Sierra Vista, Arizona was my final destination for Day 1, of the Seven State Tour. From Picacho State Park I was still about 130 miles from Sierra Vista so it was time to get on the bike and ride.
Tucson, Arizona was about 45 miles east of Picacho State Park down the I-10. The wind had been a factor all day and this leg of the ride was no different, I got bounced around like a ping pong ball. Keep in mind, my Honda Shadow only weighs about 550 pounds – wet.
Tuscon Waffle House
Tucson Waffle House
I rolled into Tucson just about an hour after leaving Picacho. I exited the 10 on Grant Ave and there I saw a famous American landmark, a Waffle House!
I pulled into the Waffle House, ordered a cup of coffee and checked my map. I saw that I was about 50 miles from Benson, AZ where I was going to hit Arizona State Route 90 South, from there it was only 35 more miles to Sierra Vista. I sucked down the coffee and headed back on the road.
Except for some moderately heavy rush hour traffic through downtown Tucson, my ride from Tucson to Benson was uneventful.
Benson, AZ
Benson, AZ
The off ramp from Interstate 10 onto AZ 90 south was a gravely and beat up exit which I took care to maneuver. There on the corner, was a Shell gas station and a McDonald’s. I needed gas and I’m always ready for another cup of coffee. So I pulled in, filled up at the Shell and grabbed some McDonald’s Premium Roast Coffee (Made with 100% pure Arabica beans, for a rich medium roast.)
I’d been riding through the desert for quite a few hours and it was here in Benson that I arrived at in interesting observation. These desert towns seemed to have an affinity for dinosaur statues. I’d seen one in Yuma, in Gila Bend and now here. In front of the McDonald’s in Benson was giant metal dinosaur. I don’t know what that’s all about but it did prompt me to snap a picture before heading into Sierra Vista.
Arizona State Route 90 South (AZ-90)
Arizona State Route 90
Obviously on a trip like the Seven State Tour, which covered almost 4000 miles through 8 states in 11 days, there’s going to be a lot of interesting roads. Arizona State Route 90 was one of them. The road itself was not all that exceptional. It was straight, flat and very well maintained. In fact it seemed to have been recently resurfaced. It was a two-lane road, not all that wide but not what I’d consider narrow. What made it interesting was how straight it was. Dare I say: It was as straight as an arrow? It was 32 miles from Benson to Sierra Vista and I could see Sierra Vista up ahead in the distance.
I cranked my bike quickly up to 5th gear; I rolled the throttle back and hit a 100 miles an hour. I sat at 100 MHP all the way into Sierra Vista, or at least till I saw the sign that said Sierra Vista 1 Mile. I can’t exactly remember how long it took to hit Sierra Vista but I think it was about 15 – 20 minutes. What I do remember is that felt like I was floating. It was amazing!
Sierra Vista At Last
So Day 1 of the Seven State Tour came to an end in Sierra Vista at the home of my cousins Mark and Tere Boyd. It had been a big day. I’d logged 592 miles.
Sierra Vista
Tere and Mark greeted me with a delicious dinner of enchiladas, beans and rice. We had some ice tea, we talked for a while then it was time to hit the sack as I had big plans for Day 2.
We were all heading into El Paso, TX for a family reunion. But before I hit El Paso, I was going to be stopping in Tombstone, Bisbee and a couple other historic cites that you’ve probably heard of in movies or at least in history class.
Day 1 was in the books and Day 2 was just hours away….
