Admiral, There Be Burros Here - Ride for Fun - Laughlin 2017

There were bikers and pirates, babes and hedgehogs,
and then there were visions in the clouds

Jed planned a fun-ride for our Saturday of the Laughlin 2017 weekend over roads that could be ridden for the sheer joy of riding and included interesting stops for sights and sounds and experiences that, in and of themselves, were worth the stop. We twisted and turned, glided up and down, and all the while passed through scenery that was stunning. Oh, and the bouncing - we can’t forget the bouncing; it was rumored at the time that someone left a spleen on relatively short section of old Highway 40. Or was that Route 66? ...my brain got scrambled.

KSU was 8:30 in the morning with a planned late breakfast at Topock 66 on the banks of a quiet estuary of the Colorado River, just off Historic Highway 66. Another group of Victory riders were scheduled for a later KSU and joined us in time for some give and take, adding and switching of groups and post-meal rides. Topock 66 seems to have an affinity for butts; even their bar stools for butts are… well butts. Photos of patrons adorn the walls. No, you won’t find me there; they’ll only stoop so far.

Regarding the meal at Topock 66, I had a great omelet. The waitress heard that it was Shawn’s birthday and presented him with an excellent desert that triggered a rousing rendition of Happy Birthday. There were some rumors that Shawn may have milked the birthday thing but I believe it was a spontaneous outpouring of love for the man and, even if it was true that he worked it bit, it was well deserved. Again, happy birthday friend. Back to the food and service, both were great. I didn’t hear any complaints on either but I may have had my crap-filter turned up high.

Parking at Topock 66

Dockside at Topock 66

We continued on Route 66 until we came to Oatman, Arizona. To get there we traveled through desert-scapes that held a patina of greens covering the color pallet. The rains have inspired a rush of growth in the mesquite, Joshua Trees, shrubs, and grasses. The red and yellow cliffs jutting up along our canyon runs are spectacular. The roads and riding were awesome, definitely on my list of favorite rides.

Admiral, there be burros here! Almost as soon as we had our bikes parked we saw the town burros making their way along the main street looking for likely softhearted souls to feed them. Warning, take caution if you are carrying a brown paper bag, with or without burro treats in it, they are a magnet for the burros and some are more aggressive than others. The tale is that it was a miner’s burro that discovered gold which gave rise to the town, listed as a “Census-designated place” in Mohave County, Arizona. The actors who performed the mock gun fight referred to the town as a mining camp. Now the street is lined with curio and gift shops, make-shift museums, and such. Worth the visit in any case and the burros are generally kind and docile. Several of our Victory friends were already there having come in from other directions and destinations. Off highway vehicles of various shapes and sizes rolled into town and the mix of burros, dirt bikes, highway bikes, and family vehicles made for a busy street.

Donna Doval and friends
in Oatman

Donna and Sue and the Oatman Mutual Admiration
Society

We left Oatman and continued along a winding Route 66 to make a stop at Cool Springs for some history and a panoramic view of the desert. Cool Springs was the inspiration for Radiator Springs in the Disney Cars movies. Additionally, the older structure was used in an explosive scene in Universal Soldier and later restored. The docent at the museum housed there gave us a great reading and viewing of the history of the place and then took the photo of our group that is as of this writing, my Facebook cover photo and shown below.

While at Cool Springs we heard burros calling out to each other but were unable to spot them they are so camouflaged to their desert surroundings. We saw plenty of evidence along the road but only laid eyes on them in Oatman.

Outback at Cool Springs

Cool Springs and the Gang

We rolled back into Laughlin having put in around 130 miles of good tight riding through red-rock canyons and dazzling high-desert scenery that gives one an understanding of why folks choose to live in deserts though I confess I’m more of a beach and/or mountain person.

We arrived early enough to freshen up before gathering here or there. I ended up in the Jed and Sue Suite on the ninth floor overlooking the river walk. (more on this as a postscript) After a wine tasting experience about thirty or so ended up at the Colorado Belle Loading Dock for dinner. Offhand I’d say those who partook of the buffet came out ahead with the exception of the rib rack Jeb worked on. It was, as most rider’s gatherings are, a time for catching up, reliving the ride, talking out news of the day, and looking out to the future.

Keep it real and keep the iron side up.

Peace

jerry

Postscript – regarding the suite, I dare say someone would be unhappy if I didn’t cover a significant event that normally I’d let slide into the fog of myth and memory. We were instructed to pay no attention to the women behind the curtain. If Toto were in the room there would have been a startling reveal to rival that which occurred at Oz. It was over in a flash, shrieks filled the room, glasses continued to clink. They pointed down at the river walk where a Peeping Tom was seen, camera in hand though a professional camera w/ sporting lens would have been more up to the task of capturing the sight and the only evidence that anything occurred at all were four telling smudges on the window.