Today’s ride was the last. You can be sure that both tires were optimally pressurized.
Starting out from the General Store in Sonoita, I road the first 30 miles to the San Pedro River easily as it was downhill. The last 9 miles was coming up the other side of the San Pedro River valley to Tombstone, an easy climb. Coming into Tombstone, there was one more hill to climb – Boot Hill. Reaching the top of the hill, there sat the Top of the Hill Restaurant and now I know how it got its name.
Reaching town, I was greeted by a band of merry Republicans in the street who had stretched a finish line ribbon across the street for me to ride through, along with welcoming signs. After saying hello and thanking everyone, we proceeded to Big Nose Kate’s Saloon across the way.
On entering the establishment, I was arrested by the Tombstone Vigilantes for a variety of crimes, most serious of which seemed to be wearing Spandex in a public place, which I could not deny. Of course, the punishment was death by hanging. After a trial in the saloon, I was found guilty by a hastily assembled jury of my peers and condemned to being hanged by the neck until dead. I saw several possible procedural issues to raise in an appeal, if I lived long enough to file for the appeal.
At the last possible moment, it was pointed out by the Mayor that they did not have a territorial permit to hang me. The Vigilante leader complained that we were no longer a territory but a state, the Mayor said it didn’t matter; it was still on the books. Love those legal technicalities.
After promising to visit Boot Hill and not wear Spandex again in public, I was released. A big thank you from me to Gail Griffin, Cochise County Chairman, for organizing the “festivities.”
After a great lunch and a couple of Budweisers, it was time to say goodbye and get on back to Phoenix. In eight days, I had ridden 476 miles from the Grand Canyon to Tombstone. Averaging 14 mph at an average cadence of 64, I had ridden about 4.5 hours a day. My longest trip was 73 miles on day 2, while day 7 took the most time at 5.8 hours.
Looking back on my journey, I am struck by the incredible beauty of our state and its diversity. We have tremendous open spaces and unused assets that we have scarcely begun to appreciate. Being such a young, dynamic state we are the future as our growth continues to lead the nation. The reason we are so dynamic is we offer opportunities to all different kinds to people who are optimistic about the future and are looking for a better life.
As good citizens and stewards of our state, it is our responsibility to continue to provide new opportunities for our children and for those who choose to live in Arizona. At the same, time we need to protect and not squander what God has given us.
I hope you all have enjoyed theses blogs as much as I have enjoyed experiencing and writing them.
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