Featured Adios & Hola! Riding Out Of 2023 And Into 2024!

What better way to usher out 2023 and welcome 2024 than with friends and on motorcycles?! And with food to top it off.



Seven of us met up on New Year's Eve to say adios to 2023 and reminisce about some of our adventures from the past year. It was a chilly but beautiful day and we all agreed to ride to a restaurant we'd not been to in years--the Sky Rider Cafe which is located at the Marana Regional Airport, aka the Avra Valley Air Park. The skies were brilliantly blue and the cafe was packed!

It was a Harley heavy day and I added to it as I chose to ride my Low Rider ST -- "Johnnie". But there were two exceptions, one BMW and one Triumph in the bunch! Our newly retired friend, Alan, was on his new Tiger. He has promised to ride with us regularly now that he's officially a retiree.









The restaurant definitely has an aeronautical theme!





After we got situated at our table, I asked Steve to relay my breakfast order with our server because I wanted to head out back to see what was on the tarmac. It was pretty quiet but there were several nice smaller planes. The airport is quite small but from what I understand, it is also quite busy. Our friend, Ron, on the beemer, has flown out of this airport in the past and had a few good stories to share!



The temperature had warmed up a bit from our starting temp of 40ºF which felt good. And with our Arizona sun it always feels just a bit warmer than the temperatures indicate. I did keep my heated vest on (low), though, when we continued riding after breakfast!





Continued in my next post......

 

More planes...and a couple of emergency vehicles "just in case"





About midway through breakfast our good friend, Dena, showed up which was a delightful surprise! She used to ride like crazy but has hung up riding her own bike primarily due to hand and wrist issues. But very recently she and her husband bought a Harley Street Bob which they've set up for two-up riding and we are all extremely happy to have her back on the road with us. And she's extremely happy to be back on a bike, too! Today, however, she drove to meet us as she'd just dropped off her California family at the Tucson Airport. No, not the Marana Regional Airport.



After breakfast our group split up with three riders heading for home and four of us eager to continue on. I was one of the four. Steve, bless his heart, rode on home to "liberate" Ellie from her kennel.



Tucked back into the garage with 117 miles on the day...a wonderful way to end the year.



Continued in my next post....welcoming 2024!

 

As some of you know, Steve and I have a tradition of riding to either Denny's or Waffle House on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's. Well, this year we broke with tradition because our good friends, Shelly & Russell, invited us to join their family for their tradition--Christmas Day brunch. Steve and I both loved being included in the brunch but we also realized later on that we missed our annual Christmas morning tradition. Steve, being the "great idea" guy that he is, suggested that we ride to Waffle House on New Year's Day to "make up" for missing in on Christmas. How could I refuse?!

There was another twist to our tradition in that Russell met up with us at the Waffle House. Steve and I were stunned (and aghast, honestly) to learn that he had NEVER been to a Waffle House! So it was a good deal all 'round.

And today I chose to start off the new year's riding with my Speed Triple RS!



The weather was a bit warmer starting out today than yesterday but still a bit nippy for us thin-blooded Arizonans.



We were happy to see that Freddy the Greeter was there to greet everyone and to keep things moving. I don't know how old Freddy is now but he's a fixture at this particular Waffle House on major holidays and is the sweetest guy ever. He actually was awarded the Walmart National Employee of the year one year! His usual greeter location is a Walmart on the south side of Tucson. The shirt he's wearing was a gift to him from the Waffle House staff! He was very proud of it and happy to have me take a couple of photos.





Steve and I typically sit at the breakfast bar but with three of us today we opted for a table.Steve remembered to wear his Waffle House hat but I forgot doggone-it! But luckily they had paper chefs hats which worked in a pinch. We couldn't get Russell to wear one.



My breakfast--and I finished every last bite. I love their pecan waffles. And my family tradition from when I was a little kid was ham for New Year's dinner. So I had to go with the ham here, too.



As usual, Russell and I wanted to keep riding. And Steve again went home to hang out with Ellie. We wound up riding to this big new outlet mall on the northwest side of town. I figured Russell wanted even more coffee and I was right. We parked and strolled in, got some coffee drinks, and did a bit of people watching. I have to say I was a bit bummed that the stores were all open but I guess that's the capitalist way. And who am I to talk--there I was, too. Interestingly, on our way back to the bikes we ran into a guy we knew from the local Harley dealership. He left for a new job about 7 or 8 months ago so it was really nice to see him and to meet his daughters.



Today's route......shorter than yesterday but still an excellent way to ring in 2024!



Tucked back in the garage with some miles on the clock to kick off the 2024 riding season (which lasts all year in Arizona!)



Wishing a very HAPPY NEW YEAR to all of you--my forum friends. May you have a blessed 2024 that's filled with family, friends, good times--and lots of riding!