Day 27 Back over 100 miles! 7-11-18

Flagstaff, AZ to Seligman, AZ

If you didn't know, I am sort of a crazy dude.  Today I rode from Flagstaff to Seligman, and since it was only 77 miles, I decided to tack on another 24 miles, just to get back over the 100 mile barrier again.  The trip is rapidly drawing to a close, and unless I add some miles to most of the rides, I won't be able to get to 2,000 miles on the bike.  I realize this probably isn't a big deal to any of you, but I can't get it out of my head.  2,000 miles is just such a better number than 1,800, or whatever the final number would be.  It's still a long shot, but I think I can get to 2K.  Again, I never claimed to be a "normal" person, and I also want to make sure you all get your money's worth!

The ride today was great.  It was overcast for the majority of the day, and there were lots of descents.  The only real negatives were the construction on I-40 (I had to ride on it for over 40 miles again), and the narrow lanes/shoulder this caused.  There were also some parts of I-40 that had a shoulder in worse condition than some of the roads in Michigan, which is almost impossible to believe.  

I had a great BBQ lunch at Lulu Belle's in Ash Fork, AZ.  As I was putting all of my stuff back into the pockets of my bike jersey, I had my back to the rest of the dining area.  A woman said "Are you Mark Linder?"  I turned around, and told her I was, and she gave me a big hug!  She was there with her family, who were also driving part of Route 66, and said she had seen my story on the news in Oklahoma.  She said they had been trying to find me, and had been following along with the website.  (In my shock, I forgot to ask for her permission to post her name here on the journal, so this is why I have not identified her).  The family ended up taking pictures with me, and also gave a very nice donation.  It's such a great feeling when I meet people along the way who have heard my story, or are willing to listen to our story!  Kevin must be getting a kick out of this!

Miles on the bike today:  101.1

Total miles on the bike:  1,381.9