Monday, May 24, 2010
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Day 15: Gray Mountain
Leaving Page was not anything spectacular, but I was having a tough time keeping my speed above 10mph. It was one of those gradual climbs that look flat but really are not. The morning part of the ride was excellent as they always are. I rode through a kind of gorge and some other interesting landscapes, but as the day grew older I reached this long, flat, and very dry stretch of road.
You know how the heat makes pavement look like water in the distance? Well, this road was no different and I imagined myself riding straight into a lake and experiencing the refreshing cool the water would be holding. But there was no water—only heat. I started to climb a pass and I decided that I would take my time just in case it was a big one or if there were more to come. I also knew that when I climb, I almost always get to fly back down. It wasn’t long before I reached the top and sure enough, I saw the best road sign ever.
Riding downhill is very exhilarating and a lot of fun. At times I would pretend that I was in the Tour de France and would stick my butt up in the air to gain speed (not that I really ever knew what I was doing), but it is really fun. The only problem I had this time was this car behind me really wanted to pass me. What made this a problem was that I was going just as fast as the car right in front of me. Why would passing me help them get where they were going any faster? I reached the end of “Antelope Pass” and took a quick break. My next stop was a little town called “The Gap.” On my way there I began seeing these little caterpillar things trying to cross the road. There were so many of them and most were run over, but I saw some make it across. I can’t imagine where they were all heading, but there sure were a lot of them. The next thing I saw were a number of abandoned shelters that were right on the side of the road. They were used by venders, but had obviously not been used for some time. I pulled into The Gap and found some shade under a tree. I pulled out my other favorite lunch (when Subway was not an option), which was a turkey sub from Walmart. They have this incredible deal where you buy a footlong sandwich with turkey, lettuce, and cheese all for $4.95 (I wrote this before Subway's 5 dollar footlong deal). It fills you up and is delicious! I ate my lunch under a tree and once I finished I left for Gray Mountain. This would be my final stop for the day. The ride from The Gap to Gray Mountain was very interesting. At one point I looked over to see a cow that had recently died. I knew it had been recent because it was bloated, with its legs sticking straight out. I couldn’t believe it! First of all, there was nothing green around and water was only an aspiration. Why would there be a cow in that environment??? I continued on and after I road about 20 miles from The Gap I was hit with very strong winds. Because I was riding in a desert, the wind was full of sand. I was riding in what I considered a sandstorm. It was blowing sideways, stinging the right side of my face, arms, and legs and was blowing hard enough that I had to lean into it. Thankfully, this wind/sandstorm only lasted for 15 minutes or so. The road I was on is only about 40 miles east of the Grand Canyon. I was completely unaware I was so close! After riding out the storm, I started approaching the town right before Gray Mountain called Cameron. I was about 12 miles or so from the town when I saw my favorite sign—or at least I thought I had. I rode up to the point where I was sure I had seen a downhill sign, but there was nothing there or anything that looked like it. I was confused, but thought “I must have seen a mirage!!!” I’ve never really thought they actually happen, but I had one! I was out of water, my mouth was dry, and I was tired and ready to be done for the day, but I would have one last exciting moment. I saw this guy walking with a cart on the same side of the road I was riding. He didn’t look very welcoming so I unstrapped my tire pump that’s on the frame of my bike. It would make a decent Billy Club if I needed to use it as one, so I was ready. I started moving out into the lane to pass him, expecting him to vanish as my beautiful road sign did, but instead he waved me down and motioned for me to stop. I found out his name was Art and he was on a peace walk. He had traveled all the way from San Diego, California and had just left Gray Mountain where he’d slept the night before. He told me about how much he hated President Bush and the War and was trying to gather support for world peace. He gave me a sticker with a blue peace sign which read "Peace Now." We parted ways and I continued on to Cameron. I was so ready to be done and was really tired from the ride. Having made it to Cameron I had ridden about 83 miles climbing a pass, seeing a dead cow, riding through a sand storm, and talking to a sun-scorched man…I was ready to rest. While in Cameron I stopped at the gas station that was next to a touristy trading post and pleaded with the attendant to let me have some cold water from the soda machine. He graciously allowed me to and I was very, very thankful. I sat outside the store on a bench in the shade and dreaded the 9 miles to Gray Mountain that were left to ride. But, I had to get there so off I went and of course I had to climb for the majority of it. I finally reached my destination and stopped at this place called the “Anasazi Inn.” I tried to have a conversation with the lady at the front desk, but she wasn’t really in the talking mood. I went to my room and had a much needed shower, ate dinner and watched some TV! I even had air conditioning for the night! I always slept on the top of the beds in those kinds of hotels because I couldn’t trust that the sheets were nice and fresh...
Coming tomorrow...
The final ride, OnStar, and the greenest place on earth!
You know how the heat makes pavement look like water in the distance? Well, this road was no different and I imagined myself riding straight into a lake and experiencing the refreshing cool the water would be holding. But there was no water—only heat. I started to climb a pass and I decided that I would take my time just in case it was a big one or if there were more to come. I also knew that when I climb, I almost always get to fly back down. It wasn’t long before I reached the top and sure enough, I saw the best road sign ever.
Riding downhill is very exhilarating and a lot of fun. At times I would pretend that I was in the Tour de France and would stick my butt up in the air to gain speed (not that I really ever knew what I was doing), but it is really fun. The only problem I had this time was this car behind me really wanted to pass me. What made this a problem was that I was going just as fast as the car right in front of me. Why would passing me help them get where they were going any faster? I reached the end of “Antelope Pass” and took a quick break. My next stop was a little town called “The Gap.” On my way there I began seeing these little caterpillar things trying to cross the road. There were so many of them and most were run over, but I saw some make it across. I can’t imagine where they were all heading, but there sure were a lot of them. The next thing I saw were a number of abandoned shelters that were right on the side of the road. They were used by venders, but had obviously not been used for some time. I pulled into The Gap and found some shade under a tree. I pulled out my other favorite lunch (when Subway was not an option), which was a turkey sub from Walmart. They have this incredible deal where you buy a footlong sandwich with turkey, lettuce, and cheese all for $4.95 (I wrote this before Subway's 5 dollar footlong deal). It fills you up and is delicious! I ate my lunch under a tree and once I finished I left for Gray Mountain. This would be my final stop for the day. The ride from The Gap to Gray Mountain was very interesting. At one point I looked over to see a cow that had recently died. I knew it had been recent because it was bloated, with its legs sticking straight out. I couldn’t believe it! First of all, there was nothing green around and water was only an aspiration. Why would there be a cow in that environment??? I continued on and after I road about 20 miles from The Gap I was hit with very strong winds. Because I was riding in a desert, the wind was full of sand. I was riding in what I considered a sandstorm. It was blowing sideways, stinging the right side of my face, arms, and legs and was blowing hard enough that I had to lean into it. Thankfully, this wind/sandstorm only lasted for 15 minutes or so. The road I was on is only about 40 miles east of the Grand Canyon. I was completely unaware I was so close! After riding out the storm, I started approaching the town right before Gray Mountain called Cameron. I was about 12 miles or so from the town when I saw my favorite sign—or at least I thought I had. I rode up to the point where I was sure I had seen a downhill sign, but there was nothing there or anything that looked like it. I was confused, but thought “I must have seen a mirage!!!” I’ve never really thought they actually happen, but I had one! I was out of water, my mouth was dry, and I was tired and ready to be done for the day, but I would have one last exciting moment. I saw this guy walking with a cart on the same side of the road I was riding. He didn’t look very welcoming so I unstrapped my tire pump that’s on the frame of my bike. It would make a decent Billy Club if I needed to use it as one, so I was ready. I started moving out into the lane to pass him, expecting him to vanish as my beautiful road sign did, but instead he waved me down and motioned for me to stop. I found out his name was Art and he was on a peace walk. He had traveled all the way from San Diego, California and had just left Gray Mountain where he’d slept the night before. He told me about how much he hated President Bush and the War and was trying to gather support for world peace. He gave me a sticker with a blue peace sign which read "Peace Now." We parted ways and I continued on to Cameron. I was so ready to be done and was really tired from the ride. Having made it to Cameron I had ridden about 83 miles climbing a pass, seeing a dead cow, riding through a sand storm, and talking to a sun-scorched man…I was ready to rest. While in Cameron I stopped at the gas station that was next to a touristy trading post and pleaded with the attendant to let me have some cold water from the soda machine. He graciously allowed me to and I was very, very thankful. I sat outside the store on a bench in the shade and dreaded the 9 miles to Gray Mountain that were left to ride. But, I had to get there so off I went and of course I had to climb for the majority of it. I finally reached my destination and stopped at this place called the “Anasazi Inn.” I tried to have a conversation with the lady at the front desk, but she wasn’t really in the talking mood. I went to my room and had a much needed shower, ate dinner and watched some TV! I even had air conditioning for the night! I always slept on the top of the beds in those kinds of hotels because I couldn’t trust that the sheets were nice and fresh...
Coming tomorrow...
The final ride, OnStar, and the greenest place on earth!
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Day 14: Page, Arizona
My next destination was Page, Arizona. I got up very early to leave. I may have slept 5 hours but I was anxious to continue on my journey.
I packed up my trailer, put on my cold gear because the sun was still waking up itself, and quietly left Frank’s house. It was a beautiful calm morning as I pulled out of town and it soon looked like the environment of “Radiator Springs” in the movie “Cars.” The highway leaving town was a long and really straight road. After a while there was some interesting scenery, including beautiful red rock cliffs.
Right before reaching Lake Powell were some really interesting sandstone caves. I contemplated stopping and exploring, but it was getting late which meant it was going to start getting hot. I passed a boat repair/storage business and then began to pass the lake. It was a memorable view and I wanted to take a break to go for a swim. Soon after passing the lake I reached the Arizona border.
I stopped at a convenience store located right there on the border and I was thankful for the ice cold water they allowed me to have. As I was nearing Page I saw a Chevy Tahoe police vehicle that had pulled over a speeding sports car that had recently passed me. My initial thought was, “I wonder if he’s waiting for me (I couldn’t see the car pulled over in front of him) because I had heard that some states don’t allow cyclists on highways. I kept on trucking and began my decent into Page. It was great heading in! Downhill completed by a beautiful view over the bridge. However, it was 90+ degrees at this point and this beautiful view was met by a seemingly simple climb into town. The climb was actually miserable and it continued all the way into town. I rode through town looking for the place I was going to sleep that night. I stopped first at the Best Western only to find out that it was going to cost $89 for the night. There was no way I was going to pay that much again! I asked for directions to a Subway or a Walmart and headed that way. On my way there I traveled on a street that was surprisingly full of churches! All different denominations, all different religious affiliations, it was strange that they were all located together. They were all neighbors! I found a couple of cheaper hotels as I continued, the first one, Motel 6, was affordable but the lady at the front desk was very rude. I left and paid for a room at the Super 8. I made it to Walmart, ate at the Subway that was there and gathered some supplies for the next day. Here is an email I wrote once I returned to the Super 8:
Coming tomorrow...
A visit to The Gap, a dead cow and a guy on a peace walk.
I packed up my trailer, put on my cold gear because the sun was still waking up itself, and quietly left Frank’s house. It was a beautiful calm morning as I pulled out of town and it soon looked like the environment of “Radiator Springs” in the movie “Cars.” The highway leaving town was a long and really straight road. After a while there was some interesting scenery, including beautiful red rock cliffs.
Right before reaching Lake Powell were some really interesting sandstone caves. I contemplated stopping and exploring, but it was getting late which meant it was going to start getting hot. I passed a boat repair/storage business and then began to pass the lake. It was a memorable view and I wanted to take a break to go for a swim. Soon after passing the lake I reached the Arizona border.
I stopped at a convenience store located right there on the border and I was thankful for the ice cold water they allowed me to have. As I was nearing Page I saw a Chevy Tahoe police vehicle that had pulled over a speeding sports car that had recently passed me. My initial thought was, “I wonder if he’s waiting for me (I couldn’t see the car pulled over in front of him) because I had heard that some states don’t allow cyclists on highways. I kept on trucking and began my decent into Page. It was great heading in! Downhill completed by a beautiful view over the bridge. However, it was 90+ degrees at this point and this beautiful view was met by a seemingly simple climb into town. The climb was actually miserable and it continued all the way into town. I rode through town looking for the place I was going to sleep that night. I stopped first at the Best Western only to find out that it was going to cost $89 for the night. There was no way I was going to pay that much again! I asked for directions to a Subway or a Walmart and headed that way. On my way there I traveled on a street that was surprisingly full of churches! All different denominations, all different religious affiliations, it was strange that they were all located together. They were all neighbors! I found a couple of cheaper hotels as I continued, the first one, Motel 6, was affordable but the lady at the front desk was very rude. I left and paid for a room at the Super 8. I made it to Walmart, ate at the Subway that was there and gathered some supplies for the next day. Here is an email I wrote once I returned to the Super 8:
I crossed the border today....WOO HOO....and now I'm in Page, Arizona. I'm staying here at a super 8 and I'm not camping because it's wicked hot. Plus I want to get going early to beat the heat. Today I left Kanab, Utah at 6:00am and it was hardly light enough to see--I had to use my head light on my bike so I didn't get run over... I pulled in here at 11:30 this morning and it was already 90 something. I'm glad I got here as soon as I did. My bike is kind of starting to break, at least once piece on my bike. The "Derailer Arm" is bent, which makes my shifting a little rough and I can't use some gear combinations. I'll have to wait until I get to Flagstaff (2 days) because the bike shop here doesn't do repairs on Sunday. I just ate Subway, which was amazing by the way. In fact, I think that they should make one of those Subway commercials with me in it. I think I've eaten at every one I could have and I've lost 8lbs in less than 2 weeks, now that's something big... Look out Jared!
Coming tomorrow...
A visit to The Gap, a dead cow and a guy on a peace walk.
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Day 13: Kanab, Utah
Breakfast the next morning was at a grocery store: Bananas, yogurt, and some beartrack donut things. This day's ride would prove to be the most incredible ride I was to experience. My destination was Kanab, Utah, the last stop before I crossed the border into Arizona. During my ride I again had asked God to provide for the day, specifically a place to stay in Kanab. It was a very hot day, 90+ degrees, with wind blowing slightly in the direction I was riding. That means I had no breeze to cool me down as I rode and any rider knows that the heat isn't so bad until you stop riding because of that breeze. I was on this somewhat significant climb and I wasn't going very fast. I stood up on my bike to stretch because my back was really cramped and as I did I slowed way down. I pedaled while standing (something I was advised not to do...) to regain my dismal speed and as I did I warped a four-inch section of my back tire due to a combination of heat and my pedaling, which I didn't know at the moment. I continued up the push and passed a couple of guys on the opposite side of the rode who were on motorcycles. They said, "Man You're crazy! You want a cigarette?" I smiled and waved and saw that the top was near. I started downhill and shortly after beginning this decent I felt a little continuous bump on my bike tire (the 4 inch section that had warped!). I stopped and looked to see that my tire was warped and thought, "Well there's nothing I can do about it now. I don't have another tire, just plenty of tubes. I'll just go slow." And just so you know, it was a wicked-awesome downhill. I continued on and got going about 33 miles an hour, using my brakes when all of the sudden...... "BOOM!" My tire blew!
I started swerving and thought I was going to fall. So I instantly started to pray. I was scared and as I tried to slow down I imagined my leg "meatloafed" from the fall. Well, I didn't fall--thankfully. I considered my options: Walk or attempt some MacGyver fix. You know I didn't want to walk down the beautiful downhill ride, so MacGyver it was. I remembered this trick that Sheila, who I had just met before the trip, told me. She said that "if your tire tread is getting thin, you can take a dollar bill, fold it four ways, and put it in between your tire and your tube and it should help you get to your next stop." I thought, "Well, my tread isn't thin, it has a hole in it, but maybe I can try a couple of dollar bills." So I tried it. I rode for about a half of a mile at about 20 some mph and then "BOOM!"again. I got frustrated and not just with the situation, but with God. Sheila told me of a situation where her tire tread was getting thin and that she made it to the bottom of this hill and then her tire blew. While looking at the newly paved road, my thought went something like this, "Why would you let her make it down the fun part of riding, but allow my tire to explode at the top of the hill?" I realized what I was thinking and said, "God if you want to provide for me I will trust you for that. I'm sorry." So, since I had blown two tubes, I decided to walk. I had 9 miles to get to Kanab with enough hot water to keep me hydrated and I had hoped that maybe someone might stop to ask me if I needed a ride. There were a number of cars that passed by in the first half mile and nobody stopped. Then I had an idea. I thought, "Maybe, my back tire blew again because it has that extra weight of my trailer pulling down on it. I wonder if I could make it if I switched my tires. But, if it pops up front I don't know if I will be able to control where I go." I prayed again and decided to switch them. Just as I started to pump up my back tire a gentlemen in a white Ford Bronco pulled over. I RAN up to his window and he asked if I needed any help. I said, "I blew a tire." Then he said, "Throw your bike on the trailer and I'll give you a ride into town." (An answer to my prayer of getting to town safely!). I hurried and got it to sit securely and hopped in. His name was Frank and I asked him about campgrounds. He mentioned a couple of different ones that were conveniently close to the bike shop. We talked the whole way to town and I told him a little of what I had seen. I mentioned that I had planned to go see the Grand Canyon, but that I had already seen so many big canyons that I couldn't imagine it being much more exciting. Also, I decided not to go because I was trying to hurry and get to Mesa, Arizona because Bob (whose house I was going to stay in) was preaching that next Sunday. When we got to town I said "If you wouldn't mind dropping me off at the bike shop that would be great." As we pulled into town he said, "You know, if you want to save a few bucks, I have a yard you could stay in." I said, "Yeah! That would be perfect!" We got to the bike shop around 3:30 or 4:00 and it was closed so I looked at the hours and saw that it said they opened at 5:00pm on Friday. I told Frank and he said that I could shower at his place and relax and that we could come back at 5:00. We got to his house, which he told me he and his family had built back in the 80s I think.
It was so amazing, super fancy, and it was a log house. There was a moose mounted inside that he had shot.
He showed me the bathroom that looked like a bathroom in a 5 star hotel and while standing in the bedroom he said, "You can sleep here." I thought, "WHAT!" I asked him, "In here or out there?" He said, "Here" and pointed to this bed that looked really expensive. The bathroom was right there as well and it was kept as nice as a bathroom in a 5 star hotel. Frank went outside to do some rock work (he was coming back from collecting his supply of rock when he picked me up) and I had a chance to shower. After I finished I went outside and helped frank unload some of his rock. It was about 4:30 or so and I asked frank I we could go back to the bike shop. We left and on the way I realized that I had forgotten to grab my money out of my backpack. I said, "Shoot! I forgot to grab money!" He said, "That's ok, we'll put it on my credit card. You can pay me back right?" I said "absolutely" and we continued. We got there and I got out to see that the bike shop was still closed! Frank leaned over and looked through the passenger window. He said, "I think they are closed today." The first time we went to the bike shop I looked at the hours for Friday, but it wasn't Friday, it was Saturday. I quickly apologized and he said, "That's ok. I know the guy who owns the building." So, off we went to this guy's house. When we arrived, he said "Wait here, I'm going to go talk to this guy." So about 15 minutes later he came out and said, "It's this guy's son who owns the shop. We tried about 10 different numbers and couldn't get a hold of him, but I know where he lives so we'll go check it out." We got to the house and believe it or not, the guy we were looking for got home right before we arrived. That was why they couldn't get a hold of him. So Frank went up to the door to tell him the situation and he came running down to the car and said, "Sounds like you need a tire...!" and I just said, "Yeah I do!" "Well lets go!" he said and back down to the shop we went. On our way down there we drove by a Subway so I asked, "Do you think we could stop by Subway after we get the tire because I haven't eaten dinner yet?" He said, "Do you like veggies?" and I said "Yeah." "Are you a vegetarian?" he asked. I said, "no" and he said, "Well I was going to have steak for dinner so we'll stop by the grocery store and pick you up one." I said, "Wow! Thanks!" We made it to the bike shop and the owner was walking around trying to find the size I needed. I'll be honest, all I saw were the type of tires you can get at an Ace Hardware. And the shop wasn't too modern you know, it's a small town. Actually, I'm not sure I saw any new(er) bikes at all! The owner kept sorting through tires saying "Nope that's not the right size....nope....wait, nope. I'm not sure if I have your size, we don't have a lot of road bikes come through here," but he kept looking. All of the sudden he says, "Oh, here's some." Remember that phrase from earlier in my trip? When I ran out of water right before I made it to Loa, Utah? Exactly the same! I said to myself, "I SEE YOU GOD!!!! AND I'M SO THANKFUL YOU'RE HERE!!!" I went to hand him my debit card and he said, "Oh sorry, I'm not set up for that here." I said, "Is there an ATM nearby." He told me where I could go so off Frank and I went to find the ATM. We ended up going quite a ways to this bank all the while the owner is just waiting back at his shop. We got back, I bought the tire, thanked the owner and Frank and I went to the grocery store. We were walking around picking up supplies and Frank says, "You like hominy?" I said, "I've never had it, what is it?" He said, "You'll can try it and if you don't like it you don't have to eat it." Then we went back to get the steak. He grabbed one and said, "I have an idea. What time does the sun set?" I told him that it was setting around 7:45 or 8:00. He said, "Ok. So this is what we'll do. We'll go home, I'll cook dinner and after we're done, I'll take you to see the Grand Canyon." You can imagine how blown away I was!!!! I was so excited and thankful. So we ate dinner out on his beautiful deck and it was gorgeous it. Oh and the hominy was very delicious!
We finished with dinner and headed out. We had great conversation the whole way there and I learned a lot about him, his family and the things that he's into. When we arrived at the tourist center, Frank said "You're going to have to run because the sun is going to set soon!" I did as he said and went as fast as I could. Inside the tourist center were loads of people. I wondered why there were so many but found out that it was because there was no one out looking at the canyon, they were all inside.... It was so perfect. I reached the end of Bright Angel Trail right in time for the sun to drop below the top of the canyon.
It could not have been better. No people. Perfect timing. Accident? Yeah right. Thanks God.
I walked back feeling like you do when you wake up from a great nights sleep. Man, I love thinking about that moment. I found frank, with his camera strapped over his shoulder and we headed back down to his bronco. I could not believe all that had happened leading up to that point. I thought back to when my tire exploded when I said "Why would you let her (Sheila) make it down the fun part of riding, but allow my tire to explode at the top of the hill?" then, "God if you want to provide for me, I will trust you for that. I'm sorry." Do you think He took care of me? Sure He used Frank to bless me abundantly, but how do things like that just "fall" into place. I think they don't. Frank and I returned to his house, said goodnight and goodbye, and I left early that next morning, before the sunrise.
Coming tomorrow...
Red rock, blue lakes, and another Page turned.
I started swerving and thought I was going to fall. So I instantly started to pray. I was scared and as I tried to slow down I imagined my leg "meatloafed" from the fall. Well, I didn't fall--thankfully. I considered my options: Walk or attempt some MacGyver fix. You know I didn't want to walk down the beautiful downhill ride, so MacGyver it was. I remembered this trick that Sheila, who I had just met before the trip, told me. She said that "if your tire tread is getting thin, you can take a dollar bill, fold it four ways, and put it in between your tire and your tube and it should help you get to your next stop." I thought, "Well, my tread isn't thin, it has a hole in it, but maybe I can try a couple of dollar bills." So I tried it. I rode for about a half of a mile at about 20 some mph and then "BOOM!"again. I got frustrated and not just with the situation, but with God. Sheila told me of a situation where her tire tread was getting thin and that she made it to the bottom of this hill and then her tire blew. While looking at the newly paved road, my thought went something like this, "Why would you let her make it down the fun part of riding, but allow my tire to explode at the top of the hill?" I realized what I was thinking and said, "God if you want to provide for me I will trust you for that. I'm sorry." So, since I had blown two tubes, I decided to walk. I had 9 miles to get to Kanab with enough hot water to keep me hydrated and I had hoped that maybe someone might stop to ask me if I needed a ride. There were a number of cars that passed by in the first half mile and nobody stopped. Then I had an idea. I thought, "Maybe, my back tire blew again because it has that extra weight of my trailer pulling down on it. I wonder if I could make it if I switched my tires. But, if it pops up front I don't know if I will be able to control where I go." I prayed again and decided to switch them. Just as I started to pump up my back tire a gentlemen in a white Ford Bronco pulled over. I RAN up to his window and he asked if I needed any help. I said, "I blew a tire." Then he said, "Throw your bike on the trailer and I'll give you a ride into town." (An answer to my prayer of getting to town safely!). I hurried and got it to sit securely and hopped in. His name was Frank and I asked him about campgrounds. He mentioned a couple of different ones that were conveniently close to the bike shop. We talked the whole way to town and I told him a little of what I had seen. I mentioned that I had planned to go see the Grand Canyon, but that I had already seen so many big canyons that I couldn't imagine it being much more exciting. Also, I decided not to go because I was trying to hurry and get to Mesa, Arizona because Bob (whose house I was going to stay in) was preaching that next Sunday. When we got to town I said "If you wouldn't mind dropping me off at the bike shop that would be great." As we pulled into town he said, "You know, if you want to save a few bucks, I have a yard you could stay in." I said, "Yeah! That would be perfect!" We got to the bike shop around 3:30 or 4:00 and it was closed so I looked at the hours and saw that it said they opened at 5:00pm on Friday. I told Frank and he said that I could shower at his place and relax and that we could come back at 5:00. We got to his house, which he told me he and his family had built back in the 80s I think.
It was so amazing, super fancy, and it was a log house. There was a moose mounted inside that he had shot.
He showed me the bathroom that looked like a bathroom in a 5 star hotel and while standing in the bedroom he said, "You can sleep here." I thought, "WHAT!" I asked him, "In here or out there?" He said, "Here" and pointed to this bed that looked really expensive. The bathroom was right there as well and it was kept as nice as a bathroom in a 5 star hotel. Frank went outside to do some rock work (he was coming back from collecting his supply of rock when he picked me up) and I had a chance to shower. After I finished I went outside and helped frank unload some of his rock. It was about 4:30 or so and I asked frank I we could go back to the bike shop. We left and on the way I realized that I had forgotten to grab my money out of my backpack. I said, "Shoot! I forgot to grab money!" He said, "That's ok, we'll put it on my credit card. You can pay me back right?" I said "absolutely" and we continued. We got there and I got out to see that the bike shop was still closed! Frank leaned over and looked through the passenger window. He said, "I think they are closed today." The first time we went to the bike shop I looked at the hours for Friday, but it wasn't Friday, it was Saturday. I quickly apologized and he said, "That's ok. I know the guy who owns the building." So, off we went to this guy's house. When we arrived, he said "Wait here, I'm going to go talk to this guy." So about 15 minutes later he came out and said, "It's this guy's son who owns the shop. We tried about 10 different numbers and couldn't get a hold of him, but I know where he lives so we'll go check it out." We got to the house and believe it or not, the guy we were looking for got home right before we arrived. That was why they couldn't get a hold of him. So Frank went up to the door to tell him the situation and he came running down to the car and said, "Sounds like you need a tire...!" and I just said, "Yeah I do!" "Well lets go!" he said and back down to the shop we went. On our way down there we drove by a Subway so I asked, "Do you think we could stop by Subway after we get the tire because I haven't eaten dinner yet?" He said, "Do you like veggies?" and I said "Yeah." "Are you a vegetarian?" he asked. I said, "no" and he said, "Well I was going to have steak for dinner so we'll stop by the grocery store and pick you up one." I said, "Wow! Thanks!" We made it to the bike shop and the owner was walking around trying to find the size I needed. I'll be honest, all I saw were the type of tires you can get at an Ace Hardware. And the shop wasn't too modern you know, it's a small town. Actually, I'm not sure I saw any new(er) bikes at all! The owner kept sorting through tires saying "Nope that's not the right size....nope....wait, nope. I'm not sure if I have your size, we don't have a lot of road bikes come through here," but he kept looking. All of the sudden he says, "Oh, here's some." Remember that phrase from earlier in my trip? When I ran out of water right before I made it to Loa, Utah? Exactly the same! I said to myself, "I SEE YOU GOD!!!! AND I'M SO THANKFUL YOU'RE HERE!!!" I went to hand him my debit card and he said, "Oh sorry, I'm not set up for that here." I said, "Is there an ATM nearby." He told me where I could go so off Frank and I went to find the ATM. We ended up going quite a ways to this bank all the while the owner is just waiting back at his shop. We got back, I bought the tire, thanked the owner and Frank and I went to the grocery store. We were walking around picking up supplies and Frank says, "You like hominy?" I said, "I've never had it, what is it?" He said, "You'll can try it and if you don't like it you don't have to eat it." Then we went back to get the steak. He grabbed one and said, "I have an idea. What time does the sun set?" I told him that it was setting around 7:45 or 8:00. He said, "Ok. So this is what we'll do. We'll go home, I'll cook dinner and after we're done, I'll take you to see the Grand Canyon." You can imagine how blown away I was!!!! I was so excited and thankful. So we ate dinner out on his beautiful deck and it was gorgeous it. Oh and the hominy was very delicious!
We finished with dinner and headed out. We had great conversation the whole way there and I learned a lot about him, his family and the things that he's into. When we arrived at the tourist center, Frank said "You're going to have to run because the sun is going to set soon!" I did as he said and went as fast as I could. Inside the tourist center were loads of people. I wondered why there were so many but found out that it was because there was no one out looking at the canyon, they were all inside.... It was so perfect. I reached the end of Bright Angel Trail right in time for the sun to drop below the top of the canyon.
It could not have been better. No people. Perfect timing. Accident? Yeah right. Thanks God.
I walked back feeling like you do when you wake up from a great nights sleep. Man, I love thinking about that moment. I found frank, with his camera strapped over his shoulder and we headed back down to his bronco. I could not believe all that had happened leading up to that point. I thought back to when my tire exploded when I said "Why would you let her (Sheila) make it down the fun part of riding, but allow my tire to explode at the top of the hill?" then, "God if you want to provide for me, I will trust you for that. I'm sorry." Do you think He took care of me? Sure He used Frank to bless me abundantly, but how do things like that just "fall" into place. I think they don't. Frank and I returned to his house, said goodnight and goodbye, and I left early that next morning, before the sunrise.
Coming tomorrow...
Red rock, blue lakes, and another Page turned.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Day 12: Panguitch, Utah
I left Loa and headed off for Panquich, Utah--a 90 mile ride. A few miles outside of Loa was one of the longest and straightest downhill rides I'd been on and I reached a new record speed--52 mph!
It was a great day because I rode that 90 miles in 6 1/2 hours and thankfully arrived right before another big storm. When I got to Panquich I stopped and Subway once again and ate my foot long piece of heaven then went across the street to have coffee while the storm passed through and journaled about my trip. Coffee became a luxury and I had it as often as I could. After journaling, I traveled on down the road to find the KOA and when I arrived I was greeted by three KOA staffers, who were very nice and extremely helpful. I got my camp set up and then continued to journal. I took a picture with the backpack I brought with me because it was special and I wanted to show a friend I was using it on my trip!
The sun was on its way to setting and as I finished journaling I pulled out a study that my mentor Dave had given me before the trip. Two ladies, Lucy and Laurel, came up to talk with me and they were both staying in one of the KOA cabins. They mentioned that they had seen my trailer on my bike and were wondering if they could look at it. So I showed it to them and told them what I thought of it and then we talked about what we were doing on our vacations. I felt the nudging to tell them that this trip was God's undistracted, completely exclusive time of redirecting/reorienting my life in whatever direction He wanted. To shut doors or open them, that I would follow His direction and be completely dependent on Him. So, they told me where they were from and that they were also riders who were riding 50 mile treks up on a mountain range not too far from the camp. They asked, "Where are you from?" I said, "Montana" and got the familiar response of "Oh wow!" Then came the question. "What made you decide to ride all this way?" The choice to take the narrow way had come (Matt. 7: 13-14; Luke 13:24). I guess I made it through the door, though I would describe it as a kind of tiptoe passing. I told the ladies that it was my graduation present to myself and then timidly told them "And with the whole idea of future. I was like, 'Ok God, what would you want with me?' " They didn't seem to interested, but Lucy kept looking at my Bible and she mentioned she went to BYU. After they left I prayed for them:
"Father, would you begin to poke their hearts if they don't have a relationship with you? Poke their hearts even if they do. Poke my heart and speak to all of us your truth so we can walk in it. I ask that you would defeat lies that they have and that you can be the victor of their hearts. I pray that they would experience your love sincerely and have an unsearchable and unquenchable hunger for you and that they would come find you..."[journal excerpt].
Coming tomorrow...
A hot day, an exploding experience, and a new friend. The most incredible experience of my entire trip.
Monday, May 17, 2010
Day 11: Loa, Utah
The next destination was a small town called Loa, Utah. I chose to stop there based on the size of font on the map--it appeared to be a larger city. After leaving Hobie's house, I stopped at Walmart to pick up one of their $4.98, mondo, gut-buster sub sandwiches for lunch later that day and also to get a little breakfast. It looked like it was going to be another big ride, but I was up for it... or so I thought. I had ridden about 60 miles to Emery, Utah, when I stopped for lunch. I was feeling pretty good and as I was eating my amazing sub, this gentleman who was a chaperon for an elementary school field trip, came over to chat. We talked about what I was doing and why and then he told me that there is on average about 500 semi-trucks a day that travel the highway I was riding. I said, "I was wondering why there were so many..." He said that there is a coal mine close by that the trucks travel to and from and I had mentioned that I had seen quite a bit of coal on the side of the road. Semi's are frustrating and especially these ones because they throw a ton of wind. I finished lunch and headed on down the road. I finally reached the end of the highway, which was around 75 miles or so. I saw up ahead of me a motorhome that was pulled over and I thought that if I were to get there before they drove away, I would ask them for a ride. Well they left so I rode on. I wondered how much further I had to ride and as I rode wearily on I noticed these mountains next to me that seemed to grow out of the ground the further I rode. I thought to myself, "I really hope I don't have to climb those mountains." Sure enough, not but five minutes later I turned on a rode headed right for them. I saw a mileage sign that said Loa was 31 miles away.
At this point I had already ridden 80 miles, so I was ready to be done! It was only about 3:00pm, so I decided that I would go until I couldn't pedal any more. I rounded a corner, headed uphill and mountains shut behind me like closing doors forbidding me to regress. I then had to push against the wind that was blowing at least 20-25 mph, allowing me to ride at about 3 or 4 mph with serious effort. I found myself getting frustrated and for the first time I asked God, "What am I even doing out here? I was doing this for you so why are you letting the wind blow so hard?" I was already extremely tired, I was riding uphill and the wind was trying to push me back down the mountain. I became so frustrated that I just cried out to God, literally cried that He would hear my heart and calm the wind. I felt defeated. I thought, "I'll just camp here on the side of the rode if I have to." God had a purpose for me, but I was so caught up in my circumstance that I refused to hear it. My legs cramped if I tried to pedal any harder or if I stopped and because the wind was blowing so hard my throat would dry out quickly. That wasn't any good because it felt like I was swallowing needles so I tried to portion my drinks to just enough to wet my throat. I had about 3/4 of a bottle at this point and I didn't know what would happen if I couldn't make it to Loa on the amount of water that I had. On my ascent to the top of the first push and in the midst of my frustration I decided to sing out loud and as loud as I could sing, the worship music I was listening to. I sang "Shout to the North and the South" followed by "By the Grace Go I" by Chris Smith which gave me strength and reminded me of God's grace and purpose. I found some relief from my frustration as well as some comic relief! I passed a cow that seemed perplexed because of my singing and unsure what to do. It made me smile. I finally reached the top and began my decent, but my anticipation of speeding down the other side and enjoying the relax of little effort was interrupted by the wind. I had to pedal to keep a speed of 11 mph... UGH!!! I reached the bottom and felt like God said there would be two more climbs like that and there were. On the third climb I was frustrated enough and tired enough that I decided to get off my bike and walk. I hadn't seen many vehicles, just a guy on a motorcycle and some farmer pulled over in a truck but I thought, "Maybe someone will drive by and feel sorry for me and maybe offer me a ride." Not only that, but I was walking the same speed I was pedaling and walking was easier. I was out of water and I figured that I had to be close to Loa. I saw a white Cadillac Escalade pulled over up ahead and I had decided that when I get up to them I'll ask them for a ride and maybe some water. Well, when I walked passed there was some gentlemen on his cell phone looking away and I thought, "I can't interrupt him." So I kept walking thinking that I would just have to go without water. I looked up maybe two or three minutes later to see that same guy driving the opposite direction that he had come from, now going the direction I was, but he passed me so I looked down and said "Man I wish he would have stopped" then looked up to see him pulled over!!!!! I couldn't believe it! I walked closer and he turned around and headed toward me. He stopped on the other side of the road and said, "You ok?" I said, "Yeah, the wind is just kickin' my butt." He said, "You need anything?" And I asked, "You have any water?" He looked down and said, "Here's one that someone might have taken a sip out of..." I said that would be great! I didn't care if someone had some of it so I quickly pulled my bike out of the way and as I did this guy looked over to his passenger seat and said, "Oh, here's some." He gave me two brand new bottles of water! I didn't even think to ask him for a ride, but instead I asked him, "Is Loa much further?" He told me it was just a little ways further! I chugged the first bottle and saved the other. As I finished out the last push, God spoke to me very clearly and said, "I am not glorified in you giving up." I couldn't believe it. I stopped at the top and looked out to see a beautiful canyon with mountains cresting the horizon. I tried to make a quick video of it, but it didn't turn out. You can see that I'm frustrated, my mouth is dry, and I have a beard...
I rode on and the wind stopped. I started riding downhill and fast! I set a new record of 44.9 mph! I rode past a lake and right before Loa was some farmland that I'm describing as looking like "The Shire" from Lord of The Rings. Everything was so green! There were sprinklers everywhere, I even had to dodge some on the highway! The sun was setting and the scenery was beautiful! There were not many buildings and I thought "Did I just pass Loa...?" and also I wondered where I was going to sleep. I found a gas station and asked the guy there, "Do you guys have a hotel or motel here?" He said "Yep. Just up the street there's a motel called the Snuggle Inn." I was so excited! I prayed that there would a room for me there and I thought to myself that I didn't care how much it was! I walked in and it was fancy, not to mention the cute receptionist that was there who gave me the best news ever. They had room and they had a restaurant right there so I had dinner too! They let me put my bike in a "special" locked room. That day I rode 111 mph in 11 1/2 hours. I was able to email some friends and I decided to email Chris to tell him how much his song helped get me up that mountain.
Coming tomorrow...
A cup of coffee, a KOA, and a race against a storm. I encounter a couple of interested ladies and my faithfulness is challenged.
At this point I had already ridden 80 miles, so I was ready to be done! It was only about 3:00pm, so I decided that I would go until I couldn't pedal any more. I rounded a corner, headed uphill and mountains shut behind me like closing doors forbidding me to regress. I then had to push against the wind that was blowing at least 20-25 mph, allowing me to ride at about 3 or 4 mph with serious effort. I found myself getting frustrated and for the first time I asked God, "What am I even doing out here? I was doing this for you so why are you letting the wind blow so hard?" I was already extremely tired, I was riding uphill and the wind was trying to push me back down the mountain. I became so frustrated that I just cried out to God, literally cried that He would hear my heart and calm the wind. I felt defeated. I thought, "I'll just camp here on the side of the rode if I have to." God had a purpose for me, but I was so caught up in my circumstance that I refused to hear it. My legs cramped if I tried to pedal any harder or if I stopped and because the wind was blowing so hard my throat would dry out quickly. That wasn't any good because it felt like I was swallowing needles so I tried to portion my drinks to just enough to wet my throat. I had about 3/4 of a bottle at this point and I didn't know what would happen if I couldn't make it to Loa on the amount of water that I had. On my ascent to the top of the first push and in the midst of my frustration I decided to sing out loud and as loud as I could sing, the worship music I was listening to. I sang "Shout to the North and the South" followed by "By the Grace Go I" by Chris Smith which gave me strength and reminded me of God's grace and purpose. I found some relief from my frustration as well as some comic relief! I passed a cow that seemed perplexed because of my singing and unsure what to do. It made me smile. I finally reached the top and began my decent, but my anticipation of speeding down the other side and enjoying the relax of little effort was interrupted by the wind. I had to pedal to keep a speed of 11 mph... UGH!!! I reached the bottom and felt like God said there would be two more climbs like that and there were. On the third climb I was frustrated enough and tired enough that I decided to get off my bike and walk. I hadn't seen many vehicles, just a guy on a motorcycle and some farmer pulled over in a truck but I thought, "Maybe someone will drive by and feel sorry for me and maybe offer me a ride." Not only that, but I was walking the same speed I was pedaling and walking was easier. I was out of water and I figured that I had to be close to Loa. I saw a white Cadillac Escalade pulled over up ahead and I had decided that when I get up to them I'll ask them for a ride and maybe some water. Well, when I walked passed there was some gentlemen on his cell phone looking away and I thought, "I can't interrupt him." So I kept walking thinking that I would just have to go without water. I looked up maybe two or three minutes later to see that same guy driving the opposite direction that he had come from, now going the direction I was, but he passed me so I looked down and said "Man I wish he would have stopped" then looked up to see him pulled over!!!!! I couldn't believe it! I walked closer and he turned around and headed toward me. He stopped on the other side of the road and said, "You ok?" I said, "Yeah, the wind is just kickin' my butt." He said, "You need anything?" And I asked, "You have any water?" He looked down and said, "Here's one that someone might have taken a sip out of..." I said that would be great! I didn't care if someone had some of it so I quickly pulled my bike out of the way and as I did this guy looked over to his passenger seat and said, "Oh, here's some." He gave me two brand new bottles of water! I didn't even think to ask him for a ride, but instead I asked him, "Is Loa much further?" He told me it was just a little ways further! I chugged the first bottle and saved the other. As I finished out the last push, God spoke to me very clearly and said, "I am not glorified in you giving up." I couldn't believe it. I stopped at the top and looked out to see a beautiful canyon with mountains cresting the horizon. I tried to make a quick video of it, but it didn't turn out. You can see that I'm frustrated, my mouth is dry, and I have a beard...
I rode on and the wind stopped. I started riding downhill and fast! I set a new record of 44.9 mph! I rode past a lake and right before Loa was some farmland that I'm describing as looking like "The Shire" from Lord of The Rings. Everything was so green! There were sprinklers everywhere, I even had to dodge some on the highway! The sun was setting and the scenery was beautiful! There were not many buildings and I thought "Did I just pass Loa...?" and also I wondered where I was going to sleep. I found a gas station and asked the guy there, "Do you guys have a hotel or motel here?" He said "Yep. Just up the street there's a motel called the Snuggle Inn." I was so excited! I prayed that there would a room for me there and I thought to myself that I didn't care how much it was! I walked in and it was fancy, not to mention the cute receptionist that was there who gave me the best news ever. They had room and they had a restaurant right there so I had dinner too! They let me put my bike in a "special" locked room. That day I rode 111 mph in 11 1/2 hours. I was able to email some friends and I decided to email Chris to tell him how much his song helped get me up that mountain.
Coming tomorrow...
A cup of coffee, a KOA, and a race against a storm. I encounter a couple of interested ladies and my faithfulness is challenged.
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Day 10: Price, Utah
My next destination was a short ride to Price, Utah—only 55 miles so I figured it would be an easy ride. That was until I started riding. It was a climb for the first two-thirds of the ride.
About 10 miles or so after leaving I began to see this dark figure in my helmet mirror approaching gradually. I started imagining what it could be, but soon realized it was another rider!!! He got closer and closer and I started feeling competitive. I tried to push harder up the never ending climb, but I was still very sore from the ride to Duchesne and was unable to keep up the pace. Soon enough, the rider caught up with me and as he pulled alongside me we struck up a conversation. He was a Dutch business man who was just out for a quick ride before heading off to a meeting. Quick...if only that were my case! He asked me what I was doing, where I was from and where I was going. After our brief exchange he said, "Well, I think I better push on!" About 30 minutes later I saw him again, but this time it was on his way down the climb... He waved in the customary biker wave (low and off to the side) which I had learned from passing several motorcyclists and other bikers. It's kind of a big deal just so you know. I finished the climb and continued on to Price. It was an 8% climb for most of it, but there was a long downhill at 8% as well. I got to Price and I rode to the tourist information center, but I got a flat tire (#2) on my way there. I prayed that God would help me find a place to stay. So I went inside and asked the lady at the information desk if there were any campgrounds nearby. She told me of two campgrounds, one that didn't allow for tents and the other one was 7 miles in the wrong direction. I didn't want to tack on an extra 14 miles to my ride if I didn't need to. Because camping seemed to be out of the question, I started to call hotels. While I was on the phone, I heard this guy say, "If all else fails, we have an extra room." I didn't realize he was talking to me and I hardly heard him say it so I didn't respond. He came over and said it again and I said "Yeah?! Well I will just see what happens with this last hotel and then I'll let you know." There was only one hotel that had a room available, but they were very expensive. So I went and talked with him, found out where he lived and that his name was Hobie, and I decided to stay there. I had like 5 hours or so to kill, so I went around the corner of the tourist information center and right there was the library! It was Wednesday, so I needed to send a video and some pictures back home for the second "Where in the world is Dustin Sandiego?" I sent the email and off to Subway I went. I ate Subway at every opportunity. I soon was eating a double-stack, footlong, steak and cheese, with so many veggies that half of them would fall out when they folded the sandwich. After lunch I searched for a coffee shop because I wanted to sit down and journal. I found this one that was very, very laid back. Everyone knew each other there so I felt a little out of place.
It was also very small, but I found a place to sit and away I wrote. I came across some verses that God used to speak very clearly to my heart:
The coffee shop closed really early so I had to go find something else to do while I waited to meet up with Hobie. I rode to their downtown area and as I was riding, I came across the "other" coffee shop I had heard about. I rode past the front door to see how late they were open and luckily I had one and a half hours before they closed. I went in, had decaf coffee and continued to journal. I met a couple of cool people there and chatted with them so I wasn't able to get much journaling done. I stayed there until it closed and away on my bike I went to find another place to wait. I found a park named "Pioneer Park" so I thought that would be a cool place to stop as I remembered our Pioneer Park back at home. It had these very interesting steps right in the middle of the park!
It started to get dark so I decided to go find Hobie's house and wait there until he came. When he got there he showed me his house (which was amazing... super nice!) and where I would be staying. I was so blessed! I had a room to myself and a shower all to my own as well! He was going to have some friends over and invited me to hang out with them, but I had to go to bed early because I was leaving very early the next morning.
Coming tomorrow...
A mondo, gutbuster sandwich, despair unearthed and hope restored. A clear demonstration of the faithfulness of God in the midst of need and despair. Significant moment number 2.
About 10 miles or so after leaving I began to see this dark figure in my helmet mirror approaching gradually. I started imagining what it could be, but soon realized it was another rider!!! He got closer and closer and I started feeling competitive. I tried to push harder up the never ending climb, but I was still very sore from the ride to Duchesne and was unable to keep up the pace. Soon enough, the rider caught up with me and as he pulled alongside me we struck up a conversation. He was a Dutch business man who was just out for a quick ride before heading off to a meeting. Quick...if only that were my case! He asked me what I was doing, where I was from and where I was going. After our brief exchange he said, "Well, I think I better push on!" About 30 minutes later I saw him again, but this time it was on his way down the climb... He waved in the customary biker wave (low and off to the side) which I had learned from passing several motorcyclists and other bikers. It's kind of a big deal just so you know. I finished the climb and continued on to Price. It was an 8% climb for most of it, but there was a long downhill at 8% as well. I got to Price and I rode to the tourist information center, but I got a flat tire (#2) on my way there. I prayed that God would help me find a place to stay. So I went inside and asked the lady at the information desk if there were any campgrounds nearby. She told me of two campgrounds, one that didn't allow for tents and the other one was 7 miles in the wrong direction. I didn't want to tack on an extra 14 miles to my ride if I didn't need to. Because camping seemed to be out of the question, I started to call hotels. While I was on the phone, I heard this guy say, "If all else fails, we have an extra room." I didn't realize he was talking to me and I hardly heard him say it so I didn't respond. He came over and said it again and I said "Yeah?! Well I will just see what happens with this last hotel and then I'll let you know." There was only one hotel that had a room available, but they were very expensive. So I went and talked with him, found out where he lived and that his name was Hobie, and I decided to stay there. I had like 5 hours or so to kill, so I went around the corner of the tourist information center and right there was the library! It was Wednesday, so I needed to send a video and some pictures back home for the second "Where in the world is Dustin Sandiego?" I sent the email and off to Subway I went. I ate Subway at every opportunity. I soon was eating a double-stack, footlong, steak and cheese, with so many veggies that half of them would fall out when they folded the sandwich. After lunch I searched for a coffee shop because I wanted to sit down and journal. I found this one that was very, very laid back. Everyone knew each other there so I felt a little out of place.
It was also very small, but I found a place to sit and away I wrote. I came across some verses that God used to speak very clearly to my heart:
"See, I will make you into a threshing sledge, new and sharp, with many teeth. You will thresh the mountains and crush them, and reduce the hills to chaff."
The coffee shop closed really early so I had to go find something else to do while I waited to meet up with Hobie. I rode to their downtown area and as I was riding, I came across the "other" coffee shop I had heard about. I rode past the front door to see how late they were open and luckily I had one and a half hours before they closed. I went in, had decaf coffee and continued to journal. I met a couple of cool people there and chatted with them so I wasn't able to get much journaling done. I stayed there until it closed and away on my bike I went to find another place to wait. I found a park named "Pioneer Park" so I thought that would be a cool place to stop as I remembered our Pioneer Park back at home. It had these very interesting steps right in the middle of the park!
It started to get dark so I decided to go find Hobie's house and wait there until he came. When he got there he showed me his house (which was amazing... super nice!) and where I would be staying. I was so blessed! I had a room to myself and a shower all to my own as well! He was going to have some friends over and invited me to hang out with them, but I had to go to bed early because I was leaving very early the next morning.
Coming tomorrow...
A mondo, gutbuster sandwich, despair unearthed and hope restored. A clear demonstration of the faithfulness of God in the midst of need and despair. Significant moment number 2.
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