Sedona Ride

Not only was I really anxious to get the bike out for a nice ride, we actually had a reason and a destination. On Saturday we needed to go to Sedona to do some location recon for my Daughter's wedding. So as soon as I knew we needed to go there, I immediately said "ROAD TRIP" and the first good ride of the year was born. We left Carefree Highway and I-17 at about 10:30 am, giving ample time for things to warm up a little to the North. You would think it might have been cooler, but the coldest I saw on my digital thermometer was 59 degrees a little North of Sunset point, with most of the ride being around 65 degrees. A great riding temp with a hint of brisk along the way.

I personally enjoy the ride and scenery riding North on I-17. For an Interstate highway it is really very scenic. Now as for the crazy cage drivers that travel that road, I have a completely different opinion. There must be a stop somewhere outside of Anthem where these people stop to get their "Stupid Pills", because they have completely kicked in by the time they reach Black Canyon City. It appears that everyone is in a huge hurry to get to Flagstaff or Prescott for some reason and all want to get there the first. The way they change lanes and dart back and forth, it puts NASCAR to shame. So if you can stay out of the way of those that are high on the free SP's, you should enjoy that portion of your ride.

But the real payoff on the ride to Sedona is when you turn North on Hwy. 179, go about 4 miles and you get your first good look at the giant sculpted red rock formations that are waiting to mesmerize you for the remaining 9 miles to the heart of downtown. Now I have been to Sedona numerous times over the last 29 years, usually 3 or 4 times per year at least. But I can honestly say that I never tire of riding through this area and admiring what a beautiful part of our country this is. As you can tell from the All Ride Photos section on Cyclerides.com, we have ridden all over the Western United States including Canada, and I cannot think of one other place that compares to the unique setting, scope and raw beauty of Sedona. I'm not subscribing to the whole vortex & crystal razzmatazz that you hear about in Sedona, but I will admit to experiencing an elevated feeling of enjoyment as I view God's handiwork in this area from the seat of a motorcycle.

Sedona Golf Resort was our first stop for a wedding location. It was just after Noon so we decided to eat lunch right there. If you are heading that way, they have a patio with great views of the red rocks and good food. I could recommend it for a great lunch stop on your way into town. The new road to Sedona is really very nice, however the 6 roundabouts that they have installed will keep you busy trying to figure out if the car to your left that you are supposed to yield to is actually going to go around the circle or continue straight. Not a big fan of these on a motorcycle.

Sedona has several restaurants that offer a good lunch or beverage. Or you can just play tourist and walk the shops in downtown. After you have seen downtown head North on 89A for a fantastic twisty ride through the red rocks and pines on your way to over 7000 feet in elevation as you reach Flagstaff. You can then downtown Flagstaff or take I-17 back to Phoenix.

So if you are like me, and are ready to get that bike out of the garage and let it do what it was built for, to go more than 20 miles around town, pick a day that it is going to be sunny and 75 degrees here in Phoenix and you will have an enjoyable ride to Sedona. Just to give you an idea, it is only about 100 miles from I-17 and the Loop 101 to the heart of downtown Sedona. An easy and very enjoyable ride. Click Here for Map.
Click Here for All of the Beautiful Photos of the day. Click Link and then click "Slideshow" in upper right to view Full Screen.