Wake up and ride!
We thought there’d be bad weather when we woke up, but the skies were practically clear and the forecast had only a 15% chance of rain all day. Before heading out, our host, Lea, made us some potatoes and onions. They were nice and filling before a long day of riding! After chugging some coffee, we got on our bikes and said so long to Lea. Today’s destination, Lake Havasu City, AZ!
Bye Lea and Luigi!
The day was beautiful, hot, and we weren’t sure how many water stops there would be along the way. These days, whenever we see a gas station, we finish whatever’s in our water bottle and refill. And repeat, sometimes. We did that a couple times throughout the day, but all in all, we tried to stay on our bikes and really power forward! A lot of the day’s ride was downhill, and we were surrounded with what looked like the landscape of Mars. It was beautiful. With about forty miles down, we took a long rest at a Love’s Truck Stop. Fun fact: Love’s has become our favorite of all the gas station/truck stops. Maybe it’s the name. We sat there for a while, sitting and stretching, eating what food we had, and downing water. We were pretty tempted to buy a Subway sandwich, but recognized that we have a lot of food stuffed in our panniers that needs to be eaten in the next few days…before our tour is DONE! (What?!)
Smiles while riding.
Can’t believe how far we’ve come!
We got back on our bikes, excited to finish the last 17 mile stretch. Unfortunately for our high spirits, the headwinds started blasting us out of nowhere! (Well, most likely the Southwest.) On top of that, we were gradually climbing for several miles, so you can imagine our pace. Luckily, as with almost all uphills, there is a lovely downhill waiting for you at the top. We coasted for miles, in awe of the mountains around us. Then, we saw Lake Havasu in the distance. We dropped several hundred feet in elevation and entered a highly trafficked road. Biking on busy roads is often frustrating and nerve racking, but at least we had the jaw-dropping scenery of Lake Havasu City to distract us — but never putting us in danger, of course!
Entering our destination city: Lake Havasu City.
We had gotten in touch with Warm Showers hosts in Lake Havasu City, Lee and Rick. When we turned into their neighborhood, we were in for some climbing. Lee had warned us on the phone that there was a short steep hill to look out for before turning onto their street. Well, the whole way to their house was a not-so-gradual climb, and when we reached their street, we couldn’t help but laugh. And cry. Simultaneously. We had been transported back to our Virginia days, confronted by a daunting hill that we had no choice but to climb. Well, we did it, folks. And we were still catching our breath as we knocked on the door to make sure we were at the right house. We’re happy to report that we were.
Groovy Warmshowers hosts: Lee and Rick.
Us at the London Bridge?!
Are we at a resort?
Even the local is snapping some pics.
We went inside, downed a glass of water, and spent some time exchanging bike tour stories. Lee and Rick had cycled the southern tier a couple years ago on a tandem bike and told us about all their crazy adventures! We chowed down on pita chips and homemade hummus all the while. After showering and resting (we were pretty pooped from the day!), we headed into town with Lee and Rick. They showed us Lake Havasu City’s claim to fame — the London Bridge. “Huh?” you may be thinking. Turns out the old London Bridge was shipped over to this lake and reassembled. Take a look at these snazzy pics:
LONDON BRIDGE
We biked to this beautiful place.
…and the sun began to set.
After a brief tour and a grocery store run, we headed back home. Lee had prepared a vegan feast for us. Pasta with a creamy red pepper sauce, garlic bread and apple crisp and vanilla almond milk ice cream for dessert. She had picked the recipes from Minimalist Baker, one of Naomi’s favorite recipe websites! We ate ’til we couldn’t anymore, and thanked Lee again and again for such a delicious meal. (Lee, you’re an amazing chef! Thanks again! And again!)
Can’t forget that we dunked our feet in the lake!
We headed to bed and fell asleep preeeeettttty quickly. Like we said, we were pooped. Tomorrow’s destination: California!
October 19, 2015
Starting Point: Kingman, AZ
Destination: Lake Havasu City, AZ
Today’s Miles Biked: 65
Total Miles Biked: 2,446
Trash Freeway 