Today it was 79 degrees in the Valley of the Sun.  Like myself, a lot of people took to the road and headed to the higher country for a road trip.  I lost count of the number of motorcycles I saw on the mountain roads.  This is prime riding time for them.  But it was a glorious weather day for everyone who wanted to get out in the open.

The trip started out headed for Wickenburg and I didn’t really have plans to go much further, but it was still early and the weather great, so I went on through to Congress and up the mountain to Yarnell, stopping here and there along the way.

There was an M.G. Ralley of some kind going on and I saw a train old M.G.s coming down the mountain.  They were all chrome-shined and polished and they looked like they were happy to be driving their toys on a real trip.

I took a detour between Kirkland and Prescott and turned off on Contreras Road and let the dogs run through the meadows under the oaks.  There was a vineyard down the way and had I not had the dogs with me, they had a wine tasting taking place.  I might have stopped for a glass, but maybe it all worked out for the best.  

I pulled into the Prescott Pines around 3:30 p.m. and the dogs had a chance to see snow on the ground for the first time.  They were treating it rather gingerly, but eventually were running through it and licking it.  

Finally pulled into Prescott proper around 4:30 and did a slow walk down Whiskey Row and I did a huge circle around the Courthouse Center but didn’t stay because it was so congested.  In Prescott Valley, I did hit the Diary Queen for a cheesburger and a buster bar and it was goooood. I came back via Dewey & Mayer, to I-17 and home again toward Phoenix.  

I wasn’t exhausted when I got home, but I needed a good hot bath due to road grit and needed to drink lot of liquids.  The dogs are conked out. My face is a bit sunburned because the air was so cool, I just didn’t feel the sun today.

It was a lovely way to start the New Year.  :)