We're very lucky here in Arizona --- it's
always riding season! But the Spring brings events and opportunities to meet new people!
Yesterday was our Annual Coolidge Cotton Days -- and for the 4th year they sponsored a Motorcycle Ride and bike games. Now we're a small community and bikers have never gotten any attention or respect from the local merchants --- I'm proud to say that is finally changing!
According to one of the representatives I spoke to yesterday ... they estimated 141 motorcycles ... not bad for Coolidge!!
This is GeorgeAnn (our neighbor) and Brett (paramedic we met yesterday)
As part of the continuing production of the ride in --- the Bikes are the opening participant in the parade. We are escorted around the parade route and then led out of town by both County Motorcycle Cops and Reservation Motorcycle Cops. I truly believe the officers have as much fun as the participants!
This year they led us out of Coolidge and out to Cactus Forest to the old Tucson Highway. First stop was Tom Mix Monument. We rolled the dice the second time and stretched our legs.
From there they led us south to Park Link Road which heads back west across the desert to I-10. We were about mid pack --- not in the front not in the back --- well yesterday I unfortunately saw my first rider go down right ahead of me!
It was definitely a situation where he was going a little faster then he obviously could handle and appeared to get target fixation ---- the road had a small dip and then a left hand turn at the top of the dip. I knew when he hit the dip he was in trouble --- up to the top and no turn just straight off the edge into the shoulder/soft dirt. About this time I'm coming into the bottom of the dip when he starts wobbling his handle bars and the bike laid down and he went face first into the dirt!
Thank goodness he JUMPED right back up and immediately I knew his pride was hurt worse then he was! Luckily for him the gentlemen riding directly behind me (Brett) was a paramedic! Talk about being in the right place at the right time! I scooted on along to get out of the way and of course Brett stopped to render aide.
The officers pulled the group over until the downed rider could be taken care of and checked to ensure he was ok --- then we were off and rolling again.
At the end of Park Link Road we made a left hand turn to run parallel to the Freeway --- but before we could manage that the group got separated by a passing train!
Now those dynamite officers managed to stop all other traffic --- but for some reason they didn't have the ability to stop that darned train! LOL
Down the frontage road and swung around to the Ostrich Farm --- the idea was to take a break there for about 45 minutes and then head back to town (30 miles or so away).
Unfortunately for the event organizers it didn't work out that way! After everyone rolled their dice and got their numbers --- 15 minutes or so later people began to load up and head out --- not like we didn't know the way back to town --- about 1/2 the group rolled back into town unescorted. It was really nice day --- warming up to mid 70s ---- but at this point it was 1:00 p.m. we had been gone since 10 a.m. and folks obviously had the same idea as Kendall and I! Head back to the park where the vendors were organized to get something cold to drink and eat!
We had an awesome time --- rode right about 90 miles all together --- and then to top the afternoon off Kendall won the 50/50 drawing and walked away with an extra $70!! Not bad! Paid for our registration and lunch!
