard-boiled eggs, and a half a bagel with cream cheese. For lunch, peanut butter and jelly. And a fabulous dinner by our chef, Linda. For me it included wedges of tofu in a peanut sauce, brown rice, cole slaw and fresh pineapple. Dessert was from Sweet Darlene's in Quartzsite, a town along the way -- a divine coconut cream pie. I consumed lots of nuts, energy bars, electrolyte drinks, Hammer Gel, Endurolytes and Recoverite at the end.

Met these snowbirds from Canada in Brenda, AZ. They think they're having all the fun in their snazzy little yellow ATV. We know we're having more fun than they are!

I felt very strong most of the day, but I am really tired and fairly sunburned tonight. I thought I had been slathering the sunscreen on often enough, but apparently not. I couldn't get over the RV Resorts dotting the hot, barren landscape -- all full of people from colder climates! 263 miles completed and 2,837 miles to go.

Dr. Jeter Day 6 on Polyvore.com

According to Katherine: Day 5 Recap

Rest day in Blythe, CA means a chance to do the laundry!

And we get a bike cleaning and maintenance class.

Today, I took two hours with Simple Green, shop rags and a toothbrush to get yesterday's sand out of all the gears and crevices on my bike. I could use pipe cleaners too, but don't have any. And just imagine: I thought all we had to do was pedal the bike across the country!

I helped clean out the SAG wagon, and then walked to Mexican restaurant for lunch and Rite-Aid for sundries on a gorgeous desert day, with temperature in the mid-70s. Afterward, I rode my new clean bike to the post office to mail some letters.

A glorious desert sunset has capped off our day of rest in Blythe, CA.

Tomorrow, we're off on clean bikes, and in clean clothes, to a new time zone in Saline, AZ.

Dr. Jeter Day 5 on Polyvore.com

According to Katherine: Day 4 Recap

Today, we were challenged by relentless cross winds (of between 35 and 50 miles per hour) and blowing sand in the Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area. It was hard to hold the bike on the road, or get the sand out of my teeth. These weather conditions would have been more appropriate on a camel with a veil!

We left Brawley at 7:15 a.m. Crisp, at 61 degrees, and sunny. After 88 miles, we arrived in Blythe at 3:30 p.m.

Our guides advised the riders today to get off the bike every hour to eat, stretch and drink water. Every two hours, we were supposed to empty and refill both water bottles to start over. We were also cautioned to continue drinking through the night, as well as through tomorrow, to replenish. I felt strong, but my tush is more tender than I expected from rough roads yesterday.

I ate an egg and some fruit for breakfast, a tuna wrap for lunch and a baked potato, salad and fresh fruit for dinner.

54 days remaining. 238 miles completed, 2,862 to go.

Dr. Jeter Day 4 on Polyvore.com

According to Katherine: Day 3 Recap

It was 52 degrees when we left at 7:45 a.m., and 87 degrees on arrival our arrival 69.8 miles later.

We can see mountains in the background -- and descended from them to the desert floor! Our first 10 miles were down six percent grade from 3000+ feet to 300 feet. Ferocious winds blew through the canyons, making it hard to stay upright and control my little bike! We experienced some tail winds later in the day, and lots of cross winds.

At one point, I faced a stretch of extremely rough road for 12 to 15 miles. It made everything hurt!

I ate scrambled eggs & oatmeal for breakfast, and consumed lots of healthy snacks, water, Hammer Gel and Heed electrolyte drink. Dinner was couscous with peas and cilantro, a stew of garbanzo beans, tofu and other tasty ingredients. Spinach salad made with strawberries, nuts and a yummy dressing rounded out our tasty meal.

150 miles completed, 2,950 to go. 98 miles to Blythe, and then a welcomed day of rest.

Dr. Jeter Day 3 on Polyvore.com

Shutterbug Cyclist: The Border

We've seen it all today. Border checkpoint, border patrol in helicopters and in vehicles, and the huge fence along the border.

We saw a number of cyclists going in both directions, but none going from coast to coast!

Tomorrow, we will descend 3000 feet in 10 miles, and cycle 66 miles to Brawley, CA. We're experiencing gorgeous weather, with a high of 75. The motel this morning had a great breakfast. Lunch was peanut butter and jelly; sweet potato and black bean burritos for dinner, with papaya to improve digestion.