Scottsdale-Sedona-Jerome-Wickenburg

Sorry I don't have pictures, our battery on the camera ran out. We chose to ride from AZride Northeast to Payson, plenty of expected desert straightaways but we found all the Seguaro cactus interesting to view on the way. Gabor and Monica were completely service focused and the equipment check-out with Gabor very thorough. I would want Gabor to be MY BMW mechanic! Our BMW R1200RT was immaculate for 21K on the odometer and performed as expected, although it has been a long time since I have been on this model. The accessories and improvements were welcome. We rode two-up and played with the ESA suspension settings, and settled on "Sport." We live in Hawaii so had no idea what the weather would bring, but late October is a wonderful season to ride in this region. Thunderstorms were spectacular to view and a good excuse to get off the bike, have a drink and watch the show. This was a tour more than a ride, so we spent two Sedona days touring and walking, including the "Pink Jeep Tour" which we highly recommend. The rode up Oak Creek to Flagstaff was twisty and entertaining, and I repeat, weekdays this time of year there are fewer buses and cages on the road to slow you down. From Sedona we rode to the mining "Ghost Town" of Jerome, now a tourist trap but definitely into the Halloween Spirit. As you enter the heart of town at the only "T" intersection, turn right, and exclusive motorcycle parking is immediately on your left, and big plus because parking on the twisty main street is at a premium. "Grapes" is the best restaurant to enjoy, right in the middle of town. Clean public restrooms are at the firehouse. After window shopping and gift-purchasing we doubled back to visit the mining museum. Leaving Jerome we headed over the hill down to Skull Valley to Wickenburg. Go late in the day and plan to arrive in Wickenburg at nightfall, because you'll avoid all the cars that will hold you up in the wonderful twisties. When you settle down in the flats, beware of speeding in the straightaways, we noted the aircraft speed monitors along the roadside, but the planes weren't flying this late. At a cemetary three constables in squad cars were there, fortunately for us, having a coffee break and not minding the radar guns. A full moon helped us out, too. Wickenburg back to Scottsdale was pretty uneventful and boring but visiting the cowboy town is worth visiting. We didn't realize that many Scottsdale gas stations disguise themselves so we felt pretty silly pulling into a bank to discover we were pulling into an ATM teller station instead of a gas pump. Monica and Gabor checked us in and we were on our way. Renting these bikes is expensive but definitely a fun experience that is first class. Thanks AZride!