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Spring 2008 Newsletter
Is it ever going to get warm? As I write this newsletter I am looking out at overcast skies and a possibility of snow flurries. This would be great weather for February but it is mid-April! I guess it would not be so bad except it has been such a long winter and we just came back from 10 days of riding in Arizona. Everyday in the Phoenix area was in the 80s and sunny.
Our trip actually started the week before we left when we loaded our bikes into the trailer. We used “Haulin Hogs” (
www.haulinhogstransport.com) and Mark did an excellent job of getting all the bikes there and back safely. We had 10 bikes in our group shipped down for Arizona Bike Week. We arrived in Phoenix on Friday and spent Friday and Saturday attending some of the Arizona Bike Week Activities. Sunday we left for a 5-day “road trip”. We spent Sunday riding through Prescott, Jerome and Sedona. We spent the next two nights in Flagstaff. Monday morning there was frost on my tour pack so we waited until 10:00 AM for the temperatures to warm a little before starting our journey to the Grand Canyon.
We spent the entire day at the Grand Canyon gazing on the amazing views from the south rim of the Grand Canyon. I had the opportunity to test my new air horn on some elk that were considering running out in front of our group as we were leaving Grand Canyon National Park. The ride back to Flagstaff that afternoon was cool because we were at times over 8000 feet in elevation. While there was no snow on the road there was snow along the road an in the trees along the roads.
Tuesday morning there was more frost on my tour pack but the weather report called for rapidly warming temperatures so I knew things would warm up quickly but it did not! Our ride from Flagstaff took us through some great mountain roads but it was cool all the way until we made it down to the lower elevations. We had a great lunch in a great in Payson before heading south along Roosevelt Lake.
We have done this trip for the past three years but this year but this year was the first time the wild desert flowers were in full bloom. The spring rains and warm temperatures brought out an amazing array of desert flowers. I cannot guarantee that every year we will be there at the time the dessert is in bloom but it is amazing site to see.
We continued south and spent the night in Safford, a small mining town in SE Arizona. We ate at a great restaurant that was owned by a guy that was from Green Bay. He migrated to Arizona many years ago to get away from the severe northern winters! Can you blame Him?
The next morning it was “kick stands up” at 9:00 AM and we headed south to the town of Douglas on the Mexico Border. We had a lunch of great Mexican food while in Douglas. After lunch we were off to the town of Bisbee; another old mining town. Several years ago we met the “Huggin Mayor” of Bisbee. She told us she had been there for 80 years and is still active in the town. I stopped by the City Museum to say “hi” to the mayor but it was here day off!
We were then off to Tombstone. The town has been preserved as it was in the days of Wyatt Earp. Unfortunately we arrived too late and most of the shops were closed. Every day they reenact the shoot out at the OK Corral but we were too late to see it. It was then off to Patagonia which is in Arizona Wine County. We saw some very beautiful scenery and it was hard to believe we only 20 north of the Mexico border. The following morning we were riding north and heading back toward our hotel in Scottsdale. There is no easy around Tucson so we took the expressway to get through there as quickly as possible. It is a great ride once you get north of Tucson and its suburbs.
When we reached Apache Junction we made a detour to Tortilla Flat. It is an incredible road that is 19 miles of great scenery and riding nirvana. A ride to Tortilla Flat is always a must on any motorcycle trip to Arizona. The great thing about riding to Tortilla Flat there is only one road in so it is 19 miles back out on the same road.
We made it back to Scottsdale for 3 more days of “biker fun” at the West World Arizona Bike week venue. I am already planning next years trip so contact me for prices, dates and to reserve a spot for your bike on the truck
Check out our web site I will post additional photos from our trip.
This past weekend Pam and I took the “Bystander Assistance Program” from the Accident Scene Organization. The course is focused around what to do if you come upon a downed motorcycle rider of if someone in riding your group goes down on their motorcycle. It teaches you what to do before the EMTs arrive that could save the life of the downed rider. It was an excellent course and I cannot say enough good things about the lead instructor; Cindy Casas. If you are interested in learning about the courses they offer go to: www.accidentscene.org
Finally we hope all of you are planning on riding with us this summer. We have reduced the price to ride with us on our standard 3-day weekend rides to $750/ Bike & Rider and $50 for a passenger. This offer is good on trips booked by July 1, 2008. Use your tax rebate to ride with us! As gas prices continue to rise a weekend trip on a motorcycle is still very affordable. Check out our web site for dates and trips for our 2008 riding season. Please remember that we do all the planning and preparation; all you need to do is show up and be ready to ride!
Finally I am now in the planning for next year's fly and ride tours. We are going to offer two, trips to Arizona and one trip to the Blue Ridge Parkway/Deals Gap. These trips will include shipping your bike round trip, airfare, and lodging. Please keep watching our web site for additional information. Ride Safe! Pam and Bill
