Day 8 - 0 miles - Chandler, AZ

Thank goodness for a rest day today. My legs and my bottom side need this. Not to get to graphic but I am getting some chaffing going on down there and it can hurt. I am being treated like a King here in Chandler, AZ from my friends Rick and Denise. Rick and I had an amazing day today. Rick made us delicious french toast in the morning. Then we packed up the car with a cooler of goodies for an all day adventure in the Tonto National Forest. It was an hour or so drive to the beginning of the Apache Trail. This part of the Apache Trail that we drove was 22 miles, and the most harrowing dirt road I have ever driven. To say I was shocked would be a gross understatement. This place is every bit of the Grand Canyon minus the tourist. It's was just amazing. The scenery got better with every turn. About halfway into the ride we arrived at a ghost town of Tortilla Flat, which is now a mini tourist destination. It has some old history of mining, a old schoolhouse, a store with souvenirs, and a saloon with horse saddles as seats around the bar and get this, 80,000 one dollar bills all signed by the person who donated it, stapled to the walls floor to ceiling. This extremely small town had some charm to it. After leaving Tortilla Flat, we ascended, we descended, we took tight hairpin turns, we used single lane bridges, and best of all we got out and explored many areas of the Apache Trail. By days end I told Rick that this was the best and most amazing scenery I have seen in a long time. I just had no idea it was going to be that beautiful. Needless to say, I took hundreds of photos to capture the moment. With all the ups, downs, and deep drop off cliffs, there were also 3 magnificent lakes along the Apache Trail. Canyon Lake, Apache Lake, and Roosevelt Lake. Roosevelt Lake has the longest single span bridge in the country and is a sight to see. This is where we were finally back on pavement and could make tracks by circling back to home on the highway. Not before checking over the car for loose lug nuts because that dirt road could do a number on any vehicle, never mind poor Rick's fuel saving Honda. We barely made it home before Denise after her 12 hour shift at the local hospital. Just in time to whip up a yummy dinner and finally relax the night away. I thought it was tiring biking! What a day, a day I won't soon forget. Thank you Rick, I had a blast!

Photos: Rick and Mike's Apache Trail Adventure in the Tonto National Forest, Arizona