This ride was less than 200 miles round trip from my home in Tucson. You'll see so many different ecosystems along the way. Here we're in a warmer desert. Not much for freezing temperatures here, cactus like it here. It does freeze sometimes though, otherwise we'd see more Saguaro Cactus (young Saguaro's don't survive freezing).
Just about 15 minutes into the ride and we climb a little in elevation and see fewer cacti and more scrub brush.
One of the road-side tables on highway 83. A Harley rider having some trouble.
Another 10 minutes and we're in a mix of grassland and trees.
A bit further down the road and you're in rolling grassland.
The Steak-Out in Sonita. This is where highway 83 and 82 cross. It's a very popular place to stop and take a break for motorcyclists.
Not many people wander south on 83 from Sonoita. Most will ride east towards Sierra Vista and Kartchner Caverns or west towards Patagonia Lake and Nogales. The road south from Sonoita has a few curves but it older pavement. Shhhh.. secret here though, keep going through the rough stuff and some smooth pavement and long sweepers await you with little traffic and no law enforcement.
A good sign of things ahead. The pavement isn't all that bad, just watchout for dirt roads the merge in at the curve that deposit dirt in the road.
Ok, sorry. I got caught up in those smooth sweepers and didn't take a picture of them on the way to the end of the road. This dirt road continues on to Parker Canyon Lake.
Turn around from the end of highway 83 and here's some nice smooth pavement.
At the south end of 83, turned around and ready to go back through those wonderful curves.
The view of a huge valley off to the east of the road.
Looking north...