Tuesday, September 30, 2014

Scottsdale, AZ: Living High on the Honda

sash and steve
Sash and I riding two up through Scottsdale, AZ
Scottsdale, AZ is a friendly-enough place to stay, shop and eat, but it'll cost you a pretty penny, or two.

Sash and I had never really visited the town before. We had stayed in Phoenix a number of times. But being a craft-beer snob, I wanted to stay where there was a lot of good microbreweries and craft beer bars. Scottsdale seemed like the place.

Moreover, since we planned on staying for a few weeks, we wanted to stay at a hotel that offered full kitchens in their rooms so that Sash could enjoy herself cooking up some favorite recipes. We found a Residence Inn with a Trader Joe's a block away and a craft beer/burger bar right across the street.

But what made our time in Scottsdale enjoyable was the company of friends, new and old. No more than an hour after checking into our room September 9, we were at the Monkey Butt Radio studio with the three hosts, Grumpy, Biggus, and Big Mike. We found stacks of pizza there, but very little beer. I had to change that with a beer run.

We would end up joining Monkey Butt Radio for two more tapings in the coming weeks, and Grumpy and Biggus each invited us to their homes for dinner.

Sash spent a couple of visits with an old high school friend, Kelly. Kelly met us with her daughter in Scottsdale, the first time at a Yard House, and the second at Taphouse Kitchen across the street.

I also got to meet a fellow motorcycle rider, Wallace Roberts. He messaged me on Google Plus about getting together.  So, he rode up from Casa Grande to meet me at a BJ's Restaurant in Chandler. We threw down some brews and talked bikes.

We also got to meet our old friend Paul Malone, the blogger of AZ Harley Dude. We first hooked up with him at Swizzle Stick, a dive bar in Glendale, for a taping of Monkey Butt Radio. The next time, we met over breakfast at "The Place", a very popular family restaurant, also in Glendale.

The three weeks here, we managed to win a new business contract doing social media work for ProGuards, a motorcycle parts manufacturer.

I also got myself back into the gym. I'm working out about 5 days a week the past three weeks. It's mostly cardio work on the treadmill. I like to do a lot of power walking between 8 to 12.5% incline, at 3.0 to 3.4 MPH, and usually end up burning 700-800 calories in an hour.

While we were in Scottsdale, Sash's laptop died.  We went to a Best Buy and bought her a Microsoft Surface Pro 3.  I thought they were cool, so I bought one too, and got rid of my laptop.  They're small, thin, and light, and makes our computer bag a lot lighter.

Scottsdale, AZ reminds me a lot of Palm Springs, CA.  It's a place where wealthy snow birds like to come to.  We're told that when it's cold in the rest of the United States, they come to Scottsdale.  I guess we left just as they were starting to land their private jets up the road.

So now we're on our way to Las Vegas for a week, or possibly more.  As I write this, we're spending the night in Kingman, AZ.

Some photos from our three weeks in Scottsdale...

Our first day in Scottsdale, we
were on Monkey Butt Radio
We bought a pair of Surface
Pro 3's to replace our laptops
Sash made this shrimp pasta
salad and cucumber soup
Sash and I ate out at Yard
House in Scottsdale
We met Brian Jenkins from
Hatred Customs
Me wearing my motorcycle
blogger's t-shirt
Sash taught Rhiannon how to
make a Sashtastic
Grumpy Mike explains how
oil leaks from a Harley
Grumpy Mike and I hanging
out in the garage.
My beer and potato chips at
Taphouse Kitchen, Scottsdale
I got bit by chiggers one night
out wearing shorts.
Sash at Paul & Jerry's Saloon,
Jerome, AZ
Sash and I posing for a photo
in Jerome, AZ
Sash riding back to Scottsdale
from Jerome.
Me with Wallace Roberts, a
fellow rider and Google +er
Biggus made this dominatrix
paddle for Sash.
Biggus and Kim invited us to
their house for dinner
Biggus and Kim grilled mean
steaks and asparagus
Grumpy Mike and Biggus
of Monkey Butt Radio
Sash and I were featured on
Monkey Butt Radio
Having a light breakfast at our
hotel in Scottsdale
Total Wine in Scottsdale has
the best beer selection around
Got some routine service at
Western Honda in Scottsdale
El Super Burrito in Scottsdale
makes a killer carnitas burrito
Chicken fried steak and eggs
at The Place in Glendale, AZ
Met Paul Malone, the blogger
of AZ Harley Dude.
Stopped at Cycle Gear in
Phoenix to find a new visor
We had drinks at Hopdoddy
in Scottsdale
Sash was a frequent visitor at
Kalologie Spa for massages
Sash met with her high school
friend Kelly (and her daughter)

4 comments:

  1. Sounds like you two really managed to stay busy in Scottsdale. Did it seem odd to stay in one spot for a few weeks?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. No, not odd. Being able to see people made it fun. We had a lot of work to catch up on and needed to stay put.

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  2. OMG! What the heck are chiggers? I have been there a few times for AZ bike week, glad I didn't get bit! Glad you two are enjoying life. Its good to read about adventures everyone has on the road. You two are making it happen :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Katy Did, those chiggers are like fleas, and they are awful! I couldn't believe how bit up he was. :(

      Delete

About Steve

A vagabond who hauls a motorcycle around the country in a toy hauler, earning a living as a website developer. Can often be found where there's free Wi-Fi, craft beer, and/or public nudity. (Read more...)