Featured Touring Our Annual Tour Of The American Southwest: V.2022

Our annual group motorcycle tour is in the books and it was a great one! Each day presented us with adventures, camaraderie, beauty, and challenges. Some of the roads on this years route were ones we rode last year. But there were some new twists (literally and figuratively!) on this years tour. For perspective, I put the map of our overall route on a U.S. map so you can see the big picture of where we were.


Our total mileage according to Mr. Sandi's trip odometer was 1,707 miles. I accidentally zeroed out my Trip 1 odometer (which I use for total trip miles) instead of my Trip 2 odometer (which I use for miles between gas stations) on about Day #4. I'm sure I must have ridden more miles than Mr. Sandi did but we'll go with 1707.

We were on the road eight days and seven nights. On the map below you can see the places we stayed with the exception of two additional places--Aspen and Phoenix. We rode into Aspen and stopped for awhile but didn't stay overnight. We had planned to book a hotel there but when I called to reserve the place we've stayed in previously it was........$820 per night! Turns out there was some big food & wine shindig that week and the rates were increased, I guess, to "what the market could bear". Well, we couldn't bear it so instead we reserved a hotel down the valley about 15 miles and stayed in Basalt for $180.



DAY #1: Tucson, Arizona to Quemado, New Mexico
293 miles



Our trip began with an "adventure" of sorts right off the bat. Our buddy, Russell, had traveled to Tennessee the week before our trip to attend a family gathering for a memorial service for his mom who passed away a few months ago. We'd planned our groups departure date based on his return date to give him plenty of time to be ready for our bike trip in case he had flight delays, etc. But when he arrived back in Tucson he texted to let us know he'd contracted Covid (from, as he put it, "a hillbilly cousin") and was testing positive although at this point he he was feeling perfectly fine. To make a long story short, we didn't know whether he'd be part of our group until he showed up at the QT on Day #1. We were VERY glad to see him and his black Street Glide sitting at the pump when we pulled into the gas station. We all breathed a sigh of relief that the original five were intact and ready to roll.


Our first stop was for gas in Globe, Arizona, an old mining town about 100 miles north of Tucson. When we left Tucson it was already hot and we were in an "Extreme Heat Warning" according to Apple's weather app. But we eagerly anticipated that we'd be among the pines in the White Mountains in short order.

However, our early "adventures" (more like misadventures) continued. Another riding buddy, Larry, didn't feel well at the Globe gas stop. His heart rate was elevated and wouldn't come down, he was super hot, and he said he just didn't feel right. We offered to ride him back home but he said he'd go to the hotel we'd passed and see if he could cool down and get his heart rate back to normal. The agreement was that he'd keep us posted and, if he came around, he'd meet us in Pinetop at Charlie Clark's Restaurant for lunch or at our stop for the night, The Largo Motel in Quemado, New Mexico.


From Globe we rode through a gorgeous area called the Salt River Canyon on our way to the mountain town of Pinetop--Lakeside (between Showlow and Springerville on the map) for lunch. I've posted a few photos of the Salt River Canyon previously on the forum but we didn't make stop at our usual rest stop this tie around. Here's a photo from Google Images. I usually describe this place for others who've not seen it as a mini Grand Canyon.


After gassing up at a Chevron station in Pinetop-Lakeside we made our way to Charlie Clark's for lunch. On this trip I did my best to ignore gas prices, knowing I couldn't do anything about it and not wanting to get cranky. I did notice a price at some point mid-way through our trip and it was $5.29 per gallon, less than the $5.89 we were paying on our Vegas trip earlier in the month.

Here are Mr. Sandi (Steve from here on out) and Ron and the back of Russell's head as we waited for our lunch.


And my lunch! I started off with a very healthy meal of a pulled pork sandwich topped with fried pickles and a side of french fries (chips, right?).


And check out the mountain lion above the fireplace keeping watch over Russell. The Pinetop-Lakeside area and all the Arizona's White Mountains is famous for hunting and fishing.


Charlie Clark's was hopping as it always is in the summer, including this all-ages Native American family who was enjoying the pool table in the bar.


During lunch Steve received a text from Larry and we were all upset to learn that he'd gone to the emergency department in Globe and was diagnosed with heat stroke. They keep him and put him on IV fluids. He would later report that when he felt back to normal he limped on home on his bike, stopping frequently to rest and rehydrate. He was very, very disappointed to miss the trip and we were all disappointed he wouldn't be joining us this year. Mostly we were concerned about him but he checked in later and he made it home safe and sound.

After lunch we mounted up to continue on to our days destination of Quemado, New Mexico about 100 miles further. We were already enjoying the significantly cooler temperatures in the mountains and looking forward to days worth of those cooler temperatures predicted for the trip ahead of us.

Day #1 continued in my next post........

 

DAY #1 continued

Although the skies looked threatening as we rode through the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest, I had about a dozen raindrops hit my face shield and that was that. The cooler temperatures and cloud cover felt refreshing after the record heat we'd been having in Tucson.

On last years annual trip we stayed at The Largo Motel in Quemado, New Mexico and decided to repeat it again this year. Quemado is a wide spot in the road, so to speak, but it puts us at a good amount of mileage both for our first day as well as tomorrows ride to Santa Fe. And, with a population of only 250, it is quiet! This particular image was on a postcard.


My Street Glide Special parked in front of the hotel lobby with the (closed) cafe behind me


Phyllis, the same manager as last year, was on duty. Phyllis told us that she'd intended to retire at the end of 2021 but the motel owner had convinced her to stay on "for now". Phyllis is a hoot! When I asked her whether she had some old towels that we could use for our bikes, I added that I need them quickly before Steve decided to use a couple from our room for that purpose. She and I had already been joking around but I laughed my arse off when she responded, "You tell him that if he cleans his motorcycle with good towels I'll have to walk down to your room and b*tch slap him"! At 78 years of age, Phyllis said she's very ready to retire. And I do hope she is able to although it would be nice to see her again on another road trip. Here she is with her cat, Annie. Annie perhaps lays claim to being The World's Fattest Cat. If not, I've certainly never seen a cat that fat. That said, Annie is also a very sweet cat. I did politely refrain from asking Phyllis how much Annie weighs.


Because we were checking in on a Sunday, the Quemado restaurants were closed. But there are only two to begin with--The Largo Cafe and Chubasco's. So Russell, Ron, and I went off in search of sustenance (i.e., beer) and dinner (i.e. Cheetos, almonds, Wheat Thins, and dried mangos with chili powder). We found the former at the lone gas station in town and the latter at the Country Store.


The Country Store had a lot of, shall we say, "character"?! Again, around these parts, hunting is de rigeur as you can see. The couple sitting on the bench are the owners and were happy to let me take photos. That's Ron in the jaunty cap.




Antlers, antlers everywhere!


These mobile homes are behind The Largo Motel with Quemado's air strip a bit further back behind them. I'm not quite sure why the little town of Quemado would have an air strip but it's probably related to the big wind farm nearby. The farm employs a lot of people who travel to Quemado to work at things like maintaining and repairing the wind turbines. The mobile homes are inhabited by wind farm workers who live there full-time or seasonally.

I love the skies in New Mexico! They are ever-changing and seem like God's own paintings to me.


Tonight's "dinner" at the motel. It's a good thing we ate a lot at lunch at Charlie Clark's. Note our uninvited guest. Those tumbleweeds can be mean! And big...this one's just a little guy.


Days end as the sun sets and the moon rises.


TO BE CONTINUED TOMORROW WITH DAY #2
I will continue my trip report day by day for the next week, mirroring our trip days.

 

Great question, Dougie! They are all locals who for one reason or another are big fish in the small pond of that town..

 

DAY #2: Tucson, Arizona to Santa Fe, New Mexico
285 miles



We awoke in Quemado to a beautiful day with the temperature around 65ºF when we hit the road at 8:00am. The first town (and I use that term loosely) we came to was Pie Town. I've reported here before about Pie Town including my report on last years annual trip, and we LOVE Pie Town! But...because we were traveling through on a Monday, nothing was open. It was like a ghost town as we rode by our favorite pie shops. And more changes--some Covid-related--had happened in the past year. One of the places is closed, its owners making the decision to sell and retire. Another was bought by a guy from Hawaii who decided to make it a Hawaiian restaurant! I'm not sure how that will go over out in the middle of nowhere on the Continental Divide. So we roared on through the tiny hamlet waving to our beloved pie shops as we went by. Next time....

Speaking of next time, last year after our trip we decided that this year we would ride to another small town, Las Vegas, New Mexico (miles away and a far cry from THE Las Vegas in Nevada). We've always been curious about Las Vegas NM and did a bit of internet research. It's a town with many, many historic buildings (by American standards) including two hotels, the Plaza and the Casteneda Hotels. The latter is a Fred Harvey hotel like the La Posada in Winslow where we stayed on our last night of this trip and on a short getaway last October. Alas, the best laid plans and all that. The Hermit Peak Fire which merged with the Calf Canyon Fire started in early April and was still raging as of the week we departed. It was the largest fire in New Mexico history burning 342,000 acres. The roads we would have ridden on the day we departed Las Vegas were literally on fire. The area has been absolutely devastated. When we looked at the web page of the Plaza Hotel where we had reservations, there was a notice asking those planning to stay there to cancel their reservations because they were housing firefighters and other personnel and trying to feed those working the fire and being displaced by it. It is absolutely tragic. Here was our intended route for today's ride.



So shortly before our departure date we decided to instead stay in Santa Fe which is about 65 miles from Las Vegas. We were able to get a hotel room that didn't cost a zillion dollars (Santa Fe is a bit pricey, especially in the summer). And we did get to eat at one of our favorite restaurants.

We always do our best to stay off interstate highways and take interesting backroads. Today's ride is one we've done many times but it's always a treat to ride it. Beautiful New Mexico forests and grasslands and those gorgeous blue, cloud-studded New Mexico skies. We had a light breakfast in Quemado in anticipation of our lunch stop in Madrid, a little former silver and turquoise mining town on the Turquoise Trail. Madrid was where "Wild Hogs" was filmed. Madrid is home to The Holler, a restaurant fave of ours. Parking is at a premium in Madrid and mostly dirt and gravel but this spot in front of a jewelry store we've frequented was available.


We were all very hungry and pretty tired so The Holler was our first stop. The chef is a graduate of Le Cordon Bleu and how he ended up in Madrid, NM is one of God's own mysteries! This is always a must-stop place for us when we ride to Santa Fe. Steve and I rode through Madrid on our way to Santa Fe back in 2015 to get married at the Loretto Chapel there. In fact, we celebrated our anniversary on this trip--last year's, too.


Our buddy, Russell, in his mask as he continued to test positive for Covid each morning despite feeling fit as a fiddle.


Patiently waiting for our lunch to be delivered...


Dogs are welcome at The Holler and even have their own special gourmet menu.


I had the green tomato salad (local tomatoes) with goat cheese. Outstanding! The Holler sources many of their ingredients locally.


After refueling our bodies and taking a rest from the windy conditions we'd been dealing with all day, we mounted back up and rode the remaining 25 or so miles to our Santa Fe hotel, The Sage Hotel. The best thing the hotel had going for it was that it was a 3/4 mile walk to Santa Fe's Plaza, the heart of the city.

This photo is from Google Images and the sign is a bit outdated. The current population of Santa Fe as of the 2020 census is 84,000. But the elevation is the same. Thank goodness.


The weather was gorgeous and we were enjoying every minute of the much-cooler-than-Tucson temperatures. But note the wind symbol for "Today" in the 10-day forecast. Yep, we can vouch for that!


DAY #2 continued in my next post

 

DAY #2 continued

After arriving at The Sage Hotel, checking in, and unloading our bikes, we went our separate ways agreeing to meet at the lobby to take the shuttle for the short ride to the far side of the plaza for dinner at The Shed. The Shed is an iconic Santa Fe restaurant and we'd eaten there with family and friends the next evening after our wedding. The Shed has a sister restaurant called Choza. Last year when we were in Santa Fe we were going to eat at Choza but Covid-related "issues" stymied our plans. So we were eagerly anticipating a great New Mexican meal at The Shed, the older of the two restaurants and the one that's located downtown just off the plaza.


The Shed has both indoor and outdoor seating, both equally lovely. We asked to be seated on the patio so that Russell would feel more comfortable taking his mask off as he was STILL testing positive each morning. I think we all still feel more comfortable dining outdoors, though. Plus with the weather so beautiful, we all also preferred to sit outdoors!


Three of the four of us chose the Chicken Enchilada plate. We all love New Mexican Mexican food which is a delicious twist on more traditional Mexican food. New Mexican food uses a lot of green chili, red chili, blue corn, and hominy. As much as I love Mexican food (and we have a LOT of great Mexican food in Tucson), I'll opt for good New Mexican Mexican food every time. But we've not found any authentic New Mexican food anywhere else except for, well, New Mexico. That makes for a good excuse to ride there regularly.





After dinner we strolled around the plaza which is one of the oldest areas in Santa Fe. I love the architecture here.


I love northern New Mexico, in general. It just feels good to me and I can't quite explain why. But others who have spent time there understand.

There was a band playing in the square and lots of people with and without kids just enjoying the music and the evening. We wandered around the square enjoying the sights, sounds, and smells--including a little gathering of motorcycles. After striking out looking for an ice cream shop, we found a 2nd floor spot with a great view where we could get some dessert and coffee and continue to enjoy the evening.










TO BE CONTINUED TOMORROW WITH DAY #3

 

@Markus
I totally agree with you on both the dog menu and the Goldwing. That Goldwing was very visible and did draw a crowd, that's for sure. But it's definitely not my taste!

 

Thanks, @Dawsy! Yes, our friend is feeling much better but so disappointed he missed the trip. He was super excited about it--especially since he traded up to a new Harley Street Glide Special a few months back and this would have been his first big trip on it. We're scheming to do a little trip when it cools off a bit come September--probably three days and two nights. And, yes, we (well, maybe I) ate and drank his share.

 

DAY #3: Santa Fe, New Mexico to Buena Vista, Colorado
245 miles



Today's original plan would have had us departing from Las Vegas, New Mexico but for the fire I told about in a previous days post. In fact, the road we would have started the day on was right in the midst of the fires boundaries in the Santa Fe National Forest. Instead we had a nearly straight shot from Santa Fe--our "Plan B"--to Buena Vista.


Today's overall theme was WIND!! The route up through northern New Mexico and southern Colorado on U.S. 285 is beautiful. Majestic vistas, wide open spaces. But not much to slow down the wind if it's rippin' which it was for nearly the entire ride. I tried to just relax my arms, shoulders, and neck and think of it as a "challenge that was improving my skills" rather than a PITA.

Much of todays ride was either in the flatlands or, as we rode further north into Colorado, along a valley floor with mountain ranges that became higher and higher along the way. We did one pass today--Poncha Pass. This 9,010 foot pass splits the Rio Grande River and Arkansas River Watersheds.

As we neared the bottom of Poncha Pass, I observed a bicyclist starting to head up the steepening grade and fighting a vicious crosswind. Via our Sena intercoms I said to Steve, "Well, at least we're not on our bicycles!" Then we started seeing a few more bikes, and then a few packs, and then scores and scores of bicycles! We later learned that they were doing an annual ride called "Ride the Rockies". I have friends in Tucson who have done that ride but it holds no interest to me. More like aversion! At our hotel that evening, we met a cyclist who had called it a day for the tour after he was blown off the road on Independence Pass and crashed his bicycle. Below is that days bicycle ride profile. And to add to the "interest", the altitude of Aspen is 7,908 ft and Buena Vista is at 7,965 with Independence Pass between the two towns at 12,095 ft. We realized at some point that nearly all of our 8-day trip was spent at 5,000 ft or higher and much of it at 7,000 ft with at least four or five passes around 11,000 ft or more!



We arrived in Buena Vista rather weary from fighting the wind but exhilarated by seeing the many "14ers" as we neared our destination. Mountains with summits at 14,000 feet or higher are referred to as "14ers" here and many hikers and climbers in Colorado and surrounding states make it a goal to "bag" (summit) as many of these as they can. All of these big mountains were still snow-studded even though it's summertime. The mountains most visible from the town of Buena Vista are known as the Collegiate Peaks--Mt. Harvard, Yale, and Princeton among other 14ers. This concentration of 14,000+ ft peaks is the highest of anywhere in the United States. If you're a climber or hiker and interested in learning more, here's more info.

https://www.colorado.com/byways/collegiate-peaks



We pulled into our hotel for the night, a Super 8, glad to be out of the nearly 50mph wind gusts. This hotel was our 4th choice when reserving because our first three choices were completely booked--three months out before our trip! Currently even a Super 8--which is considered a budget hotel--was $200/night. It's a new world out there. We realized that part of the high(er) lodging costs we experienced this year were probably due to so many post-Covid summer events such as Ride the Rockies were allowing hotels to raise their rates and continue to get takers.


Although the winds were rugged today, the temperatures were absolutely beautiful!! Back home in Tucson today it was about 105ºF.


In addition to being right next door to the Collegiate Peaks and the San Isabel National Forest, Buena Vista is also known for being on the banks of the Arkansas River, Colorado's #1 rafted river. Kayaking and white water rafting outfitters abound here. The town is small with a population under 3,000 residents but it offers much if you love the outdoors.

the Arkansas River from Google Images


I'm not into hunting and fishing but, as you might expect, that's big in these parts, too. This bear greeted us in the hotel lobby when we walked in.


After checking in and unpacking a bit, the four of us agreed that lunch needed to be the next order of business. The hotel clerk recommended the pizza place right across the street which turned out to be an excellent choice.


My delicious pizza. And, yes, I ate the whole thing! And chased it down with an excellent local IPA. In my defense, we did decided that would be not only a late lunch but also an early dinner.


Day #3 continued in my next post

 

DAY #3 CONTINUED

The other theme of todays adventures turned out to be "You Meet the Nicest (and Most Interesting) People on Motorcycles".

Back in 2013 on my very first big motorcycle trip, Steve and I and our two riding buddies on that trip, Kelly and Dena, ran across a blacksmith shop in Buena Vista owned by a guy named Alf. We vowed to go visit Alf again if ever we should find ourselves back in Buena Vista. Our current riding buddies weren't on that 2013 ride so we thought they'd also enjoy meeting Alf and seeing his blacksmith shop. So after our pizza and (one) beer, we made the short ride from the Super 8 to Alf's. We were delighted to see him outside his shop and after reintroducing ourselves and introducing our buddies, we spent the next hour talking with Alf, seeing his shop, and hearing stories. Alf said that he actually remembered Steve and me--or at least he claimed that he did.


The website of Alpheus G. Rudd, Blacksmith

http://alfsblacksmith.com





Alf is 78 years old and says he continues to love what he does. He is a skilled artist, a great story teller, and a complete gentleman. I'm hoping we get back to Buena Vista before he decides to retire.


While we were in Alph's shop, a couple came in to get the steamer trunk they'd left with Alf to be restored. They had only requested that he repair one of the broken handles but Alf said he really wanted to completely restore it for them. The trunk was from the woman's side of the family--her Swedish great grandparents who had immigrated to the United States in the late 1800's had traveled with it. It stayed in her family and she had recently inherited it. What was even more interesting to me is that is about when my own great grandparents immigrated to the U.S. from Sweden. Small world...... Alf had restored the trunk meticulously and beautifully. Russell happened to see the bill and was stunned to see that Alf only charged the couple $100 for the whole deal.


Alf shared things about his life and his family with us including the mementos he has of his family who served our country over the generations.

One of Alf's pickup trucks. This one is from the 1930's.


After departing the blacksmith shop, we rode to the restaurant/bar we'd gone to back in 2013 which was only a block to the north of Alf's. While the building was still there, it was now a combination outdoor outfitters/clothing store and restaurant/bakery called Simple Eatery & Spoon It Up. We were still full from pizza but got drinks and a loaf of pretzel bread to share among the four of us. The place has a spacious, inviting outdoor seating area with tables with umbrellas so we made ourselves comfortable at one and chatted about our day.



As we sat there, a lovely woman in perhaps her early 30's walked past our table. Steve said, "I recognize her from someplace, from some TV show, some show about cars". I said, "Yeaaahhh, riiiight." After trying to place her for a few minutes he got up and walked over the table where she was camped out with her laptop computer and phone and other technology. When he came back, he said, "Yep, I knew it! She was on 'Garage Squad'. That's Heather Storm". It turns out she was a co-host of the MotorTrend car show, Garage Squad, from 2015 to 2018. I'd not heard of her but Steve went on to tell us a bit about their brief conversation including that Heather has a 1965 Mustang. Well, of course I then had to go ask her about her car even though my husband and friends were like, "Don't bother her!" But after introducing myself and saying I wanted to say hello to a fellow Mustang enthusiast, she and I had a wonderful conversation, especially about motorcycles. She shared that she has her motorcycle license/endorsement but doesn't really ride although she's thinking hard about starting. Long story short. She came over to our table to join us and the five of us laughed and talked for nearly an hour.

This photo is from one of her road trip blogs and was taken when she was on our stomping grounds in Tucson, Arizona.

https://www.heatherstorm.com/blog/roadtriptomustangisland

https://www.hotcars.com/heres-what-heather-storm-from-garage-squad-is-up-to-today/

You never know who you might meet on a motorcycle trip!


TO BE CONTINUED TOMORROW WITH DAY #4