Tag: arizona

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20th Anniversary Tour Recap

GO AZ Motorcycles Scottsdale

A great group of people came together to celebrate the RATPack 20th Anniversary Tour.  El Presidente assembled a route that took us to places we had enjoyed in the past. The tour ended up covering a significant number of miles visiting the states of New Mexico, Colorado, Utah and Nevada. The planned trip was 5 days in length covering 2000+ miles for most (look for more comments later) by the time you returned home. A number of people came from Southern California from the Southern Calif. Motorcycle Association (SCMA).  The Chairman of the SCMA (an AZRATPACK member) rode in from Houston, TX to participate..

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May Club Dinner & Meeting Recap

Joe’s Farm Grill, Gilbert, AZ

It was a bit on the warm side when I left for the 60 mile ride to Eastern Gilbert at one of my favorites, Joe’s Farm Grill! It was an investment because I kew later braving a little bit of heat would pay off in a really nice ride home! It was kissing 100 degrees in Buckeye by the time I fired up the Harley but was about 75 for the ride home at about 9:00 PM!

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May Club Breakfast Recap

Little Mesa Café – Mesa, AZ

A nice morning to get out on the bike. Temps are nice at 7am and the traffic is light as the snowbirds have finally left the valley. Little Mesa Cafe is a quaint local cafe with its regular crowd of customers. A nice morning to get out on the bike. Temps are nice at 7am and the traffic is light as the snowbirds have finally left the valley. Little Mesa Cafe is a quaint local cafe with its regular crowd of customers.

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April Club Dinner & Meeting Recap

Cuban Foods Bakery & Restaurant, Phoenix, AZ

I probably ate more pork last night than most people eat in a month! Over the years, I’ve picked Cuban Foods Bakery & Restaurant for our April dinner because of the close proximity to my birthday and I choose to quietly celebrate by gorging myself with delicious food from my family’s home country. This is the most authentic tasting Cuban restaurant that I’ve found in the Phoenix area that is still open. Havana Café in Scottsdale was a favorite until they shut down.

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Joshua Tree Tour Recap

GO AZ Motorcycles Peoria

We are rolling west from our sponsor Goaz Motorcycles of Peoria. It’s a nice morning , warming up nicely from a cold start. El Presidente has just given our ride meeting for the 2023 Joshua Tree Tour Ride. Our trip will take us West to the Joshua Tree National park in the Yucca Valley/Twenty Nine Palms area of California. Day one is to get to Yucca Valley, have lunch, look around and have dinner.  Rolling west felt good, temperatures were rising and the pace was good. El President was out front keeping up a steady pace. Riding thru Wickenburg our first stop was gas in Parker, a favorite stop at Terrible Herbst Chevron provided a nice break for all. Next will be Yucca Valley but probably not in time to make the lunch stop, but we will stop there anyway and check it.  Arriving in Twenty Nine Palms there was lotta activity, looked like a flea market with street vendors. El Presidente, Victor Castaneda had to try the restaurant on the main street called Castanenda’s ( a local chain in the area), Others went on their hotels to check in and other activities..

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The State of the Union, Jack (Part Deux)

In last month’s column, I went through the club’s history as best I remember it but this month, I’d like to review who we are today and the concept.

I personally am not a fan of very organized clubs. When asked why we ride a motorcycle, about 99% of us will mention the word freedom in our explanation somewhere. This is why there is no formal decorum in our breakfast or dinner meetings. If there’s something you’d like to bring up to one of the board members in attendance, just ask away and we’ll do our best to address it. Out on the road, as groups get bigger, for safety’s sake, there has to be a bit more decorum and following etiquette.

The club was founded as a Triumph Owner’s Club (Riders Association of Triumph) but over the years as Triumph owner participation dwindled, the concept had to change in order for the club to continue to exist. The club’s focus has changed over the years from what you ride to the ride itself. I personally love motorcycles of all brands and types and enjoy the variety that we have that participate in our events.

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