For continuation of my R12 for 2023, this was my September ride. Started at 415 am to avoid heat. Started around mile 82 of original perm as this was closest to me. What a great time to ride on Pima! No traffic. Quiet. All the way to Carefree it was almost no traffic. Coming south on Pima the traffic picked up. Then on Dynamite, as cars waited for the parks to open the traffic really picked up with trucks and cars hauling road and gravel bikes! I sure thought they must be going to some event somewhere! This continued all the way to Fountain Hills. But I never saw any event. Crossing the river in Fountain Hills, I noticed how cool the temp was. 72F. Very nice. But it was 82 when I go to the Bush Hwy turn. Temp was OK until got back to Fountain Hills at mile 110. Pulled into Burger King and the young man waiting on me was so amazed at what I was doing! Full of questions. I had only wanted a small cup for soda, as I was thinking about that all the ways back to the climb out of Salt River Canyon. I was looking forward to gulping Fanta Peach, since BK had that fancy soda machine. But my thoughts also were with root beer! maybe if they had ice cream I would make a float. Turns out, the kid gave me the cup for free and kept asking questions. Where did I start , what time, is this a race... Well the fancy soda machine had Fanta Peach grayed out. so added a bit of vanilla to the base of Fanta orange. not bad! then the 2nd cup was root beer with a bit of vanilla! what I learned was that really could substitute for a root beer float! then a 3rd cup of root beer. I was thirsty, hot. Pushed myself to leave to cool confines of BK and finish the 19 miles, Oh those Fountain Hills hills! Then going down Via Linda, had headwind. so those last miles were slow and hot. I rode the whole ride solo and at a comfortable pace and not burning any matches. Yet I was happy with my time! Makes me wonder what I could have done if riding with another person?