Manfred von Blitz and Princess Therese on Mt. Graham, Arizona, March 2018, en route to Bisbee with Larry & Jana.
San Juan Capistrano is famously the place to which the swallows are known to return.
Bisbee, somewhat less famously, awaits the annual migration of turkey vultures.
To help ensure these hideous creatures don't just fly on by, I've been told that the locals suspend raw meat from the branches of a tree somewhere near this historic Arizona town, which in the early 1900s claimed to be the largest city between St. Louis and San Francisco.
The meat tree is just a juicy rumor, as far as I'm concerned; I haven't actually seen it even though I've attended the buzzard fest for the past two years.
I've barely even seen the birds themselves. Last year I attempted to take a picture of a couple wheeling in the thermals a thousand feet over the center of town. My iPhone's camera was entirely incapable of capturing anything but a featureless expanse of sky.
Regardless of whether the birds ever do actually land in Bisbee, Larry and Jana and I and an expanding circle of friends certainly do.
Bisbee, somewhat less famously, awaits the annual migration of turkey vultures.
To help ensure these hideous creatures don't just fly on by, I've been told that the locals suspend raw meat from the branches of a tree somewhere near this historic Arizona town, which in the early 1900s claimed to be the largest city between St. Louis and San Francisco.
The meat tree is just a juicy rumor, as far as I'm concerned; I haven't actually seen it even though I've attended the buzzard fest for the past two years.
I've barely even seen the birds themselves. Last year I attempted to take a picture of a couple wheeling in the thermals a thousand feet over the center of town. My iPhone's camera was entirely incapable of capturing anything but a featureless expanse of sky.
Regardless of whether the birds ever do actually land in Bisbee, Larry and Jana and I and an expanding circle of friends certainly do.
The turkey vultures return to the El Dorado. Photo courtesy Larry Haruska's self-timer. In March of 2018 I'd done my first fly-and-ride since parking Therese in Mom's garage the previous fall. I flew out to visit Mom and sister Sue for a few days, and then rode down to Bisbee with Larry & Jana for the Return of the Turkey Vultures festival -- which is basically just a way to raise money for the local swimming pool, and an excuse to have a very silly parade through the historic downtown and then party all night in Brewery Gulch.
Photo courtesy Larry Haruska.
Located in extreme southern Arizona, a dozen miles north of the Mexican border, for riders in the Phoenix sprawl Bisbee is an excellent motorcycle touring destination during the winter months. At that time of year it's generally too cold and potentially icy to go up north on the Colorado Plateau, which is the first stage in escaping the city's infernal summers.
Googlemaps will tell you Bisbee is about two hundred miles from Phoenix. When I rode there in late December of 2018 my route was nearly three hundred miles getting there, and closer to four hundred getting back. That return trip is a ride that earned the title The Road to Why.
Why is not part of any question, nor is it any part of an answer.
Why is an insignificant habitation in the middle of nowhere, and certainly not related to any logical path between my journey's endpoints. It was on my itinerary for no other reason than it was a place to which I could ride in the dead of winter, before returning to the Great White North.
Bisbee is at 5500 feet elevation, so despite its Sonoran desert locale it is not immune to occasional snow. I was thus not entirely surprised to find that overnight a couple inches had fallen at the home of our friends Gary and Gretchen, who Laurel (travelling via four-wheeled conveyance) was getting to see for the first time since they'd moved from Michigan. I enjoyed a leisurely breakfast to give time for the sun to melt at least some of what had settled on the gravel driveway, and once I got out to the pavement everything was dry.
It took several hours for the temperature to rise above the mid 30s, but I was well-dressed and Therese's heated handgrips work quite well. My attitude buoyed by the cloudless sky, the ride back to Mom's house was as enjoyable as it was indirect.
Googlemaps will tell you Bisbee is about two hundred miles from Phoenix. When I rode there in late December of 2018 my route was nearly three hundred miles getting there, and closer to four hundred getting back. That return trip is a ride that earned the title The Road to Why.
Why is not part of any question, nor is it any part of an answer.
Why is an insignificant habitation in the middle of nowhere, and certainly not related to any logical path between my journey's endpoints. It was on my itinerary for no other reason than it was a place to which I could ride in the dead of winter, before returning to the Great White North.
Bisbee is at 5500 feet elevation, so despite its Sonoran desert locale it is not immune to occasional snow. I was thus not entirely surprised to find that overnight a couple inches had fallen at the home of our friends Gary and Gretchen, who Laurel (travelling via four-wheeled conveyance) was getting to see for the first time since they'd moved from Michigan. I enjoyed a leisurely breakfast to give time for the sun to melt at least some of what had settled on the gravel driveway, and once I got out to the pavement everything was dry.
It took several hours for the temperature to rise above the mid 30s, but I was well-dressed and Therese's heated handgrips work quite well. My attitude buoyed by the cloudless sky, the ride back to Mom's house was as enjoyable as it was indirect.
Today in Michigan there were flurries of not only snow but activities related to the buzzard fest. Larry called to find out if Mom and Sue plan to join us (they don't), in which case reservations would be made at the El Dorado. Laurel started looking at her calendar to figure out what days she'll be taking off work, as she'll actually be able to join us this year. Dad and Cathy expect to drive down from Colorado with their trailer.
I also finally posted the Bisbee Ride - March 2019 CineMusicalMotoEpic on YouTube, and needing a place to announce it drove me to write this blog.
Manfred von Blitz
Lake Orion, Michigan
January 18, 2020
I also finally posted the Bisbee Ride - March 2019 CineMusicalMotoEpic on YouTube, and needing a place to announce it drove me to write this blog.
Manfred von Blitz
Lake Orion, Michigan
January 18, 2020
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