Paint the Desert with Cyclists

It's been another colorful day on the NAE from the vistas from the Grand Canyon's eastern rim in early morning sunshine to the stunning Painted Desert landscapes in the lowlands beyond the canyon where we are now camped. Today also featured several long downhills where we dared to push our computer odometers to new records, a strong cross and tailwind that is grand when cycling but not great for preparing supper and setting up tent, and the surprise of being passed on Hwy 89 by some of the Race Across America speed demons on 2 wheels.

Now we are surrounded by mesas, mounds, and rocks of every wind blown and eroded shape imaginable, in colors that range from reddish browns to blueish greys and every shade in between. Tomorrow we set sail for the Navajo National Monument where cliff dwellings and the serenity of these remarkable landscapes await.