The view from CopperWynd's terrace is stunning whether by day or night. (Click image to enlarge)

Situated atop a butte with a majestic view of the valley and Fountain Hills is the destination of this ride, the Copper-Wynd Resort and Club, a boutique-style resort with large private villas as well as standard rooms. After a day on the motorcycles, the invitation to sample the spa’s varied menu of therapies, from a simple massage to an intriguing "toe reading" based on reflexology, was accepted with relief and great enthusiasm by the women of the party. The men were more tempted by CopperWynd’s other activities for the soul in need of recuperation, such as horseback riding, golfing at the nearby Troon course, tennis, hot air ballooning, and the Bob Bondurant School of High Performance Driving. With the natural and obvious comparisons of motorcycling to horseback riding and racing, the choices were easy.

	Highway 89A through Oak Creek Canyon. (Click image to enlarge)

The image of the cowboy, his spirit of independence, rugged self-reliance, and sense of self-responsibility in adventures astride his faithful steed, is a near perfect fit with that of the motorcyclist. The parallel breaks down somewhat, when you actually ride the horse. They can be independent beasts in their own right and subject you to incomprehensible performance feedback, which will leave you struggling to compensate for unexpected results from rider input. Described by some as "trouble at both ends and uncomfortable in the middle," horses are perhaps better compared with bikes of old than today’s modern engineering gems. As with almost any motorcycle, after two straight hours in the saddle, it seems time for a spa treatment.