If you are a serious motorcyclist who can't handle another moment of winter while your bike(s) sit in the garage on trickle chargers, then AZride is just the thing for you.
My neighbor, Chuck Shotwell, and I were standing in the garage we share to store our bikes, shivering in the cold as we hooked up those trickle chargers for the third month in a row, and got the bright idea to just go somewhere warm and scenic to ride. Shipping our bikes somewhere was out of the question. We just didn't have the time. This had to be quick, easy and reasonably priced.
I found AZride on the internet and cold-called them (pun intended). "Monica" answered. Within about 30 minutes of that phone call, we had two BMWs lined up (an R1200 RT and an F800 ST) and Monica had booked weekend accommodations for us in Scottsdale.
We arrived in Scottsdale on a Thursday night. The reservation for the bikes was for the next morning. Work commitments at home had left us with no time to plan our routes. This was very out-of-character for me and Chuck; we usually plan bike trips with great care.
As Monica promised, the hotel was ideal. A brand-new looking Holiday Inn Express with great low rates just a short walk from Old Town Scottsdale. Our rooms were very large suites (with microwave, refrigerator, two televisions, king beds) and breakfast was included. Better yet, AZride was virtually across the street! We had breakfast on Friday morning and just strolled over there at 9 a.m. wearing our gear, ready to ride, just as if we were crossing the street to our garage in Chicago.
AZride's facility is like a new car showroom, only smaller. The place is immaculate and very well-kept. More importantly, the bikes were in perfect condition -- not a scratch, spotless, great rubber, meticulously maintained. Monica is a seasoned travel professional; Gabor is like a motorcycle-McGyver who maintains the bikes and knows them inside-out. While Monica worked with Chuck on his paperwork, Gabor gave me the orientation on the RT. Then we switched. When we were both done, Gabor pulled out several maps, showed us some routes we could take up to Sedona and back over two days (about 200 miles each day), as well as some local riding options for Sunday. And then we were off. Total time from start to finish was under an hour.
I am happy to say that within those first few miles, we knew we picked the right rental/travel agent. The single most important aspect of a motorcycle trip is a bike you enjoy riding and can count on to perform. These bikes were in terrific shape and ran like new throughout the entirety of our trip, about 600 miles total. I couldn't have been more thrilled and satisfied.
Gabor's suggested routes were just what the doctor ordered to chase away the winter blues for two guys from Chicago.
We took the appropriately-named Carefree Highway (Rt. 74) west out of north Scottsdale to Wickenburg. Our first stop along the way was Lake Pleasant. (see photo) The scenery started out as classic Sonoran Desert that became a bit more hilly as we neared Wickenburg. Had lunch al fresco at Nana's Sandwich Saloon on Rt. 93 in downtown Wickenburg. Fantastic sandwiches, salads, baked goods and coffee. Fast service, too. We had some killer grilled chicken panini-style sandwiches stuffed with bacon, cheese and green chilis. Cruised the old western-style town and then continued up Rt. 93 to Rt. 89, through the town of Congress and up into the mountains and the White Spar Highway. This was when the riding really improved -- a great mix of high-mountain tight twisties and slightly broader turns, with incredible views of the desert below and the mountains ahead around virtually every turn. It was spectacular.
Less than an hour later, we found ourselves winding our way through the Prescott National Forest. Again, some fantastic riding. Great turns, great roads, pine forest, even a little snow on the sides of the road, despite temps in the mid-50s and low 60s.
After winding our way through Prescott, we picked up Rt. 89A and headed east towards Jerome, a speck of a town perched like an eagle's nest on a mountainside in the northern branch of the Tonto National Forest. Chuck lives for the twisties, and he had a blast on this route, carving up the mountain with that F800 ST.
By 4:30 p.m. we had arrived in Sedona, our destination for the day. The sunset, with the light illuminating the red rock cliffs, was beautiful. Our accommodations that night were the Best Western Inn of Sedona. This was a great deal. The hotel is terraced into the hillside with breathtaking views of the Oak Creek Canyon.
The rooms were very clean and comfortable and only $99 per night. The best part was the free shuttle service to anywhere within 5 miles of the hotel -- basically all of Sedona. This is critical when you don't want to suit up just to go to dinner, or if you want to enjoy a cocktail (or two). The shuttle van was readily available and prompt. Dinner was at Dan's Bistro, a Sedona newcomer that is BYO until the liquor license arrives. We enjoyed a hummus plate with a terrific assortment of grilled fresh vegetables, briny olives and capers and artichoke hearts; grilled asparagus in puff pastry drizzled with a balsamic reduction; a chopped salad generously laden with grilled shrimp; and a homemade tagliatelle with scallops, mussels and shrimp tossed with a garlicky roasted tomato sauce. Looking up at the stars from the terrace outside our rooms back at the hotel, I realized just how much of the galaxy we never see living with all the light pollution in Chicago.
Saturday morning was bright, sunny and a bit chilly. Didn't think I'd be using the heated grips in Arizona, but I was glad to have them now. We were on the road (89A) by 9:15 a.m. heading north through the Oak Creek Canyon. This is beautiful red rock country. Brooks and streams filled with assorted rocks and boulders snake their way along the side of the road in some places; in other spots, sheer rock walls surround you on either side as you steadily climb through the canyon towards blue sky and Flagstaff, just a short 28 miles ahead. The rock walls soon give way to sheer cliffs and parapets, views of the canyon to the south and twisties that just get tighter and tighter. The riding couldn't get any better than this. Or so I thought.
Gabor had explained that as we neared Flagstaff, the roadsigns would try to force us onto Interstate 17 to get back to Scottsdale. We took his advice and ignored them, opting instead to take Lake Mary Road south through the Mogollon Plateau towards the tiny town of Strawberry, and then to Rt. 87 and Payson.
Anyone who rides a motorcycle must ride Lake Mary Road in Arizona. There is simply nothing that compares. Once you see Upper Lake Mary and then Mormon Lake, you will think you have found motorcyle riding paradise. But just wait. It gets much, much better. The pine forests and lakes open up to incredible mountain riding with perfectly paved, smooth-as-silk roads, soft, sweeping turns, tons of curves and mind-blowing beauty. And there is no civilization. Not a town, not a gas station, not a restaurant -- nothing for close to 100 miles, except for the Happy Jack Lodge.
When we arrived in Strawberry about 90 minutes later, we were ready for hot coffee. This town looks like a dump, but there is a terrific place called "Strawberries" (go figure) with a sign out front that just says "Restaurant Lodge." Chuck picked the spot; I was skeptical. This was a great place. Our server, Margie, (whose delightful 12 year old daughter arrived just as we finished lunch) could not have been more charming. And the homemade green chili stew, eaten while sitting fireside in the restaurant's low-ceiling, timbered dining room, was highly memorable.
The balance of our ride back to Scottsdale that day was more my style than Chuck's. I love big broad sweepers, two lanes all to myself, and panoramic views. Route 87 from Payson to Mesa was my dream ride. There was no traffic. The sweepers were awesome, and the RT was just the bike on which to enjoy them. And the best part is that even though Rt. 87 is a four-lane divided highway, you hardly ever see the oncoming lanes. These roads were constructed through the mountains, so for much of the ride, all you see is the two lanes going in your direction because the mountains separate you from the other side of the highway. It was like they built a private road just for me and the bike in the most beautiful spot imaginable, and I could ride as fast as I wanted. And I did.
Back in Scottsdale that night, Chuck and I did a walking tour of Old Town Scottsdale and enjoyed dinner at Don & Charley's, co-owned by Rich Melman (founder/owner of Chicago's Lettuce Entertain You) and the Carson family (of Carson's Ribs in Chicago). This place is a little gold mine, so plan accordingly in terms of reservations. We went early and ate in the bar, which was perfect for us.
On Sunday, our last day, we spent the morning riding out the Apache Trail to Tortilla Flat. This is a popular ride for local motorcyclists and we saw many of our brethren on all sorts of bikes. The scenery is classic Sonoran Desert with tons of Saguaro cacti to enjoy along the way, as well as a fair number of hills and twisties -- so many that Chuck and I got separated as he carved them up and I stopped repeatedly to document the trip with my camera. In the afternoon, we rode out the Bush Highway from Mesa to Saguaro Lake, where there is a marina and a decent restaurant where you can sit outside and enjoy lunch on the water. This is also a popular destination for the local motorcycle crowd, so we felt very much at home.
By the time we got back to Scottsdale, the Bears-Packers game was in the 4th quarter and we stopped for coffee to catch the abrupt end of the Bears 2010 season. I was glad I opted to do this trip rather than spend the money on Bears tickets so I could sit in frigid Soldier Field and watch the carnage.
Monica and Gabor met us at AZride's facility on 73rd between Earll and Thomas promptly at 5 p.m., when we said we would be back to return the bikes. Gabor gave the bikes the quick once-over, and Monica gave us our paperwork. We walked back to the hotel, changed out of our gear, had a light dinner of seared sushi grade Ahi at nearby Bandera, a couple of cocktails and wished we could start it all over again.
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