Flagstaff through Chambers, Arizona

Garmin Stats and Maps:

Flagstaff to Winslow

Winslow to Holbrook

Holbrook to Chambers

View of the San Francisco mountains behind me leaving Flagstaff

Leaving Flagstaff was quite harrowing because the roads were icy. Just as I got on I-40, emergency crews were dealing with a crash. The police yelled out for me to be careful. There were also big snow accumulations next to the shoulder. Sometimes, the snow drifts looked to be as high as 10 ft. Flagstaff had been hit with a storm just a few days earlier that dumped record amounts of snow and paralyzed the city. I had put in a request to stay with a WarmShowers host (www.warmshowers.org). They responded the snow was too high to get to their house!

Today's ride was mostly descending. Within the 1st 1,000 ft drop, the snow on the side of the road disappeared and the temperature rose. This was very welcome. I think the ride started at 24 degrees. I was wearing lots of layers including a face gaiter, plastic bags around my feet, a beanie, gloves, rain pants, and a rain jacket. All of these extra clothes kept me warm.

 

Rearview mirror shot.

Trike shot on I-40.

Time to switch the battery.

I stopped at a Navajo tribal run travel plaza to take a break and warm up. All my snacks had frozen and even my water bladder was full of icy slush. The place was exceptionally clean with a laundromat and showers. The people were very nice answering my questions. I learned the Navajo Nation is in 4 states and much bigger than I realized.

video of ride to Winslow

Most of the way, there was a frontage road I could see from I-40, but some of it was a mucky mess that looked to require a 4-wheel drive vehicle. Directions wanted me to take this frontage road but I didn't trust it and stayed on the very noisy I-40.  By the time I arrived at Winslow, I had descended 2,500 ft and the temperature was close to 60 degrees. Wow, was this nice! I rode 61 miles with an average speed of over 14 mph.

 

Proud Winslow, AZ house

Coming into Winslow

Speed demon, Myrtle!

I had heard the Eagles' song about standing on the corner in Winslow, Arizona, and remember when the song was a big radio hit but didn't realize how popular it still is. I took a few photos to post on Facebook and the response was very enthusiastic.  

I found Earl's Motor Court motel and got checked in. I love motor courts but this was a funny place with a bit of a strange story. I first met the friendly mutt of a dog, Bonanza, and 3 very young sons playing in the parking lot. The husband showed me a room that was old, tired, and worn out. When he said the nightly rate was $90, I asked why so much? He then asked how much cash I have. I counted out $56 and he said that would be enough. He also said his wife wouldn't be happy about taking the cash but, oh well. An hour after getting settled in the room there was a knock at the door. The wife was very upset and she needed to let me know why she charges $90. She ranted at me for quite a while. She didn't ask for more money and I wasn't sure what the discussion was really about. I promised to leave a good tip. I didn't know what else to say.

New lyrics to 'Take It Easy' from fellow recumbent rider, William Volk:

Well, she’s pedaling down the road trying to pull that load she’s got five wheels on her mind

Two that want to turn her, two trailing behind her, one that’s a tire on her mind.

Take it easy, take it easy

Don't let that motor in your rear wheel make me lazy

Well I’m riding around a corner in Winslow Arizona

And such a strange sight to see

I’m a girl my lord on a long trike tour slowing down to find a place to pee

Come on baby, don't say maybe

I gotta know if your amps are gonna save me

Tires may leak, and we might swim

Though we will never be here again

So pedal on, I'm climbin' in

So take it easy

Motor on while you still can

Don’t try to climb if you can’t

Just find a place to make your stand and take it easy

Come on baby, don't say maybe

I gotta know if your amps are gonna save me

'Take It Easy' Eagle wings

Standing on the Corner with Myrtle

Flatbed Ford

Famous corner on Route 66 in Winslow

After getting such a big response from the Facebook photos, I decided to stop by the famous Winslow corner again in the morning to get more videos. 

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Today, I tried an alternative route out of Winslow listed on the ACA (adventurecycling.org) maps. The first 8 miles were a very nice and quiet ride. I got a few photos and even flew my drone a bit, something I can't do on I-40. There was a turn on Territorial rd and the route became impossible for me to continue on. This was an unpaved road with a washboard surface that I couldn't get traction on with my rear wheel. The trailer was bouncing terribly on the washboard surface and I had no choice but to turn around. 16 miles into the ride with 500 ft of climbing and I was back where I started in Winslow. Luckily, today's ride was shorter at about 35 miles otherwise I would have had to stay another night and try again in the morning.

Brad's Highway Desert Inn, Holbrook

Once back on my favorite I-40, I had a very strong tailwind that blew me into  Holbrook. On my way into Holbrook, I was happy to see a Safeway grocery store and stopped to get fruit, veggies, and already-cooked chicken sausage to make a home-cooked stir-fry dinner. Many motels along Rt 66 through town were only available to monthly paying customers. Some of them were downright scary looking. I did stop at the Wigwam Hotel which is a collection of teepees for rent with vintage cars parked out front. Unfortunately, it was closed. I got checked in to Brad's Desert Highway Inn and loved it. This is another motor court motel. The room had a small kitchen that gave me more room for cooking. The owner heard my story and dropped the price from $88 to $65. So far, I've been paying much less for hotel rooms than I expected. In fact, these prices have actually been within my budget which is a huge relief. 

Video of ride into Holbrook

I have to say, I've been disappointed to not be camping, yet. The overnight temperatures have just been too cold. Maybe I'm a bit of a wimp but I can't camp in temperatures less than 40 degrees. Before I started the trip I practiced camping in the yard. A few nights the temperature got down to the low 40s. My gear kept me warm enough. The tough thing is having to be in my tent and sleeping bag once the sun goes down to stay warm. And then tearing down camp in the morning in the freezing cold. There will be plenty of opportunities for camping when the days are longer and nights/mornings aren't so cold.

Not many services along the way.

Cycling is permitted on the Interstate.

Chambers hotel room

Video of ride into Chambers

For me, the most important thing, every day, is to make sure I have a safe place to spend the night. Travel, in general, can be exhausting, and I think making sure I get a good night's rest is vitally important. If I don't sleep well that is when I start to make poor decisions. A few poor decisions and the tour starts to not be fun. On this section of the Route 66 bike route, there are not many options for places to stay. But, luckily, I have found safe places within a comfortable distance. One of the benefits of staying in hotels is I've been able to put together a video for every day's ride, so far. I doubt I'll be able to continue that while camping.

Today's ride was again on I-40 with a huge tailwind. The tailwind was blowing over 30 mph at times. It was so massive that I questioned if riding was actually a good idea. At one point, the temperature dropped enough to need to stop and put on my rain pants for warmth. The wind was so strong I had trouble putting my rain pants on. I wondered if I had a mechanical or needed to fix a puncture if the winds would be too strong to complete the repair. Luckily, I arrived at the small town of Chambers without incident. The last few miles were through hail and light snow flurries.  The 'town' of Chambers was nothing more than a gas station and Day's Inn hotel. I got checked in for $75. This was a big room with plenty of space for the trike and trailer. I-40 traffic noise was heard all night long.