Arizona liver loop - part 1

 Good Grief!!! I haven't been on a decent ride for ages! When Bev "suggests" I might do well to get out of the house for a while......I take the hint and load the bike.

I ride the US 89 to St George, Ut.

Don't you think that route looks a bit like a liver....or maybe a it's a lung, I got an A in Anatomy, but that was a looooong time ago.

The roads are mostly dry to St. George, bbbbut it is a ccccold ride....it is February 8th after all.

I spend a day doing a little hiking and a lot of idling in Utah's Dixie.

Then I'm off toward Lake Havasu by way of Lake Mead then Chloride, Arizona. 

About 4 miles out of Chloride I spotted these keys in the dirt  and with two littered straws and a twig did this so hopefully the owner can find them.

Then on to Chloride

A tourist trap in Chloride.

I stop in the town park for lunch.

After lunch I ride thru Oatman and rest of the way to Lake Havasu for more hiking and idling...

Tomorrow I go farther south to Oro Valley.

(Check out part two)

Arizona liver loop - part 2

I depart Lake Havasu before the Sun rises. About 20 miles later Mr sun makes his appearance as I'm crossing the Parker Bridge.

Oro Valley is 299 miles the fast way (aka the boring way), but that includes 120 miles of super slab.... So I take the bikers shortcut to avoid as much slab as possible and get there after about 360 miles...

While passing through Bouse, Arizona I see their WWII display and stop for a photo op.

Later another stop in Goodyear, Arizona to enjoy my lunch. This cool display was at the park.

Friday and Saturday are spent in beautiful Oro Valley. Temps are perfect for hiking so off I go on the trail in the wash behind my lodging.

You can't see the trail as it is quite a bit lower than the deck. Another pic looking back at my room.

And here are a couple more pix looking off the same deck at sunset.

The strange alien looking thing is a tree.... 👽😄 or maybe an alien camouflaged to look like a tree...

Sunday I depart for Heber-Overgard, Arizona. Another chilly day and I end up riding in a middling snow storm for 50ish miles.

I arrived at my lodging, Bison Ranch, and only to see these hooligans a-shooting up the town!

The condos are made to resemble an old west town, notice the authentic looking old west motor cars...

After a cold day of riding I was looking forward to a soak in the hot tub...but some moron dropped a wine glass in it and maintenance will have to drain and clean it up the broken glass  tomorrow.

Ohhh well....

More rambling in part III

Arizona liver loop - part 3

 I had 2 days reserved at Bison Ranch,  and when I checked in the counter person said, " oh you're leaving on Tuesday, the forecast calls or a big snow storm on Tuesday."

And sure enough Tuesday morning I looked out to see this;

I let Bev know I was heading out with this hastily composed text:

"Snow is quietly falling, but the road is loudly calling.

Many miles must I munch ere, this chilly day, dare I stop for lunch.

In the end whether the sky be filled with droplets, flakes or Sun - this motorbiking is ever and forever such GREAT fun!"

And the air WAS filled with all three before I arrived in St George for my last stop of this trip.

Heavy wet snow several miles before Winslow, Arizona caught me by surprise and had my jacket half soaked before I was able to find a safe place to stop and gear up. 

It was not problem though as I had happened to stop near a truck stop. I went in and tossed my jacket in a dryer in the laundry section of the truck stop, and soon had a dry (and warm) jacket.

The weather forecast is a bit ugly the next couple days, but I am  hoping for clear roads so I can ride the last 300 miles home in relative comfort. 

Even though I'm not home yet I'm going to close the RR here. Thanks for reading!