Spur of the moment motorcycle ride for lunch

We were hungry, the BMW was ready to go, and we had a free afternoon.

15 minutes later we were on the bike, heading north to Cottonwood, founded in 1879 near the Verde river. We've been through Cottonwood but haven't stopped and this time it was our destination. We took the faster route to get there - it was past lunchtime, after all - riding on 4-lane I-17 to the Cottonwood exit.

The Schoolhouse Restaurant on Main Street was our destination, and what a fantastic find.

Interesting flavors, fresh veggies, and friendly waitstaff made this a wonderful stop. We were intrigued by the cups of seasonings in the center of each table, and tasted each one to find several different types of sea salt, pepper, and hot southwestern spices.

Mike had their homemade burger and a tossed salad, while I opted for the chicken-cashew chicken salad in butterhead lettuce cups with a zingy vegetable soup for a side. We left room to split the fudge chocolate cake and left happy and satisfied.

We rode home through Jerome under dark and rain-threatening skies. We drove this road in our rental car on our first trip to this area, and Mike couldn't wait to tackle the winding, hairpin turns up and over Mingus Mountain on the BMW. We've ridden this way several times, and each time I notice something new. Today I saw scrawny pine trees sticking out at almost 90 degree angles from the rocky cliffs that crowd the 2-lane road, ready to skewer the sides of tall trucks. I also noticed old dirt mining roads that criss-cross the mountain, making me wish for a 4-wheeler so we could tackle those roads - but only for a minute because we were having too much fun on the BMW.

The rain never came, and after we pulled into our driveway the sun started shining. Delicious lunch, mountain twisties, and an unplanned afternoon together. Thanks BMW!