Phoenix, AZ to Safford, AZ

                                The Good Luck and Bad Luck at the Casino!

After a great visit with long time friends Dan and Sue, we were on the way to our next stop which was a casino on the San Carlos Apache Indian Reservation where we pitched our tent in the RV section.  During the day, we rode through the reservation which comprises around two million acres of land.  Just as we arrived at the casino, someone asked how far we were going.  Thinking he wanted to know the big picture, we started to explain and he said, "You aren't going far on that bike," pointing to Bill's rear tire.  Flat as a pancake.  There was a large industrial staple in the tire.  As Bill was working on the tube, we checked our messages on the phone and there was a call from a fellow from REI in Bellingham.  Turns our Bill had bought a $2.00 raffle ticket for a new REI Half Dome Tent while helping daughter Jill on her Bellingham Traverse just before we left on the bike trip.  Guess what the message said, "You are the winner of the Half Dome Tent."  Wow,  bad luck (flat), good luck (tent) and there we were at a casino.  We weren't tempted to try our good luck at the casino, but did have a big buffet that night.

                                    Ann's college roommate from the past, with her husband, Dan

                                              Hardy bikers stopped for a rest along the road.

                                  Cotton growing in fields as far as the eye can see as we pass by.

                      Biking in the early morning with an ominous sky.  We love clouds that block the sun.

                                                  Grass shining in the morning sunshine.

After crossing through the Apache Reservation we arrived in Safford with 71.5 miles under our tires, one of our longer days in the saddle.