We rode through the streets of Flagstaff towards the scenic Grand Canyon route, but before we could reach the road we saw a bicycle shop and decided to stop. Our pump had been a total failure up too that point and we were tired to look for air compressors every morning. We needed a good pump, so I entered and in a few minutes found what we needed. We also got slim tubes (self-healing), so we got two each.
Once we entered the scenic route we had a great time. The elevation was intense and made it difficult for us to progress, but the view was worth it. The road was surrounded by a dense, apparently untouched forest. The asphalt was flawless and the birds were singing out loud. We also saw a few deers in the woods.
After we covered about fifteen miles we decided to stop to have lunch. We set on a few large stones on the side of the road, unpacked our sandwiches and had some chocolate milk there too.
The next twenty five miles were very hard physically, but very uplifting as well. We saw many unbelievably beautiful landscapes. The sky was blue and the temperatures were not too high. That all added for a great atmosphere to ride on.
When we approached the Grand Canyon area the sun started to set. The elevation became more and more intense, and each mile took a while to be covered. We then reached the entrance of the park and stopped to take a few pictures and rest. Still, we had about seven more miles before we would reach the section where restaurants, hotels and attractions could be found. We stopped at a gas station to get water, a cup of coffee and use the restrooms. While we were there we saw an RV Parking sign that was not too far away and decided to pitch our tents there instead of riding 10 more miles toward the one we had planned to stay.
As we got in the place we did not have a good impression. It was late already, passed 10pm so and office was closed. There we found registration forms and a map of the campsites. We filled up the forms, added the amount due, enclosed it all in an envelope and dropped in the designated box. Next we headed to the campsite to setup our tents.
The grass as very uneven and the winds were blowing hard and cold. Once we finished setting everything up we headed to the bathroom. There, another surprise: we had to insert quarters to have water in the shower. Twenty five cents each minute! We had just six quarters, so three minutes of water for each. Somehow we managed to get clean extremely fast and were now ready to go sleep. We also washed our clothes in the sink which required no coins to work.
That was a cold night and the wind was getting through the cracks in the tent’s cover on every gust, but I was so tired I fell asleep very quickly and didn’t really wake up before the next morning came up.