Apache to Christmas and beyond

Be sure to leave early in the morning so you can enjoy some cool morning air as you ride the flat desert road leading to Florence Junction. As you get past Florence Junction the road will begin to have some sweeping turns and slight rolling hills as you get deeper into the desert. As you approach Superior you will see the jutting mountians rising above the town. I always thought this would make for a nice post card image. Several miles beyond Superior you will come to The Top of The World. Yes it's really called that. Be sure to stop and get a few photos if you can, the scenery is breath-taking. The next spec of population is Miami. Only thing is this Miami doesn't look a thing like the more popular Florida destination. It's actually sad to see a town that is almost completely shut down. It is amazing to see the street bridges that go over what was once a river. I've seen enough old western movies that I can picture how the town may have looked in it's heyday. The city of Globe is just beyond. It's faired a bit better in hanging onto it's population. Leaving Globe you turn down 77 headed for Winkleman. This stretch of road is very barren but incredibly beautiful. Rolling hills and mountians on either side that are covered in enough greenage to take on the appearance of grass from a distance. Unfortunately, the closer you get to Winkleman you will see the end results of mining on your left. Be sure to look for what is left of Christmas. This is a bunch of run down buildings that still house a few residents and was once populated by miners working the Christmas Mine. A few minutes later and you are in Winkleman. Winkleman is a small but nice town. The residents, like alot of small towns in Arizona, are there supporting the on-going mining operations. In Winkleman you can decide to continue South on 77 or take 177 and head back towards Phoenix. This day I decided to head back home. Up 177 I went, heading back to Superior. This road winds through the hilss and mountians and offers some of the best views I've seen. Just outside of Superior you will see a sign that marks the entry to the Apache Leap. This is a shear mountian that the Calvary had chased the Apaches to. Once there the Apache, rather than being captured, leap to their deaths. Personally I found this a very sad and disturbing place knowing what had happened. ( My brief outline of this place is not intended to be Historical Documentation but rather to intrigue other riders to search out the story and read in their interpretations. )From Superior I headed West on Rte. 60 back to Florence Junction and down 79 to Florence. Florence is basically a town that supports the Prison located there. Trust me, you can't miss the prison for all the razor wire. Out of Florence and onto 87. Be sure to stop and check out the Case Grande Ruins. You can't miss them situated on your left and cover by a large roof to help preserve them. Pretty amazing what the local Indians could make out of the sparse materials at hand. Onward on 87 through the flat desert scape until you reach Sun Lakes. This is a nice community on the edge of the desert. For the last leg, turn left onto Riggs road, which eventrually turns into Beltline Drive, and make your way through the Indian Reservation. You won't find any roadside stands or teepee's, just homes that look abit worse for the wear and lots of junk autos. Well, you are now back at I-10 and ready to seek out the next ride.

This is a motorcycle ride in the state of Arizona. This motorcycle route has 7 scenery characteristics and other road conditions to help you plan your road trip. This motorcycle map was created by BushDawg in October. Click here to see other Motorcycle Roads by BushDawg