Talons Tips and Tales from the seat of my motorcycle

Whoa...what a day

Ever had a day when the sun goes down you can't believe where you have been and what you have seen?  Today was that kind of a day for me.  Sun up having breakfast in Nogales in a small family cafe.  As William Heat Moon would say.."a three calendar type of place".  Eggs cooked perfect with chorizro, beans melt in your mouth, rich black Mexican coffee.  Pay the bill, leave a tip, the waiter thanks me, blesses it and puts it into a coffee can.  Two other individuals in the cafe.  Both look up and wish me a good day and a safe trip.  Fire up the bike.  Ride half a mile and hit the border.  Looks like a war zone.  Makes you wonder.

Few short miles north from Nogales is Tumacacori.  In 1691 Eusebio Francisco Kino and his party approached the Pima settlement of  Tumacacori.  It was the beginning of Spain's northward expansion along the west coast corridor home of the Piman Indians.  In 1751 some Pimas attacked the Spanish settlement. The Spanish were driven out for a short time.  By 1786 only a hundred Pima Indians remained at Tumacacori.  Disease, encroaching settlers, and lack of government support changed their homeland.

The original HWY 93 is buried under Interstate I10 from Nogales to Wickenburg.  Temperatures reached upward of 106 degrees.  Ride 40 miles.  Stop drink a bottle of water.  Ride 40 miles.  Stop drink another bottle of water.  Yet, through the heat and burning sun the beauty of the desert continued to create a sense of wonder and beauty.

Checking into a motel in Wickenburg tonight I am greeted with a bag..."Thanks for braking with us...Yahoo".  A special "thank you" for bikers on HWY 93.

Wickenburg: A town that grew up as a gold mining camp in the 1860's.  Cowboys are often seen riding through town.  A few crusty prospectors still search for a strike.

Dinner at the Rancho Bar 7 in Wickenburg.  Ellsie shared local stories.  Met a retired art director from LA.  She told me how she only hired photographers who were free spirited and willing to take a risk.

Good to have the kickstand down in a biker friendly place.  Yea...it's a Mecca.  Another hidden paradise along the Blue HIghways of America.

Whoa...it was a very good day.

be strong, be safe, Carlan