This is our THIRD year touring south of Tucson during the winter. I've received flak, some not so friendly, about our continued return to the area. What's not to like? We are touring IN NOVEMBER! The weather is reasonably dependable, and the drive to the start is doable in one day. It hasn't yet snowed at home in Colorado, but daytime high temperatures are about 30 degrees lower than Arizona. I'm happy, and I'm the rider. So there. Well, Jacinto gets  to come along. He's happy too. He has a brand new bike to ride. More about the bicycles later.

Clarifying note - We did start a December tour in 2018, only to get snowed out in Sonoita. We decided 2017 was amazingly lucky with good December weather. For the past couple of years, we've toured over Thanksgiving. Let's call it 3.5 years of touring. Further clarification admits to base camp riding in Tucson during December and February. 

It's been a few years that we've done only motel tours. We book our rooms in advance, and do not carry a tent for contingency. Most of this route has many lodging choices.  My priorities are: clean, comfortable, close to food, and on route. I've gotten softer in my old age, and tend to pick rooms with chairs/sofas in deference to my back. Too much sitting on beds is not good for me. Larger rooms are easier to get the bikes in. I write down the person's name I spoke with. Speaking of bikes in rooms - when booking my room, I say that we will be arriving by bicycle, probably early, could we have a ground floor room, and an early check in? This is their opportunity to state their bicycle policy. Typically, bikes in the room are fine. We are respectful.  I sometimes ask for a rag to clean my bike. That request is always happily met. Some places have rags out for motorcycles and bicycles. 

LODGING - there were choices in most towns. 

Tucson - Hampton Inn/Airport - $91. non-refundable. King room/chair. Full, hot breakfast. Some reviews were questionable. We found everything very clean, and employees polite and helpful.  I was concerned about staying here, as our previous Tucson airport favorite, the Quality Inn, should be closed (my opinion). Unfortunately, I was unable to sweet talk them into free parking during the tour. They charge $5. a night. The parking lot is very clean, and looks safe. I will probably go with convenience, as opposed to moving to a parking lot for the same price (but covered parking). 

Amado - Amado Territory Inn - $149. king room. This is a B&B, the only game in town. Beautiful house. Lovely grounds.  Hot breakfast. Wine in the afternoon. It's one of my favorite stays. Another choice is to stop at Green Valley. Lodging there is expensive and not near as memorable - we did that only once. A second choice is to continue on to upscale Tubac. The daily mileage is more even when staying at Amado, plus I like the lodging. There would be more/better food choices somewhere else. 

Patagonia - Stage Stop Inn - $139. King room. Memory foam mattress. Fridge/microwave. Ice in chest in the lobby. Rooms are arranged around a central courtyard. It's the only motel in town. We did an airbnb once, but have come back to the Stage Stop. No included breakfast. Centrally located. Restaurant on site. The Gathering Grounds is a breakfast spot, 3-4 doors down. Good breakfast and coffee.

Tombstone - Larian Motel - $90. king. This is our first trip here. Gordon was extra friendly on the phone. Reviews are good. Previously we stayed at the Tombstone Miners Cabins, but they were already booked. We stayed at the Tombstone Motel our first time through - it was rundown, but clean. There are many, many choices in town. Heads on the pillow report - this is a hidden gem.  The rooms are remodeled with a new bathroom, and laminate flooring. We will stay here again. Great location, Linda even offered to wash our clothes!

Douglas - Best Western Douglas. $146. king.Comfy chair.  Extra spacious room. Fridge, microwave. Hot breakfast. Rags to clean my bike! No toilet paper AT ALL in room. Serious, temporary problem. 

Sierra Vista - Sierra Inn $89. Two Queen beds. It is a former Day’s Inn, based on the sunrise style room door numbers. Tristian is beyond nice. She made me happy to be there. Roomy room. Fridge/microwave. Two sink areas. Sufficient plug ins. Picked solely for it's proximity to food available on Thanksgiving day.  5-6 fast food places adjacent. Grocery and Chili’s is .4 miles away. Next door Comfort Inn was $125. Before tax. I’d stay here again. 

Sonoita - Sonoita Inn - $139. Vaca ranch room. Queen bed. non existent internet. I can forgive a lot if the internet works. The only time I had a good connection was at 5:30 AM. By 8 AM, I was kicked back out again. The room itself was spacious. Memory foam pillows seemed way too tall, but were actually comfortable. We had noisy drunks in the common room, and a baby that cried FOREVER. Poor continental breakfast included. Which is surprising, considering the upscale lodging. All of those things added up to me almost skipping the overnight on round two through Sonoita. Jacinto talked me into staying again. Let's see how it goes. The room itself was above average nice, but there were too many negatives to look forward to the stay again.

The other choice, way outside of town, is the Xanadu Horse Motel, where we stayed last year. It's more homey, like staying with your aunt, on a ranch with a long dirt driveway. To my memory, the internet there was good. No breakfast at all, so I didn't have expectations.