in downtown phoenix i came across a couple of pedicab drivers and decided to ask if they had any advice on the route to arcosanti. they did not, but one of them, who goes by Opa (german for grandpa), took interest in my story and looked up arcosanti and my blog on his smart phone. he also snapped a pic! check out that hat! this meeting really lifted my spirits and i told him so.
on 15th ave. i began to notice many citrus trees as i rode through what seemed like old neighborhoods that were previously farmland. there were still some little farms interspersed. the first orange i tried was ornamental (stupid me!), but i found some nice, sweet navels and a grapefruit right by the sidewalk soon after that. i ate one of each and took two of each for the coming days. other food i got from sprouts 'farmer's market' especially for these couple days included rolled oats, straus yogurt, peanut butter, raisins, avocados, and raw sharp cheddar cheese. i also had part of a container of miso and sourdough bread i'd baked my last morning in tucson! besides all this food i have some salmon jerkey left, dried fruit that i've been saving for a special occasion, and some raw cacao nibs i was given by sleeping frog farms, among other things... i'm carrying more food than is necessary.
the place i spent the night on the way was in a totally unexpected place, as is my usual style. towards dark i was beginning to feel pretty tired and was beginning to wonder if i would be able to find a good place to camp along the highway before black canyon city... i also needed to stop and fill my water if i was going to continue to ride. i'd been passing by a lot of tract home developments north of phoenix. as i passed by this one called belara apartments which had a little reception office just off the road. it drew me in.
there they had bathrooms and drinking fountains at one end of a little courtyard between their reception office and a few other communal facilities including a small gym, 'business centers', and a 'clubhouse'. to me this was the 'greenest aspect of their place, and it is not even listed on their green features...
i felt so comfortable there i would have just laid out my bedding right in the courtyard, except i knew it would not be tolerated. so i checked out the large wash on the other side of the street. with a large cement pad and good protection from was the perfect place to sleep! i did hang out in the courtyard, using their light to read by, until i was ready for bed. there was nobody else hanging out there, but there were some people using the facilities.
it was a warm, full moon night and i managed to get some rest, using the extra blanket i carry as additional padding. in the morning when i went back to use the bathroom and fill water i was told by one of the employees, "don't hang out if you don't live here." that was the uncomfortable confrontation i had been anticipating. he said i could still use the restroom.
so if you are cycling between phoenix and arcosanti, don't forget this spot as a place to fill water and use the restroom. just be careful not to overstay your welcome!
in black canyon city, after a break outside the rock springs cafe. the head waitress who greeted me when i went in to use the restroom was really nice and filled my mason jar, adding plenty of ice cubes to keep it cold! it was quite a hot day, even though there was cloud cover off and on.
i hung out there for a while, enjoying a snack and checking out the little 'farmer's market' next to the cafe. many stores use this term even if they are not offering much in the way of local goods. this one in fact had quite a few cool things, including preserves made in arizona and pine nuts in the shell, which were from new mexico. the woman there could not tell me if they were harvested by indigenous people, but we suspected not. she gave me a sample, and being impressed by the sweet and rich flavor, i bought a 1/4 pound baggy. this kind woman also furnished me with materials to make a sign for my hitching attempt. it read '$ 4 GAS', to which i later added above, 'CAN PAY GAS'.
i'd been advised to try hitching a ride because there was a big climb up to the mesa soon after passing through black canyon city. i could see it from where i was and it did look pretty formidable, with semis crawling up the winding slope.
i unloaded my bike, took off the front wheel, and tried for over an hour to thumb a ride. there was not a whole lot of traffic and i wished i could hitch on the highway itself, where there was more. i played mbira, finished writing some postcards, and even did a little yoga. when i lost patience there i tried the next exit, at the far end of black canyon city... even less traffic there. when i filled my water at the steak house near this exit i asked if the source for any of their beef is grass fed. the guy had to ask his boss, who told us, 'it's from nebraska, so it might be... but it might be fed corn.' guess they are unaware of the health benefits of grass fed beef and the selling point it offers.
so it turned out i was to ride this hill. it turned out to be quite satisfying, and i reached the rest area about eight miles after black canyon just before sunset. there i used someone's cell phone to call arcosanti and tell them i might not make it. the guy letting me use his phone thought me a suspicious character i guess because he felt the need to put the call on speaker function. i didn't really understand why... anyway then i found out from the maintenance guy, who was a local, that arcosanti was only about twelve miles farther! i had thought it could be more than thirty! so, having no success in finding a ride at the rest area, i decided to push on, though i would probably have to do some riding after dark. the dusk light lent a wonderful atmosphere as i rode the rolling mesa top north. around dark i stopped to eat some ricecake and raw cheddar. then at one of the outdoor tables of a mcdonalds i ate the pint of rolled oats i had been soaking all day with yogurt and water. to this i add a spoon of miso paste and it becomes one of my favorite travel foods! on this tour is my first time trying the combination. add butter and cayenne for the supreme version.
the last little section of road was similar to what i rode to cascabel, except perhaps more washboarded! i made the mistake of taking the slightly longer way to the visitor parking lot. it was pretty quiet and dark at arcosanti when i arrived around 8pm. i found my way to the cafe, where the feeling was very homey and relaxed and there was a young guy finishing up cleaning the kitchen to hardcore music. he summoned the gal who would check me in and welcomed me to have some tea. simple as that. what a relief!
it was great meeting u 2 my friend. Peace. Opa!
ReplyDelete