Tuba City, AZ - Day 11

Wow! Windy day - 25-35mph sustained gusting to 50 according to the weather service - fortunately it was mainly at our backs though sometimes side and only for a brief period head on (and gusty and shifting, so you had to be extremely careful to hold on tight and counter - on the downhills had to tuck to reduce profile but also brake to keep speed down so you could react to the gusts and not crash). But when it was at our backs you felt pretty superhuman going up hills at speeds you usually would do on the flats :) - The scenery was amazing - started along the South Rim road of Grand Canyon and then descent into the 'painted desert' region - Navajo nation land primarily - 27,000 acres over three states. A minor sandstorm exfoliated us a little about 5 of the last 10 miles but otherwise a fast and fun 86 miles today aside from some brief moments of pure terror controlling the bike against the wind.

No big brass band in Tuba City unfortunately - named for Tuuva, a Hopi man that converted to Mormonism and invited Mormons to come live there (without clearing that with the native Hopi and Navajo). It's now 75% Native American, mostly Navajo - it's their largest community. There's a Hopi community nearby also. Between 1956 and 1966 uranium was mined near here. Oddly, because the state doesn't follow daylight savings time and the reservation lands do, the hotel is an hour behind the restaurant across the street... Making reservations must get really confusing...

Tomorrow is a 117 mile day with Monument Valley! Breakfast is at Denny's in the hotel parking lot - haven't eaten there in quite awhile though lots of my patients in the ER seem to be found in booths there unresponsive...

Have never seen a sign like this... So is it a cougar crossing? Or just a liability reducer in case you get eaten?

This guy was begging at our lunch stop - which was at a truck stop deli since there was no way we were eating outside today

Doesn't this look like a layered sand in a bottle craft project?

I'm sure I'd pay a significant sum for a skin treatment like this in a spa - although it was just one side of my body...