THIS WIDE SPOT IN THE ROAD CALLED TORTILLA FLAT IS RATED AS ONE OF THE TOP RIDE DESTINATIONS IN ARIZONA DUE TO IT’S PROXIMITY TO THE METRO AREA OF PHOENIX AND  THE SCENERY AONG THE WAY.   LOCATED IN THE SUPERSTITION WILDERNESS AREA ALONG THE SALT RIVER.  THIS SCENIC STRETCH OF ROAD IS ABOUT 40 MILES ROUNDTRIP FROM APACHE JUNCTION.  THE ROAD IS PAVED ALL THE WAY TO TORTILLA FLAT AND FROM THERE IT IS A GRAVEL ROAD FOR PERHAPS ANOTHER 30 MILES TO THE ROOSEVELT DAM.  MOST OF US STOP IN TORTILLA FLAT, HAVE A BURGER AND BEER, LOOK AROUND, AND RIDE BACK THE WAY WE CAME.  FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO DON’T MIND RIDING YOUR SCOOTER ON GRAVEL THE ROAD CONTINUES ON TO ROOSEVELT LAKE AND SOUTH TO GLOBE, ARIZONA OR NORTH ON HWY 188 TOWARDS PAYSON, ARIZONA.  THE BEST TIME TO TAKE THIS RIDE IS IN THE SPRING OR EARLY SUMMER SO YOU CAN ENJOY THE COLOR WHILE THE PLANT LIFE ARE IN BLOOM.  TORTILLA FLAT IS PRIVATELY OWNED AND OPERATED.  THE FOOD AT THE TORTILLA FLAT RESTAURANT AND SALOON IS OUTSTANDING AS WELL AS THE SERVICE.  ALTHOUGH THIS STRETCH OF HWY 88 IS A PART OF THE EARLY APACHE OR YAVAPAI TRAIL IT BECAME A ROAD BACK THE EARLY 1900’S WHEN THE ROOSEVELT DAM WAS BEING BUILT.  TORTILLA FLAT GOT ITS NAME DUE TO EARLY TRAVELERS WHO WERE STRANDED ON THE FLAT DURING BAD WEATHER AND RAN OUT OF FOOD WITH THE EXCEPTION OF FLOUR AND ONLY HAD THE TORTILLAS THEY MADE WITH IT TO EAT.  ALTHOUGH YOU CAN’T SEE MUCH OF THE SALT RIVER ALONG THE WAY, THERE ARE THREE HYDROELECTRIC DAMS BEFORE THE RIVER REACHES MESA.  THE MORMON FLAT DAM CREATES CANYON LAKE WHICH YOU GET A GOOD VIEW OF ON YOUR RIDE.  TAKE SOME TIME TO CHECK OUT THE LINKED WEBSITES ABOVE AND THE TEXT LINKS I HAVE PROVIDED TO THE RIGHT FOR A MORE INFORMED RIDE.  BUT, MOST OF ALL, RIDE SAFE AS THIS IS A VERY TWISTY ROAD WITH LOW SPEED LIMITS.  YOU CAN’T BE IN A HURRY IF YOU ARE GOING TO TORTILLA FLAT!  CHECK OUT THE VIDEO ABOVE!  REGGAE RIDER