May17, 2018 Benson, AZ to Bowie, AZ

60 miles today.....got up at 5:30 a.m. to beat the heat, but I wasn't expecting 53 degree temps to greet me. I'm loving this 'high' desert stuff! It really didn't take long for the temps to heat up. I'm glad I got my 16 mile climb from the San Pedro River to the Texas Canyon rest area, on top of the Dragoon Mountains, at the beginning of the day. The entire trip today was on I -10, and the previously mentioned benefits of interstate biking held true today. I took my time on the climb.  Sometimes it was worse than others, but the climb never totally relented. Fortunately, it was followed by a 10 miles descent, which was also wind aided. A few more flat miles got me into Wilcox,  Arizona, where I stopped for lunch at a Burger King, before they were even done with the breakfast menu. I've gotta get used to this getting up early thing. After lunch, a nice half hour, break, I only had 22 miles to go to our next stop, which was the middle of nowhere town of Bowie. It was a flat, wind aided cruise into town, but my legs still are getting in shape, so they were a little beat up.
Pam and I spent our afternoon hiking and touring the Fort Bowie national monument. It is the remnants of an 1860's fort that was built in the mountains for the purpose of securing Apache Pass, and the Apache spring that provided much needed water for travelers. It's most famous for the Union soldiers battles and eventual victories over Cochise, and Geronimo, famous Apache warriors. There is a very interesting story behind it all, so our 'university of retirement' that we began in 2012, is still broadening our horizons. After a 1.5+ mile hike up the mountain to the fort, about a mile touring the perimeter, and a 1.5+ mile hike that entailed another mountain climb, I was pretty bushed. ( You've heard of walking uphill both ways to school? We actually did it today). The return trail took us up to a knoll above the Fort, then we switchbacked our way down to the wash we started out in, before the original climb to the Fort. Make sense? Oh well.
After a sandwich and a beer in a nice, local establishment in Bowie, I was once again under covers by 7:30, hoping for a nice, tailwind for tommorow.