Great Trip Planned for June

[jredman]

We are going on a nice 3000 mile trip this year. 4 Corners, to Monument Valley, Zion National Park, North Rim of the Grand Canyon, South Rim of the Grand Canyon, to Sedona and on to 89A through Jerome. Then Mountain roads through AZ back to mountain roads through NM. Then back home. I'll have lots of photos and videos. Getting excited...

[knob]

Sounds like a good trip. We visited several of the same destinations last year ourselves. We only spent one night in Sedona but wished that we had more time there for sure. Zion was great, make sure and see the "narrows".

[Trail Blazer]

We are going on a nice 3000 mile trip this year. 4 Corners, to Monument Valley, Zion National Park, North Rim of the Grand Canyon, South Rim of the Grand Canyon, to Sedona and on to 89A through Jerome. Then Mountain roads through AZ back to mountain roads through NM. Then back home. I'll have lots of photos and videos. Getting excited...

if you have time try hwy 550 north of Drango co. I have never road it but have been told it was worth the trip. ( may be some one on here that has done the hwy 550 will chime in )

[Gold Rush]

Yes, the Million Dollar Highway (550) is a GREAT Ride. But, it is a destination for another time. By the time you get up to Montrose you may as well ride around northern Colorado a while also then on into Utah.. See what I mean about another trip. A few years ago five of us from San Angelo did just over 4000 miles on that trip. Spent two weeks enjoying the riding and scenery!! One of my fondest riding memories.

[FuzzyWuzHe]

Yes, the Million Dollar Highway (550) is a GREAT Ride. But, it is a destination for another time. By the time you get up to Montrose you may as well ride around northern Colorado a while also then on into Utah.. See what I mean about another trip. A few years ago five of us from San Angelo did just over 4000 miles on that trip. Spent two weeks enjoying the riding and scenery!! One of my fondest riding memories.

+1 ... and if you have time swing north on 141 to Grand Junction. Do the Colorado National Monument and The Grand Mesa.

[jredman]

if you have time try hwy 550 north of Drango co. I have never road it but have been told it was worth the trip. ( may be some one on here that has done the hwy 550 will chime in )

Yes we did that last year, 550 to Ouray. Then on to the Rock Mountain National Park, that was my favorite. Riding in the clouds.

[Ed Hobgood]

Looks like you have a great trip planned. We hit some of the western points last year during our trip out west. Ride safe and have fun.

[desertclassic]

We are in Las Cruces. Give a shout when you are near and if we are not on a trip, we will get together for a meal. Jim

[Woolie]

Looks like you have a great trip planned, lots of beautiful country. It looks like you are going from Alpine AZ to Reserve NM on your way home, I am curious about what roads you are going to take from Reserve to I-25 north of Las Cruces NM. Have you been through that area before?

[Phill Griggs]

Your going to have some fun!

[jredman]

Looks like you have a great trip planned, lots of beautiful country. It looks like you are going from Alpine AZ to Reserve NM on your way home, I am curious about what roads you are going to take from Reserve to I-25 north of Las Cruces NM. Have you been through that area before?

Thanks, that is actually on the return trip. I have never been on that road before. I have been through NM before but all desert. I was hoping this would take me through more forest and maybe some mountains in NM.

[55il]

jredman; We are going on a nice 3000 mile trip this year. 4 Corners, to Monument Valley, Zion National Park, North Rim of the Grand Canyon, South Rim of the Grand Canyon, to Sedona and on to 89A through Jerome. Then Mountain roads through AZ back to mountain roads through NM. Then back home. I'll have lots of photos and videos. Getting excited...

You have a excellent trip planed. if you get hungry or thirsty there is a place called Old Town Café in Cotton Wood, AZ. on your way between Sedona and Jerome they have good food and it's also a nice place to cool off. Have a safe trip and looking forward to your photos. DJ

[desertclassic]

Looks like you have a great trip planned, lots of beautiful country. It looks like you are going from Alpine AZ to Reserve NM on your way home, I am curious about what roads you are going to take from Reserve to I-25 north of Las Cruces NM. Have you been through that area before?

Some ideas for the area from Reserve to Las Cruces.
Reserve to Silver City, to Mimbres (Cliff Dwellings), across the Emory Pass thru Hillsboro (mining area, now artists) good place for a snack is the General Store, to Hatch (green chile cheeseburger at Sparkey's, #1 in the state), down to Cruces by the old highway, to Mesilla (Andele's best Mexican food, Billy the Kidd area, and the spot where the Gadsen Purchase was signed) down hwy NM28 toward El Paso, you will travel thru the largest pecan orchard in the world, Stalmann's. You will be traveling the Mesilla Valley, serious irrigation type farming, Chope's Bar in La Mesa, lots of history and just a hole in the wall kind of place. Some thoughts, since I live in the area. There is a lot of riding in the area. You could home base in Cruces and spend a week, travel a different direction each day and still not see everything.

Enjoy the trip. Jim

[jredman]

jredman; We are going on a nice 3000 mile trip this year. 4 Corners, to Monument Valley, Zion National Park, North Rim of the Grand Canyon, South Rim of the Grand Canyon, to Sedona and on to 89A through Jerome. Then Mountain roads through AZ back to mountain roads through NM. Then back home. I'll have lots of photos and videos. Getting excited...

You have a excellent trip planed. if you get hungry or thirsty there is a place called Old Town Café in Cotton Wood, AZ. on your way between Sedona and Jerome they have good food and it's also a nice place to cool off. Have a safe trip and looking forward to your photos. DJ

Awesome, thanks for the info.

- - - Updated - - -

Some ideas for the area from Reserve to Las Cruces.
Reserve to Silver City, to Mimbres (Cliff Dwellings), across the Emory Pass thru Hillsboro (mining area, now artists) good place for a snack is the General Store, to Hatch (green chile cheeseburger at Sparkey's, #1 in the state), down to Cruces by the old highway, to Mesilla (Andele's best Mexican food, Billy the Kidd area, and the spot where the Gadsen Purchase was signed) down hwy NM28 toward El Paso, you will travel thru the largest pecan orchard in the world, Stalmann's. You will be traveling the Mesilla Valley, serious irrigation type farming, Chope's Bar in La Mesa, lots of history and just a hole in the wall kind of place. Some thoughts, since I live in the area. There is a lot of riding in the area. You could home base in Cruces and spend a week, travel a different direction each day and still not see everything.

Enjoy the trip. Jim

Very cool, thanks so much. Cliff Dwellings sound incredible.

[Woolie]

There aren't many ways across the mountains from Reserve to I-25. You can go North out of Reserve on 12 to Datil then to Magdalena and Socorro, or South on 180 from Reserve to Silver City then Hillsboro and on to I-25. You should be able to get gas in Reserve and there is a small Motel, and it is a decent place to stay, but don't expect to find a good place to eat. IMO 180 is the best route of the two. If you want to see a mountain ghost town check out Mogollon. The road to Mogollon, 159, is paved to Mogollon, about 8 miles, however there may be a couple places where the pavement has deteriorated, but they should be less than 1/4 miles long. In Mogollon there may be a bread and breakfast and a place to get a burger but don't expect to find a place to gas up. There is a not so well known place at Glenwood called WhiteWater Canyon. It's nothing special but is a nice place to visit. but, if the weather is wet don't attempt to go there on a trike. There are a couple water crossings that may get a little deep. According to these links it may be closed because of flooding anyway but it is not too far off the main road and the road is paved.

The road to the Gila Cliff Dwellings, Hwy 15, is a great ride and not too far, only 43 miles, but it will take at least 2 hours to get there. I don't think you will find a place to gas up after you get a ways out of Silver City but you should be able to get there and back. The road from Silver City to Hillsboro, 152, is very scenic. Once you leave San Lorenzo area there probably wont be any gas until you get to I-25. Desert Classic can probably tell you more about availability of gas in the area. There is a building in Hillsboro with a gas pump in front of it but I haven't ever seen anybody there.

Another alternative is take 191 from Alpine Az to Morenci and Clifton. Just south of Clifton a few miles turn east on 78 and that will take you to 180 just east of Glenwood NM. Hwy 191 is probably the best motorcycle road in Arizona. Several years ago it was Hwy 666, Devils Highway. It is about 90 miles from Alpine to Clifton and lots of curves. The locals usually don't use that road because it takes so long, they use 180 and 78.
There have been a couple big fires in there in the last 5 years or so and it's not be quite as pretty as it was but it's still worth the trip. Like Gold Rush said, you can't see it all in one trip, but it's a long way from home so I know you want to see all you can.