One of the really cool things about riding a motorcycle on the back roads of America is seeing the awesome landscapes of this beautiful country. Another cool thing is that the flow of my thoughts are often as much of a rush as the wind on my face! One of those thoughts today was about why I enjoy riding. Learning to ride and continuing to develop my riding skills keeps me pushing against the edges of my comfort zone.

The benefits of expanding my comfort zone related to motorcycling shows up in other areas of my life. The confidence, excitement and competencies I’ve gained spill over to my career, relationships and other activities I attempt and ultimately master. Even the set-backs are learning experiences that help me grow. I like being a little bit of a pioneer, carving out my unique personality, accomplishments and contribution to this world. My grandmother and Georgia O’Keeffe are just two of the many women who I admire for their modeling of the “can-do, even if many others wouldn’t attempt this” attitude I aspire to.

My sweetheart (SH) and I started today with a quick breakfast at the hotel in Lake Havasu City, before rolling down the highway in bright sunshine and crisp air at 59 degrees. We stopped in for coffee at the Early Bird Cafe in Parker, AZ. The landscape in this area is other-worldly, with very sharp mountains (hence the nearby city named Needles, CA) and desolate desert flat land leading right up to the peaks. The region has it’s own lonely sort of beauty, but I can’t imagine living in one of the sun-bleached trailers that are so common along the highway, with nothing but brown sand and a few cactus breaking the monotony of the geography.

We had lunch at the Gold Nugget in Wickenburg, AZ, which is a cute, busy town with lots of restaurants and shops. Couldn’t resist having a mocha for dessert at the Bedoian’s Bakery & Bistro while we checked emails and reviewed the map for the final stretch of our journey. The landscape in this area has a little more vegetation and even some farmland, including an orchard we saw along the highway.

We hit Phoenix / Tempe about 2:30, dropped off our bags at the Best Western and headed over to Public Storage where SH had arranged for storage of our bikes until Leg 2 of our winter adventure. Our route today included: 95 South to 72 East to 60 East and 74 East, which were all secondary highways before hitting freeways for the last several miles –  17 South, then East on I-10. Lots of sun and the temp broke 90 degrees again today.

Back to Minnesota tomorrow!

Love, Tomboy Tam