Standin' On the Corner...

Yes, we went through Winslow, Arizona, which is exceedingly proud of that song, to the extent that they have a mural with a girl in a flatbed truck and a statue of Don Henley (even though apparently Jackson Browne actually wrote the song). Many photos were taken, and the song is still stuck in most of our heads.

To backtrack slightly, on our way here, after Pietown, we crossed into Arizona, which is beautiful and desertlike. We stayed a night on a Navajo Reservation, at Houck (I think that's the spelling), which was really interesting. We got to make flatbread with some of the women, got to see some old pueblo ruins, and treasure hunted for shards of old pottery and petrified wood around the church which hosted us.

We biked by the entrance to the Petrified Forest and Painted Desert National Park, but it was a twenty mile detour to actually ride through to see these things. Since it was already a century day, and a hot and windy one at that, it didn't make a lot of sense. But being stubborn by nature (would I have made it this far otherwise?) and having the willing accomplice of Kyle (R.), I set off to fulfill my geology nerd dreams. It turned into a 122 mile day, certainly my longest yet. It also was perhaps my favorite Bike and Build memory so far. I can't really describe how beautiful it was, or how amazing to be biking right through the middle of the Painted Desert, or what it was like to sit on petrified logs, but suffice it to say, it was unforgettable and I don't regret the extra mileage for a second.

A few days later, we are now in Flagstaff, on an unexpected day off due to some craziness at the local Habitat chapter which was thus unable to give us work to do. Since we have just done seven days of riding in a row, no one is too upset about this change. We have had an awesome time already, complete with an artwalk last night (tons of galleries open their doors and have cool stuff like refreshments, sweet art, and glassblowing demos), diner this morning, and a thrift shop where we spent hours picking out Vegas outfits. An added bonus, Smokey came to visit for the weekend and we have decided to make him an honorary member of B2SB so he can follow in his car for the rest of the journey and toss chocolate chip cookies into our mouths as we bike.

This afternoon we have been granted the most amazing opportunity to see Roden Crater, an unbelievable land art project under construction by one of our leader's fathers. It won't be open to the public until at least 2011, and we can't take photos, but here is a story about it:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/25/arts/design/25fink.html?_r=1&emc=eta1&oref=slogin

That's it for now, I can't believe how close we are, or that it is already August, but many adventures remain. Tomorrow we bike to the Grand Canyon! After how much I loved the geologic wonders I have witnessed so far, I can only imagine I will perish from awe. Not a bad way to go...