Tucson is the 33rd largest city in the US. There is some beautiful mountainous rocky country with winding roads that lure you up into the hills. Neither of us like to spend much time with in the confines of a city but I enjoyed what I saw. Being close to Mexico there is more than just browns and greys wrapping their buildings.
People who know me, know that I have always liked bars.....of the chocolate variety.
The state campground we stayed in close to Old Town Tucson was only $10 a night and the cleanest site we have been in yet. We enjoyed a long walk in the desert and from there we did some amazing rides of which I will post pictures tomorrow.
Blue sky, hot sun, desert flowers.....makes you want to lay your head on the road's shoulder.
We left Yuma loaded for a trip with no deadlines, no watch and no destination.
We had our own personal air show put on by the American Army. When it was over rode on toward Tucson.
Have you hugged a bloomin' cactus today?
I just know that at night these cacti come to life. Be careful Michel !
It was necessary to stop and check out this windmill to see which way the wind was blowing because that is the direction we will take.
OK, I admit, I was bad again. I needed my head pinched. The slow tourists were wasting an awesome winding road and I couldn't help it. When the little red crotch rocket sped past me in a blur something came over me and suddenly I found myself ahead of everyone. After my punishment I needed a good toke. Why a carrot you might ask. Well.....umm.....it's legal?
Back in Yuma I decided I couldn't live like a varment anymore so I washed my tent, sleeping bag, groundsheet and everything else that I've been using for the last two and half months. When I got to my boots and leathers I stopped. Some bikers say "Never clean your leather stuff." I guess the idea is to look like you have been riding a lot. I don't know what to do. Help me! Do you think I should clean my boots?
In the middle of the dry rocks and desert landscape you might find a small ray of grounded sunlight. It's colour and life translate into a smile on the face of passersby. Not noticing the lifeless expanse surrounding her, she shines like the sun. The desert hangs onto her for as long as she can. Sometimes I am the desert and sometimes I am the flower.
I am less and less a prickly cactus.
Nag nag nag......just shut up for once!
Actually Michel and I do not have to pinch each other's heads much. He has a lot of valuable input. We are in Tucson now, camping at a state park that is like a cactus garden. We are off to explore the winding picturesque roads around here.
Once again I was on the road alone. I needed a place of solitude to do some writing. Just north of Parker I found a beautiful campground and for the first time since I left it tried to rain on me. Fortunately there was a roof to pitch my tent beneath. YES!
I woke and and turned my head to the right. The sun was painting the rocks.....I turned to the left and there was a tough little Yamaha luring me with it's sparky winks. I breathed deep and smelled the river, a sudden churning of the water and there was a huge fish twisting in the shallows. The perfect surrounding for inspiration.
Soon I will be on the road to Tucson and Tombstone but for now.....all I need is my computer and an electrical outlet. I kind of miss the paper and pen,....but wouldn't go back.
When I arrived back in Phoenix to my gracious host's place, they invited me to watch a parade in the old town of Scottsdale.
YOu will notice that most of my photos I took at this parade ar at a bad angle. That is because there was a certain gentleman who stood out in front of everyone and was constantly in my viewfinder when I was ready to press the shutter. I wanted to say to him afterward, "Excuse me sir but I need your name because you are on every one of my photos."
I was told that this is the largest horse parade on the continent.
I met Lisa last time I was here, She is the woman holding the reins and who owns this team of Friesians. She is a horse dentist and travels to Alaska to do business there. I have never met anyone who loves their life as much as she does.
I think we should go back to the old styles of vehicles. Rust and all.
I've always loved horses and still do. Sometimes I get the urge to have one again. But that would drastically change my lifestyle now. I am so happy that the Rain Miestre needs so little care and so far has cost me very little. She costs much less to feed and carries me to distant places where I see amazing things that I have wanted to see all my life. by the way, it hasn't rained on me for so long I think I must change the name of my motorcycle. Got any ideas?
Here she sits at 6000 ft elevation on the pass to Prescott about a week ago. The sun was shining....no rain.
I hope you haven't given up on me. I have had very poor internet service again. My patience wears out when I have to wait 5 minutes or more for a photo to load. I hope it works today.
A friend once said to me, "Chris, there is no sense in you and I being friends because we have nothing in common." In the end she realized that even though, at the time, we were nothing like each other in the things we did and our life styles, we were very much alike in other ways. We are now very close friends. Shoes.....so different in styles, but all save our feet from the rough ground.
This is the walking trail on the edge of the Grande Canyon. Very accessible to all, even wheel chairs. So if you think you can't enjoy a hike to see all the splendour think again. Put your runners on and just do it.
There are even benches with a panoramic view for those who can't do the whole walk at once.
As we walked we heard this beautiful music floating on the breeze. We stopped and sat on a bench while this person played his bamboo flute. It was magical in the late afternoon with the shadows in the canyon and the fresh air in our lungs. We were both touched deeply by the beauty around us that filled all our senses.
The photographer told us to look up Rahman on utube, So when we got back we found he is a very famous musician. So our visit to the Grande Canyon was capped with a very nice cherry on top. Or rather a luscious ripe mango.
Charlene, an old friend of mine just happened to be in Arizona at the same time as I was. We connected online and she invited me to spend a couple of days with her at the Grande Canyon.
It was more than memorable, it was awesome, amazing, inspiring, relaxing, and lots of fun!
We must have taken hundreds of photos. It's hard to choose which ones to post.
I just love how in America the government lets you choose exactly how stupid you want to be. There were very few railings along the trail that stood between the hiker and the edge. So if you really wanted to, you could get a closer look at what was down there.
This can inspire some very deep thoughts.
As long as your feet are on solid ground, your peripheral surroundings should have little effect on you. To live on the edge is to experience life at it's fullest. To have no fear is to be free.
The great controversy is; how did this hole get here? Everyone knows how. Some people know that it took billions of years to develop through evolution and erosion. Others know that it formed during the Biblical flood when the great cataclysm rocked the earth and the 'waters of the deep' spewed out from the earth.
I once attended a lecture given by a group of scientists who studied Mt St Helens before, during and after the eruption. They made the incredible discovery that the result of the high pressure created by this cataclysm actually petrified trees in the space of 48 hours. Also the layers of earth that appeared there were identical to the layers in the Grande Canyon which were thought to have been made over billions of years. So now they had to rethink their opinions about how old the earth really is.
Luvum zum rocks!!
There are really no words to express the feelings I have about this road trip spanning the length of the Baja. It has been a highlight of my life. It felt like all the cobwebs in my mind were swept away by the flow of the ride. The blue of the constant sunny sky, the fresh aqua sea and the white sandy beaches poured a pond of peace into my soul. Although i am not home yet I am already planning new adventures. I am hooked on the 2 wheels rolling. Will I ever be able to lead an ordinary life again? I am not sure.
And so my Baja trip is over.....Bummer.
This is something I haven't done for awhile now. I don't miss it. I am being spoiled in a soft bed.
Putting away the mummy bag and catching up on my laundry. Meeting neighbours and making new friends. I spent almost a week at the Westwind RV and Golf Resort. Mike is away so he let me use his house.
But now I feel all rested up again and my feet got itchy so I packed up my bike and rode 5 hours to Cottonwood, north of Phoenix. I met up with an old friend who is here on holidays and we are going to tour the Grande Canyon tomorrow. Oh ya...good stuff. More photos.......
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