Mount Lemmon Highway, Tucson photo by brian goddard

motorcycle maniacs, Tune up your bikes and hit five of the state’s most scenic trails.

Arizona’s famed highways zig and zag across a map like little blue veins waiting to carry life along for an adventure. Enter the growling rumble of bikers out for a weekend joyride, and you begin to understand what every twist and turn was meant to evoke. The wind in your face, every scent, sight and sound there for the taking – somehow you’re flying without ever leaving the ground. 
As our great state looks forward to springtime, tune up your hog, rev your engine and get ready to revel in the spectacular scenery along these great roads that are seemingly built for just you and your wheels.

Wickenburg to Havasu via Vicksburg (140 miles)
True, getting to Wickenburg from the Valley means you’ll have to endure the stop-and-go along Grand Avenue as you navigate through the Sun Cities and Surprise. But the exhaust fumes and frustration will be worth your while once you start to hear the soft flittering of the massive Cottonwood trees that line the Hassayampa riverbed at Wickenburg’s edge.
Cut through town and stick to the US 60 (Wickenburg Way) as it takes you through this Western town’s famed ranches. If you’re taking this trip with friends, kick things off with a rendezvous at the Kay El Bar Guest Ranch on Wickenburg’s outskirts. Dating back nearly 100 years, this dude ranch screams authentic with its rustic adobe houses, trail riding adventures and inspirational Sonoran sunsets just begging for a cowboy yarn.

Route 66 on the way to Oatman

Now that you’re well-rested, open up the throttle and soak in the mountainscapes along US 60. This road is free from the crowds of Interstate 10, so set your own pace as you break from mountain passes onto the miles of straightaways that lie ahead. You’ll cut through rows of crops as you pass through Wenden and Salome (look out for the occasional duster flying overhead).
Exit State Highway 72 at Vicksburg for the next 30 or so miles into Parker, where the road turns into State Highway 95. The winding climb and descent will take your breath away, like a rollercoaster as you hug along the California border chasing the Colorado River. You’ll feel the air cool from the wet winds of Lake Havasu City near Parker Dam, the deepest dam in the world (more than 70 percent of it is
hidden below ground) and a 1930s sibling to Hoover Dam upstream. As you come into town, you’ll find plenty of places to unwind for the night or a long weekend, but be sure to tack on one last mile to see the colors of dusk reflected in Lake Havasu’s waters from atop London Bridge.