We have now traversed up and over the Rockies, through a corner of Utah, curved through Arizona, gone back up to Utah for Zion National Park and St. George, headed diagonally south through Arizona to Nevada, through Las Vegas, and now we are in California! We have two more days of biking planned until we reach the Pacific. The lands and towns we've passed through have demonstrated quite the spectrum, ranging from the Las Vegas strip to empty lands defined by a gas station to the mid-sized outdoorsy town of Durango to the beautiful rock formations of Zion National Park.
We took a rest day in Durango, Colorado, where we visited the farmer's market, walked down the main street, and visited our share of shops and restaurants. Our rest day concluded with our hosts sharing with us a beautiful fundraising gala for Manna Soup Kitchen. Manna Soup Kitchen works to provide nourishing meals and supportive services in an atmosphere of acceptance and caring for those in need throughout the region. The evening included many auction items, delicious treats, and kind encouragement toward our cycling excursion. I enjoy talking with residents as a way to paint a fuller picture of the regions we pass through, as a way to delve past the initial impression and learn more about the area. This event provided just that, as a meaningful setting where we could experience more of Durango.
We took a rest day in Durango, Colorado, where we visited the farmer's market, walked down the main street, and visited our share of shops and restaurants. Our rest day concluded with our hosts sharing with us a beautiful fundraising gala for Manna Soup Kitchen. Manna Soup Kitchen works to provide nourishing meals and supportive services in an atmosphere of acceptance and caring for those in need throughout the region. The evening included many auction items, delicious treats, and kind encouragement toward our cycling excursion. I enjoy talking with residents as a way to paint a fuller picture of the regions we pass through, as a way to delve past the initial impression and learn more about the area. This event provided just that, as a meaningful setting where we could experience more of Durango.
Following the Rockies and the Durango rest day, we began our ride's fourth quarter final push. We soon entered the state of Utah, rock formations and all, beginning with Monument Valley. The lands continued to get drier as we moved west. As we dipped into Arizona, we decided this was the time to power out a century day of 100 miles. Relatively flat land, spread out towns, and the exciting destination of Lake Powell in Page, Arizona? Let's do it. This was a new challenge to conquer, a way to make the uneventful topography exciting, and a way to show ourselves what we can do and what our true capabilities can be.
Soon after our century day, we biked back into Utah and passed through Zion National Park. This park was certainly a high point for the three of us, with the winding road alongside ever-changing and beautiful rock formations. Seems as though photographs cannot capture it, as people often say, but here are our attempts!
We then biked into St. George, Utah, and it was refreshingly lively to be in a city again. As we biked out of the city the next morning, we found ourselves upon a road closed to cars with cyclists racing along! We swerved around the tape into the path, and joined our three loaded bikes in with the pack for a few blocks. Turned out we were not the only three bicycling in St. George that morning, but we got to join the Trick or TRI triathalon. Cycling alongside competitive athletes was a fun way to start the day, plus a nice reminder of the positive outdoor activity and healthy living habits being promoted in many corners of this country.
We soon crossed through the corner of Arizona and entered Nevada, flat tire repairs and all. We biked through Mesquite and reached Las Vegas for our final rest day before Los Angeles. The three of us mapped out details for our final week, which brings us to the present! We are now three days into California with two to go! The adrenaline is pumping, as we know that the ocean is just over the hills on the horizon. We have over 3,100 miles down, with about 120 remaining. Here we go!