January 16, 2016 – Sunny, 60 degrees
Miles Today: 23
Miles to Date: 10,374
States to Date: 26
Tucson is a very social place; at least for this itinerant cyclist. My wonderful host Lucia took me on a sunrise hike up Tumamoc Hill where we took in the desert and worked up an appetite for breakfast burritos with her childhood friend Zaida.
After a cycling tour through downtown, The Presdio, the funky Fourth Street District (where Surly discovered her own bar) and the University of Arizona, I made my way to the Northeast part of town for lunch with Carol and Eulee, two friends of my Boston friend Perry whom I can now count as friends of my own.
In late afternoon I pedaled to Far Horizons where I stayed with Claire and Bob Rogers, a pair of intrepid cyclists who have logged over 40,000 all around the world, including cycling the Himalayas! Between trips, they home base at this 55+ RV Park. Fortunately, it was Saturday dance night. Over a hundred seniors gathered in the club house for line dances, swing, tango, waltzes and even a couple of polkas. Given the ratio of widows to single men, I had a pretty full dance card all night.
The Awkward Pose 
Loving all this, the variety of what you see, the many people you’ve met…it’s all terrific and uplifting — the biking, dancing, eating, socializing – so great. (But that 44,000-mile couple, wow!)
Yeah, 44,000 miles is incredible. In the world of ordinary people, my trip is a bit of a feat. Among serious cyclists, I am a bit of a lightweight – staying on paved roads, sleeping indoors. It’s all good by me. We each have to pursue the journey that is right for us.