Freezing Cold in the Arizona Desert??!!

On Saturday night Big D and I headed out to Morristown (out Wickenburg Way) on Grand Avenue (Hwy 60) on the new bike. We went to Western Trails Ranch with Ted & Julie. It was a beautiful day, but as we were headed out, it got noticeably cooler. By the time we got there, it was starting to get dark, and it was COLD! We forgot our jackets at home. I had on a sleeveless top and my leather vest. I thought I would be ok. We were watching 'The Wall of Death', where a guy rides an old Indian motorcycle in this cylinder-shaped space, and actually rides up on the walls. It's pretty cool if you've never seen it before. Anyway, Big D noticed goose bumps on my arms, and said he was going back home to get our jackets. I told him he didn't have to, but he insisted. While he was gone, Ted & Julie started to get cold. I told them to go get their jackets from their bike; they didn't want to get them while I still didn't have one. Finally, Ted went to get the jackets. Big D took about an hour, but let me tell you: I was so cold when he got back that it took me about 30 minutes to warm up again! You see, Western Trails Ranch is a 12-acre property with bars, BBQ, burgers, etc., and it's an outdoor venue. They cater to the biker crowd, and it was a great place. We saw Dr. Hook, and they were great. (They have two outdoor stages there, too.) So, we sat by the fire and had a few beers, some laughs and listened to some good music. Then it was time to head home. It was very late and very cold out. We had no gloves with us, but at least we had the jackets!! YAY! We took off down Grand Ave, and it was VERY cold! I put my hands in the armholes of Big D's vest to keep them out of the wind. That worked very well. Then, we cross the Loop 303, and all of a sudden, the temperature went up about 15 degrees!! It was actually almost comfortable! Apparently, it gets a lot colder out Wickenburg way then it does in town. The 'heat island' effect is in full force. All the concrete, etc. is holding the heat of the day and keeping it a lot warmer at night. I was aware of this effect, but I had never experienced anything like it before. I was very thankful for the 'heat island' on Saturday night, because riding a Harley out in the open desert at night can be extremely chilly!!