Normally, Hwy 89A southwest of Flagstaff into Oak Creek Canyon and into Sedona would be a good bet. However, with the recent Slide Fire and local monsoons, the road could be under repair or even closed, if there is any damage to the road or danger of falling rocks/debris from the adjacent cliff faces.
I agree with kwthom, Lake Mary Road is a scenic with very broad sweepers. Go to the Mormon Lake Lodge and have one of the following tasty treats. Triple decker Fudge Chocolate Cake or Cinnamon Ice Cream. The ice cream is my personal favorite.
You could take Hwy 89 northeast out of Flagstaff towards Page, AZ. Once you get to Cameron (AZ) check out the Cameron Trading Post (
http://www.camerontradingpost.com/). Or simply turn left towards the eastern side of the Grand Canyon, the road is wide, sweeping and panoramic views.
I discovered that going to Snowbowl northwest of Flagstaff is a nice run as well, especially when the daily temps are rising.
http://www.arizonasnowbowl.com/ has a great restaurant and you can eat outside in an alpine setting on the back deck.
Head east on I-40 to Winslow (roughly 45 minutes) and eat at the La Posada (
http://www.laposada.org/) Hotel and Gardens. The bison steak is instantly addictive and well worth the RTE alone! The site is a former railway depot from days gone by, with ever present Amtrak / freight haulers lumbering by at odd times of the day and night.
Or, head southeast on the Lake Mary Road to Hwy 87 and turn right (south). Go about 45 minutes to Payson, where we recently moved from. There are many good Mexican food restaurants there, but the local favorite eatery is Macky's Grill, which is next to the Sawmill Movie theatre. Five Guys Burgers has NOTHING on Macky's!! Payson is about 90 minutes from Flagstaff on very good roads.
On a side note, will you be able to make Justa_Poser's RTE this Saturday in Harrisburg?
PM me for any other info you'd like on Arizona riding, having lived in Payson for nearly 40 years.
- David