Arizona Bike  Week Ride-2006

 

Neil, Jesus & Mario departed the Fruita Visitor Center on Monday, April 3, 2006 and headed out on the highway to Scottsdale, Arizona and Arizona Bike Week.  The weather was perfect for a ride and our hearts were glad, our Harley’s running well, and anticipation was in the air.  We stopped for a hearty breakfast in Moab and then continued our epic ride through Monticello, Blanding, Bluff, Mexican Hat, Kayenta and Flagstaff,  where we spent the night.  Next morning we rode through Oak Creek Canyon where we descended one thousand feet in about ten tight turns and then proceeded into Sedona, a beautiful small town where we ate breakfast.  We then proceeded into Cottonwood and spent time poking around an old train that still takes tourists into the Verde Canyon.  Then we headed over the top of the mountain pass that goes through the old mining town of Jerome which is perched vicariously on the side of a mountain.  The ride through this stretch is full of tight turns and switchbacks that warn of 15mph speed limits and means it.  We went over the top and down into the Prescott Valley and on to Scottsdale.  We arrived in Scottsdale in the late afternoon and met up with Tim Himes who had flown to Tucson  to pick up this Heritage Softail Springer that he left there when he bought his new 2006 Screaming Eagle Ultra Classic Electra Glide.  He had ridden from Tucson to Scottsdale to meet us.  We spent the night in the Wingate Inn and Suites, a nice hotel strategically located across the 101 from West World where the ABW festivities were taking place.  The next morning we packed it up and moved to our campsite where we would tent camp the remainder of the week.  Thursday morning we rode to Tortilla Flats on a day ride.  We stopped at the Mammoth Bar and had a few cold beers and ran into Daniel a wide eyed Turk from Istanbul, Turkey.  He wasn’t a bit bashful about expressing his views about Muslims in his country and how he came to be where he is now.

 

After checking out all the action at Arizona Bike Week, looking at beautiful motorcycles, listening to good music, admiring a $250,000 custom bike at the Arlen Ness exhibit and admiring the Russian built Ural two wheel drive motorcycles we crashed out.  The next morning Tim and Mario departed for Grand Junction, riding like the wind so they could make it back in time for Eric Frei’s BBQ.

 

Neil and I lingered another day, shopped at Hacienda Harley Davidson, rode out to the Cave Creek Roadhouse to check out the action.  While we were enjoying a cold beer, the bar/restaurant across the street reported a fire.  Fire trucks and emergency vehicles were everywhere and although there was a lot of smoke, we never actually saw any real flames.

 

Saturday morning we packed up our stuff and headed for home.  We had a great ride through Payson, to Holbrook, to Ganado through Chinle, and on to Four Corners.  We spent the night in Cortez.  Walked down the street to the Main Street Brewery and struck up a conversation with Jeff and Leah Sheeley.  How strange is that?

Jeff is Brian Sheeley’s brother.

 

The next morning we rode to Durango, had some excellent bloody marys with breakfast and came home over Coal Bank, Molas, and Red Mountain passes.  We were blessed with perfect riding weather, awesome scenery, good riding buddies, and enjoyed a great ride. 

 

Jesús Guerrero Jr.

Photographer/Historian