March 22 The Grand Canyon South Rim, Arizona

Weather 60 Sunny and snow on the ground
Grand Canyon National Park
277 river miles long, up to 18 miles wide, and a mile deep

Watch Tower

 The vastness of this natural wonder is hard to put into words.  It has been a place I have wanted to see since childhood.  Timeless. 
Tip: There is an East and West entrance into the Park.   We started at the East entrance and the first scenic view is the Watch Tower.  As you continue the 25 miles headed west and you stop at each lookout point if you view back along the Rim you will see what looks like a thimble.  After the second or third stop we realized what we could see was the Watch Tower, which is very cool.  In fact you can see it when you get all the way to the other side at the Grand Canyon Village!!!   Also you will be able to see across to the North Rim at points that are 90 miles away.  We have picked out a few pictures to post but they almost look unreal - again like postcards.  Another Tip:  At the Village you need to take the Shuttle Bus to see the Hermit Road - no cars are allowed.  It's free.

Colorado River

Mount Humphries 12633 feet in Flagstaff

Mar 19, 20 Biggest Winter Storm in Arizona this Year

Weather   ~ Oh you bet!!!!  43 during the day and 19 low at night
They were predicting the biggest storm this winter to hit Northern Arizona; and it did. 
We are at about 3200 feet in Camp Verde which is in a valley about 1 hour due south from Flagstaff.  On Monday it started to rain then sleet then huge wet snowflakes.

The days leading up to this were above normal, so it almost seems like it just can't happen.   So we hunkered down and put on our new favorite purchase; a heater/fireplace with a thermostat. (it's on wheels and doubles as an end table).  The motorhome has a furnace and heat pumps but this is so quiet you don't hear it run so it is our favorite.  Tip: always use electric if it is included in your site cost, why pay for the furnace to run on propane which you will have to pay to refill yourself.

As well I got out the bread maker and made some Chelsea Buns and we put on the coffee pot with a new bottle of Bailey's; might as well enjoy it.
At night when we went to bed we did unhook the water and put the hose inside the basement, chances are it will freeze overnight.    Either you unhook or let water drip all night so you don't freeze up.
In the morning the views of the mountains from our window were so nice.    Flagstaff did get 2 feet of snow and the roads were closed in and out for a good part of the day.

If you come to Arizona in a motor home you need to be prepared for the extremes.  We have an electric blanket and many we talk to have an electric mattress pad or heated bed.   Whichever you choose you will be glad you did!!!  

Mar 14, 15 Sedona, Arizona

Weather 82 Sunny, night 52
Frank Lloyd Wright viewed this area and said it is so beautiful that "nothing should ever be built here".  We agree.  Words cannot describe the natural beauty and pictures do not do it justice.   The Red Rock and layers of white limestone and creamy sandstone are are postcard.  We feel like we are riding inside the postcard.  Take a look; there is a Native American Prayer that says it all.  "May you walk in beauty above you, beauty below you, beauty behind you, beauty surrounding you".

Mar 13 Jerome, Arizona

Weather 80 sunny, night time 48
Jerome is a very cool artsy ghost town that sides on the side of Cleopatra mountain.  It is a mile high about 5200 feet and you have to climb serpentine roads to get there and each street level is perched on levels between a higher street and stairways to get there.   Lots of art stores, restaurants and memorabilia. We had a horrible time time trying to park the bike without being on a very steep slope up or down.  After we drove to Prescott on the winding scenic 89A road.  the day was so gorgeous and the view was great.... oh yes and this was a first for us in our motorcycle riding ~ SNOW!  Not on the highway but on the sides of the road, it as about 7500 feet. 

Billy was teasing me about my Belgian heritage!!!  In the 1800's there was a Bordello here run by a this lady, well maybe not a lady???

Mar 12 Camp Verde

Weather 80 Hot and Sunny, 50 at night

We moved north to a new site for a couple of weeks so we can ride the northern Arizona area.  Great RV resort in the valley called Distant Drums.   

 It is busy in all the campgrounds now since March break is happening.   This is the first time we had to reserve sites.  Some beautiful rigs here from Texas and California!!!  Found a great cartoon on the back of one depicting how he could afford the rig.

 Beautiful rig,,,, puts us to shame!!!  Foretravel motorcoach - wow just like the Prevost!

Mar 10 Biker Bar in Cave Creek

Weather 82 Sunny, night 54
Scottsdale is getting ready for Bike Week and we had a map from the Harley Dealer on rides and places that you just have to go to.   Well we found a real biker bar and now we know that Billy just does not have enough tatoo's (me neither!) and I don't have enough piercings!  Quite the place - called The Hideaway.  We hear that the stars from the Sons of Anarchy have been to this infamous place.  Even though it was not cool to get out the camera I managed to take a few on the sly. 

March 9 Loop Ride to Lake Roosevelt, Globe, back to Apache Jct

Weather  74 today and sunny, low of 54
We have been waiting for the wind to subside  so we can ride up into the mountains.  Today is the day.  We have about 180 miles from here in Apache Junction to Roosevelt Lake then to Globe and back.   Elevation will climb to about 5000 feet at the highest and we expect it to be at least 10 degrees cooler - well we were not quite right there ; when we got into Globe it was about 2 pm and 59 degrees.  Brrr on the bike.....  but we had our black leathers on and the sun always makes it feel a bit warmer.   Glad we did.  Views on the ride were beautiful.

Oh and there was a National Monument in Tonto Forest where the Salido Indians had cliff dwellings.  These are about 900 years old.  There are many in Arizona and New Mexico but this was our first encounter.  Amazing.

Mar 8 Desert Wild Flowers Everywhere :)

Weather Warmed back up to 77 today, sunny
The desert is "coming alive" for spring, just in the last couple of weeks we have noticed the change.   The locals say in about a month all the cactus will be blooming too!   Right now the roadsides are filled with wildflowers and up the mountain slopes.  It's hard to believe that there are so many flowers in the desert.  My mom would love this.

March 7 Scottsdale, Taliesin West ~Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation

Weather  Cooler today, sunny but 66
Taliesin is pronounced tally-s-in

The famous Frank Lloyd Wright built his personal winter home, called Taliesin West in the McDowell Mountains just on the outskirts of Scottsdale.  Being a reader last year I enjoyed the novel Loving Frank by Nancy Horan.  It was about the love of his life and the bibliographical period of Frank Lloyd Wright in his early life, first wife and family and then his illicit affair with Mamah Borthwick.  In Wisconsin he built his first prairie home for them called Taliesin.  Frank and his third wife Olga built this home Taliesin West as their winter home in 1937.  It is amazing architecture for that time period but then again he was a genius.  Now the property is preserved and used as a Architect School.  I can imagine it would be the same as if you are a Chef and accepted at the Cordon Blue.  Only 35 students per year and they study here in the winter and in Wisconsin in the summer months.

It was such an interesting tour through the property and school that you want to see his other pieces of work!  
Billy thought it was cool that the students inside the lab area are all sitting at the old school drafting tables, oh yes the same as he learned on!  Funny thing is they all had a couple of laptops sitting on them too!!!

Mar 5,6 Apache Junction

Weather 84 & 86 Sunny - Hottest day yet, night about 58, wind gusts coming in overnight up to 40 mph

Superstition Mtns in the distance

Like the last line...

We have moved to Apache Junction KOA for the next week to do some more riding in the area and see our Maui friends (met the nicest couple last year in Hawaii) who live here in Gilbert, AZ.  They took us for lunch to this cool restaurant called Santan Flats, it has all kinds of outdoor seating around firepits.  At night you can have a campfire with hotdogs, marshmallows, smores!!!   Pretty neat idea.

 When we were leaving a guy pulled up in this beautiful old street rod; the guys said "nice ride" and he said "i had to sell my Harley to get it"  "ha ha ha"..... we all had a laugh.
My Dad would love this old beauty,,,, I know you would too Tory!

Mar 3 Eloy Skydive Arizona

Weather 80 Sunny and a bit windy, cool at night 50

"Everyone kept telling us did you go watch the skydivers?" "You just have to go down to Eloy".   Ok, so where the heck is Eloy......  looking on the map we see that it is about 14 miles south and in the middle of no where.  Well we are leaving in a couple of days so we decide lets pop down there and see what the big deal is.   Ha Ha!  As it turns out it is one of the premier places to learn to sky dive and train.  Skydive Arizona. All afternoon on Saturday we watched them jumping - about every 20 minutes another group came down.  It was beautiful.  We heard a 70 year old lady was jumping - her family bought it for her birthday present!!!!  You go girl.   While we watched we saw an older gentleman landing tandem (I am guessing he was at least 75); it was so funny just before they landed you could hear him yelling "this is going to hurt, this is going to hurt and then you could hear him laughing a big hearty fun laugh".  Awesome, I told Billy he can get me this for my 60th birthday..... it will take me that many more years to get up the courage!  (7 more years)  :)

Mar 2 Casa Grande Hog Run

Weather 75 Sunny, cool at night 48
There was a Harley ride from Chandler and Tucson and all the money raised went to the Veterans.  They had Apache Helicopters lead the way for the bikers and they hoovered over the riders as they entered into Casa Grande.   Pretty Cool.   No we didn't actually do the ride,,,, I know we were lazy!  Since we were in Casa Grande we just went to the town square that was closed off and watched them all ride in.   Billy loved looking at all the bikes and we watched the BBQ pig competition and oh yes I had a corn on the cob!!! 

March 1 You Got to be Kidding???

Weather 77 Sunny, 48 at night

All I can say is that every Thursday we meet in a nearby little town with a group of motorcycles that ride out to a destination for lunch.  Last Thursday we went to a Diner,Dive,Drive-in place from Food Network called Joe's Farm Grill in Gilbert, Arizona.  While we were sitting outside under the shade trees I noticed a sign and thought "hmmm must be a description about the tree".....  !!!!  Wrong!    Apparently we have since learned that the small ones are the deadliest!  

Oh and we haven't seen any.... and hope not to.  :)