Tours and Visits

Thursday we headed over to the Arizona Biltmore for a tour with a historian. The hotel and the weather could not have been more beautiful.

 

Then we picked up a car and visited with the Cucitis of Phoenix who had us over for dinner  - really sorry that I did not take pictures but we were too busy talking.

In between we also did a little  sight seeing around Arizona -

We leave at 4 pm today. Hope to have a day of running around in the sun .

We are Back

We are back at Toni and Cliff's house.


 We headed from Jerome  Arizona to Prescott  this morning on what can only be described  as one of the most epic motorcycle roads we have ever seen; Route 89A South.Unfortunately the backseat of our motorcycle was getting very uncomfortable for Julie and it handled poorly on what were very challenging roads. There were countless 20 mph switchbacks and the Electra Glide handled them like a drunk being led to bed, staggering and weaving. For those reasons , once we left Jerome for Prescott, the die was cast - we were not coming back and were  faced with either continuing south towards home or doubling back 2 hours to where we had started. Based on Julies' seat problems we chose the former. The decision ended our trip a little early but it also brought us to some magnificent roads. When traveling like this on a bike you make decisions based on  the comfort and safety of yourself and passenger and not on some fantasy of riding endless mountain roads.

We spent a couple of hours in Prescott.  Prescott is a wealthy town with interesting shops, "Whiskey Row"  was bars and hotels.  very old West. My boot had melted onto the exhaust pipe  of the bike leaving a nasty brown spot on he chrome - a local auto body shop in Prescott fixed it for me with laquer  thinner and fine steel wool - for free! Nice people. 

 Then from Prescott  we continued on 89A south ....after what is probably the best twisty section of road I have ever seen... I stopped and shot this video after about 35 miles though the desert without seeing anything.



http://youtu.be/fvo50WkeDzE


  It will take me hours to fill out this post.... probably tomorow.. For now I  shot my own  "review" of the 2013 Harley Davidson Electra Glide

Review of ElectraGlide

Get Your Motor Running...

This morning we pick up the motorcycle and head out on the Beeline highway into the Tonto National Park Desert then we swing north and head for Sedona and Jerome.  I booked a room at the historic Conner Hotel in Jerome.  It already 80 degrees and sunny here. I will fill this in late tonight.\\\\

I'm writing from room #9 of the Connor Hotel. Dont ever rent this room. It has no windows!!!!

Here is the hotel -

http://connorhotel.com/new/hotel-history

Although the Connor Advertises "A room with a View"  in fact that is most ironic. Our room has no window.. Not no view - no window!  But the bar is very cool old time southwest feel  the  bartender looks like Danni from American pickers and  mixes some mean drinks. and the Hotel overall is pretty cool.In fact the whole  town of Jerome Az is relly cool. Its an old mining town perched precariously on the side of a mountain overlooking an old mine. No walmarts or  malls - this town is vibrant and gritty and amazingly scenic -

Coming into Jerome video

http://youtu.be/oeWzVJyTPY0

We picked up our bike and headed out into the desert at 10 this morning. Here is a video from this morning


http://youtu.be/wTHx6rII5zs

and the route

Route


and some photos-

We Visited the Tonto State Park Natural bridge  - here i a video of us near there -

http://youtu.be/FbVj3dqLJ4w

and a picture of it --

....  here we are in Oak Creek Canyon in Sedona

A cursory glance through one of our SD cards reveals mom created many videos of our trip - I have to go through and see what is usable.

The road into Jerome


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IdEJiKgOGq4

Anyway  we just spent 4 solid hours in the hotel  bar with a bunch of Harley Riders...- mom is passed out and I am ready to turn in....more tomorrow.

Taking Off

Quick update that will be filled in later. Our flight was delayed in the snowstorm until 4 pm  - first time we have ever been on a plane being sprayed with deicer.

But  the plane climbed above the clouds quickly  and within15 minutes  we were looking at this -

and for the next three hours that's basically what we saw-  Clouds clouds and more clouds.....just north of Phoenix the pilot announced there was some weather and turbulence ahead and we skirted  a big thunderstorm. If you are flying and you see  this -

You have to go around,even in an Airbus.

Coming in for a landing over Phoenix -

Cliff picked us up and we met Toni and Courtney  had a wonderful dinner  and passed out asleep for 10 hours..This morning I took a few pics of their house and pool -this is Cliff pointing and a front pic of their beautiful house.

More later -- after the ball game....It is very warm and sunny here.....Julie is getting ready to go in the pool.

Cliff , Toni and Courtney took us over to Salt River Field which is a really nicely designed ballpark and we watched the Rockies beat the Dodgers 6-4

March 20 Trip to Arizona

We have had enough of the crappy winter weather at home. Looking to leave this snow behind for a while-

We will be heading out to Phoenix  Az. tomorrow to stay with my cousin Cliff and his wife Toni. They live in a beautiful house  in  the Cave Creek  part of Phoenix Arizona.....a really nice suburb in the north eastern corner of Phoenix and  since this blog is pretty private, it should be okay to say you can find us at  at east mine creek rd., phoenix, az....

Their development is near this - will have to get an actual image of their house  when we are out there 

 We are going to a spring training game Saturday,  Rockies Vs Dogers... at the new Salt River Field

Should be an awesome day of baseball  and sun.


Sunday will hopefully be a day of relaxation and warms sun and  hanging out around their  pool.


Sunday we take off for a little desert adventure... we rented a  a Harley Electraglide -basically  this monster -

for   Monday Tuesday Wednesday for some awesome desert riding.to Sedona and the Tonto National Forest

 http://www.cyclerides.com/rides/dayrides/sedona/sedonadayride.htm


Then back at Cliff and Toni's Wednesday and then we are all going to the Arizona Biltmore on Thursday for a tour and hopefully lunch.... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arizona_Biltmore_Hotel  

Oh, yeah and its bike week in Phoenix while we are there!!!  Yeeee haahh!!!!

Not.  Actually,  I doubt we will do any bike week stuff, not  really our thing believe it or not even though we have a Harley to fit in...... we are more looking for this while riding  -

Right now at home its 34 degrees and the wind is blowing at 20 MPH - and there is a snowstorm predicted for tomorrow with 3  inches accumulation. We just hope our flight gets out. Enough already.

This is  just a place holder for a blog - someday!!!

The first bike was so successful that I threw together this little commuter bike
out of an old Trek and some scooter parts. The Trek has 80 psi kevlar tires,
alloy rims and cantilever brakes. With its upright handlebars its a better
townie than the 10 speed and better for the twist grip throttle I put on. The
throttle also has a volmeter indicator light which works. The satchel is
leather and besides the batteries and electronics also has my lunch and water
bottle in it. She has 24 AH lithium batteries which I mail ordered from China
for half the price and soldered up myself.