It’s here!! Day 1 of our journey to D.C. After an inspiring talk from RFTW Founder, James “Gunny” Gregory, & a brief opening ceremony, everyone started getting ready – and we were off! It went relatively smoothly, getting out of Ontario and the whole L.A. area. Then we headed to our first fuel stop at Coachella & Spotlight 29 Casino for a break & short meeting. This is always a very welcomed stop—they’re practically like family now. And speaking of “warm,” the temp is already warm! Let me rephrase that – it is HOT! Already 93° and it’s only 10 o’clock in the morning!
Now, on to Blythe, CA, where we know it’s even hotter…but the people treat us like royalty. After lunch & lots of water, we gear up for the afternoon ride—which is long & very challenging. This is where you quickly discover if you kept yourself sufficiently hydrated. We made it to our afternoon fuel stop in Tonopah, AZ. I would bet money that we were standing on the asphalt parking lot that was at least 120 degrees. The air temperature was ranging from 100 to 102. Wow….
On to Casa Grande, though, for supper at the Elk’s Lodge. And it was surely a welcomed site. Many of the towns people were there, waving us in and greeting us at the Lodge. They fed us a great supper of Mexican food, which really hit the spot. The Elks people were just fabulous. And what made it even more special was that we had some pleasant surprise visits from a few riders & road guards in the RFTW family that no longer ride with us. Another great thing that happened today was that we were either right on time or early on our scheduled stops! Getting in early rarely happens, which meant we got off the hot highway & bright sun. Now—we’re off to the hotels for a cool shower & rest for Day 2. After a grueling 406 mile day, tomorrow will be slightly easier at 354 miles. Plus, the weather is SAYING that it’ll be cooler…. We’ll see!
