3400 miles, 17 days, 4 states on the BMW

It's bittersweet whenever a motorcycle ride comes to an end, and especially so after a fantastic 17-day, 3400 miles in four in our favorite states:  Arizona, Utah, Wyoming and Colorado. We planned a short, 96 mile ride today to beat the heat (and have time to do laundry) from Flagstaff to Prescott, Arizona.

Flagstaff sits at about 7,000' elevation and the temperature was in the mid 50's when we hopped on the BMW at about 7am. We headed south on I-70, riding through the tall pine forests that surround Flagstaff. As we continued south, the elevation dropped and the landscape changed to shorter pine trees in less dense forest as the temperature climbed into the low 70's.

I-70 skirts Sedona, but we could see some of the famous red rock formations off in the distance.

By the time we reached the Verde Valley about 55 miles south of Flagstaff, we had dropped to around 3,000' elevation and the temperature was in the high 80's. We no longer saw stands of tall pine forests, but rather scrubby chaparral and even cactus, reminding us that much of Arizona is high, dry, hot desert.

Thankfully the Verde Valley is the lowest, hottest point on our trip, and when we started climbing the temperature cooled into the mid 70's again. When we turned onto US 169 we were only 30 miles from Prescott and the dry grassland told us that the monsoons which provide much needed rain in the summer had not been active the previous 2 weeks while we were away.

As we rode along the familiar highway this morning, I thought about everything we had seen during our trip: mountain passes in the Rockies above 10,000', cold mountain reservoirs, rivers and streams that actually contain water (unlike most of the rivers and streams in Arizona that only have water after a rain or sometimes during snow melt), miles of riding without seeing another vehicle, a couple of fabulous dinners and times when we couldn't find a restaurant and resorted to an energy bar for our meal, a soak in the mineral hot springs in Saratoga Wyoming, a weekend with our sons in Silverthorne Colorado, hairpin turns, twisting mountain roads, long straight highways that stretch almost to the horizon. We're ready to head out again!

First ride to Flagstaff for 2020

Within the last week the temperature warmed up 10-15 degrees and it's finally great weather for a motorcycle ride to Flagstaff. At about 7000' elevation, Flagstaff is about 10 degrees cooler than our home in Prescott at 5400'. It was in the mid-70's when we left home about 10am and in the low 70's by the time we arrived in Flagstaff a little over 2 hours later.

Our original plan was to ride north on I-17 to Camp Verde where we would take AZ 260 east until we turned north to ride by Lake Mary. We were only about 10 miles outside Camp Verde when Mike saw the traffic stopped ahead of us, and then we noticed a medevac helicopter swoop in for a landing. We could potentially be stopped for a couple of hours, so we turned around and got back on I-17 north to Flagstaff. As Mike did a U-turn, I saw bright pink flowers on the cactus along the highway. To see flowers in the high desert, you have to slow down and look carefully.

I-17 is not as scenic, but we wanted to get to Flag around noon to eat lunch at our friends' BBQ food truck. Mike had the brisket sandwich and I chose the pulled pork. Both came with a choice of a side and chips. There was a steady line of people lined up to get their take-out lunch and as soon as we took the first bite of our sandwiches, we understood why - this is excellent BBQ! Be sure to check out their website to find out when they're open and stop by.

We decided to head home through Oak Creek Canyon and Sedona, hoping that it's too early in the season for crowds. It seems like every time we ride this way there is more traffic than we expect, and today was no exception. It's still a gorgeous ride on AZ 89 that twists and turns through switchbacks as dropped down through the Colorado Plateau.

Oak Creek is one of the rare Arizona streams that has water all year long, and especially during hot summer days people flock to the creek to sit in the cold water pools and enjoy the breathtaking scenery. It's not quite summer yet, but there were plenty of people playing in the water as we rode by.

We rode 250 miles and enjoyed a delicious BBQ lunch - what better way to enjoy a sunny day in May?

230 mile loop to Flagstaff and home

Everything came together today for a gorgeous ride:  sunny skies, warm temperatures, and the pollen count was down. After a colder and snowier winter than usual, we've been waiting for a day like this! We were hungry for long stretches of road with no traffic in sight, winding our way through the mountains, twisting through canyons, and enjoying the sunshine on our faces.

We decided on a familiar and favorite route for our first day-long trip of 2019 to Flagstaff for lunch and then home. We started northeast from Prescott to Camp Verde, then east on AZ 260 through the pine forests.

Even though it was a beautiful Sunday, we had the road basically to ourselves as we climbed up into the cooler mountains.

We were hoping to see elk, but only spied the occasional hawk floating on the updrafts.

We turned onto Lake Mary Road, excited to see the higher water levels in the Upper Lake due to the heavier snowfall this winter. A dam built on Walnut Creek in 1905 led to the development of Upper Lake Mary, used as a water reservoir for Flagstaff.

You can see the snowy peaks of Mt. Humphrey's in the far distance, and as we road north toward Flagstaff the mountains loomed larger.

Lower Lake Mary often has less water than it's larger sister, but today the lake was a beautiful blue color due to the higher water levels.

We stopped at The Tourist Home Cafe in Flagstaff, a favorite lunch spot for the homemade bread and huge dessert display. Skip the chain restaurants and fast food places, and check out the funky south side of the train tracks in Flagstaff for great food.

Our route home led us through the 12 mile long scenic drive on 89A through Oak Creek Canyon, a 2-lane paved road that twists, turns, and snakes around hair-pin turns with steep red rocks on both sides on the way to Sedona.

Oak Creek Canyon is 2000' deep, and the popular Slide Rock State Park. This land was once an apple orchard homesteaded by the Pendley family in the early 1900's and became a state park in 1987. In the summer hundreds of people come here to slide through the water on the slick rocks.

We enjoyed sweeping through the canyon without much traffic until we came to an abrupt stop. For the next mile into Sedona it was stop and go traffic, giving us time to look out over the canyon and search for the elusive wildflowers that bloom in the desert. Sedona is always crowded, and what seems like hundreds of roundabouts and the slow moving traffic make us anxious to get through town as quickly as possible.

We continued south on 89A through Cottonwood into the historic old copper mining town of Jerome, perched high on the mountain ahead of us. We were lucky that there wasn't much traffic on the steep and narrow streets in Jerome, and we quickly left the quirky town behind us.

Coming down 89A from Jerome toward Prescott we got stuck behind a few slow-moving cars, and once they pulled over Mike took advantage of the open space, leaning into the twisties and zooming our way down the mountain.

Our 230 mile ride over 5 1/2 hours today made us hungry for more motorcycle riding and the opportunity to savor familiar routes plus explore new territory on the BMW.

Here's a map of our ride today. Have fun!

Morning hike and afternoon BMW motorcycle ride to Sedona, Arizona

With a day promising blue skies and sunshine, we decided to start with a hike on the Constellation Trails in Prescott and then join our friends in the Prescott Star 511 motorcycle group for a ride north to Sedona. The trails took us on smooth, sandy paths through manzanita and then up and over the granite rocks that look like hardened sand castles. I stopped and turned in circles several times to take in all of the views, not wanting to miss a thing.

Standing on top of the rocks we looked north toward the San Francisco peaks in Flagstaff, looking forward to the afternoon ride.

45 minutes after we finished hiking we met Brad, Mike and George to ride north to Sedona. With temperatures in the mid-50's and bright sunshine, I stayed warm on the BMW by wearing all of the jacket layers and my heaviest gloves. We stopped in Camp Verde for coffee and hot chocolate, and I switched to lighter-weight gloves as the temperature climbed into the 60's.

Only 7.5 miles long, Route 179 into Sedona is the Red Rock Scenic Byway, passing through the stunning red/orange colored sandstone that is unique to this area.

The road sweeps and winds through the rock formations, giving us the fun of zooming along on a motorcycle with one-of-a-kind views. We stopped for lunch in busy Uptown Sedona and then left the traffic for Dry Creek Road, heading into Boynton Canyon.

We didn't have time today for another hike, and instead relaxed in the mid-afternoon sunshine on the outdoor deck at the Enchantment Resort. Boynton Canyon is home to one of the vortexes, or sites of concentrated energy, that draw people to Sedona.

Maybe it was the sunshine, or Sedona's energy, or riding on twisty, curving 89A south over Mingus Mountain, but I found myself nodding off on the back of the BMW as we wound our way toward home. When we first visited Prescott we drove to Sedona in our rental car, and Mike couldn't wait to ride this mountain road on the BMW. Each time we travel this route I notice something different:  the snow and ice on the edge of the shady side of the road at 7200' elevation, the old mining roads that snake through the pine forest, hawks that soar on the wind currents.

We love to hike through the granite rocks near home and explore the twisty asphalt roads that wind through Arizona's deserts and mountains. Motorcycle friends and a sunny winter day made it perfect.

A motorcycle trip through Arizona's Fall Foliage

Oak Creek Canyon between Sedona and Flagstaff in northern Arizona is one of the premier Fall destinations in the state. Outdoor Sports in Prescott Valley hosted a BBQ, open house and 2014 product launch event followed by a ride to Oak Creek Canyon organized by the Prescott STAR 511 motorcycle club. Riders from the Phoenix area and Flagstaff enjoyed a fantastic BBQ, checked out the new 2014 Yamaha and Star bikes, and then headed out to Oak Creek Canyon.



bikes ready to go at Outdoor Sports

 

14 bikes went on the 150 mile round-trip ride to Oak Creek Canyon, riding north on I-17 and then 179 into Sedona. As we headed north, the Mogollon Rim that stretches 200 miles across Arizona came into view.

 



Sedona is always busy with tourists eager to see the red rock monoliths that surround the town. A series of roundabouts slow down the traffic, which gave me a good opportunity to take photographs.

Once through Sedona, we turned west onto 89A and entered the 12 mile Oak Creek Canyon. Oak Creek is one of the few streams in northern Arizona that has water all year, and aspen, sumac and maple trees grow abundantly along the creek. Fall foliage in Arizona is mostly golden yellow, with a few bright red trees. The backdrop of the red and white sandstone cliffs that tower 7200' on the western rim and the bright colors of the trees that form a canopy over the twisting 2-lane road make this a fun trip on a motorcycle.

The group stopped at the Indian Gardens Cafe but since we were short on time, we turned around and headed back home. The late afternoon sun cast shadows on the red rock formations, and I watched hikers winding their way around the paths that snake up the rocks.

We moved to Arizona from Vermont three months ago, and while the Fall foliage in the Southwest doesn't come close to the masses of vividly colored trees covering the Vermont mountains, a ride through Oak Creek Canyon on a sunny October day is a good substitute.