$1000 Canyon

Tuesday, May 24th

The sixty miles from Williams to the Grand Canyon was a bit chilly and cloudy.  Par for the course on this trip.  But I was too excited to let it bother me. 

I made it to the South Rim entrance, parked and went to the check out the visitors center.  Knowing that the actual canyon was so close, I couldn't concetrate on anything in the visitor's center, and quickly left to see what I came to see.  As I approached to view point, wow, just wow.  Words cannot describe it, nor can pictures.  You have to see it in person.  I stood and just let it all soak in. 

I drove along the south rim and stopped at several view points absolutely amazed at what I saw every time!

In awe, I pointed south and head for Phoenix to meet up with another friend I had made in Korea!  The drive leaving the Grand Canyon was stunning, and aside from strong winds, it was a great drive.  Near Flagstaff it was a little chilly, but the chilly mountain scenery gave way to desert the further I went south.  Luckily, I-17 south is in better condition than the rest of the Arizona roads I'd traveled so far.

I arrived at Karen's house in the evening!  Great to see another friend that I'd met in a far off land!

Phoenix is hot and sunny!  Off to the pool.

On Wednesday I met two friends from high school I hadn't seen since college.  We went out to old town Scottsdale, which I really liked.  Good times with old friends!

Thursday I went to a Harley dealership to get the first oil change of the trip, and after relaxed by the pool. 

Phoenix was great and I could see myself building a life there some day.  Thanks to Karen, her brother and his family for their above and beyond hospitality!  And Lara and Kathleen for showing me Scottsdale!

This Road Leads to Your Murder

Monday, May 23rd

I left Las Vegas and made the quick jaunt to the Hoover Dam.  It's huuuuuge!  Not much more I can say about that.  I took a walk on the Memorial Bridge that gives a great view of the dam from above.  Wow.

I thought I'd make it to the Grand Canyon today as well.  But as I traveled south on I-93, I saw a sign for the Grand Canyon Skywalk.  I thought that would be the way to see the Grand Canyon, instead of what I had planned, which was driving along the south rim.  Perfect!  Cool way to see it in a lot less time. 

The exit for the Grand Canyon Skywalk said it was 43 miles to the east.  I drove 20 miles down a road that looked like it led to an old ghost town, which it did.  Scattered throughout the desert scenery were immobile trailers that people lived it.  It felt as though the Grand Canyon Skywalk sign was to lure unknowing tourists to their death in the desert by evil, old townsfolk.  There isn't much to say for the condition of the road, either.  Not good.  Another sign 20 miles down the road instructed me to take a right, and the Skywalk would be 23 miles further.  This road was beautifully paved and a pleasure to drive on!  For 7 miles.  Then it turned to rock and dirt.  Which means that it's a dirt road for the final 16 miles to the Skywalk.  I'd come this far, so why not try it.  After a bumpy half a mile, I made a turn that revealed the rest of the road would be very hilly with lots of turns.  A car was parked, and four people stood around as one other changed a flat tire.  I pulled up to them, and they said, "Don't do it!"  They explained that the terrain was awful, and like driving over a washboard, and for 16 more miles!  I was thankful for the advice and turned around to head back to the road.  I was also angry that there was not a sign explaining how diffcult of a drive to the Skywalk it was.  The sign appeared cheerful.  "Just 43 miles this way!  :)"  When it should have said, "It ain't so easy to get to". 

Angry at this delay, which all told cost me about 2 hours in time.  I headed back to 93, hungry, and in desperate need of some gas.  I headed south and came to Kingman, AZ.  According to the sign, the "Historic Heart of Route 66".  I hadn't planned on riding Route 66, so it was cool to see part of it and all the nostalgic shops in town.  Clyde and I re-fueled and I headed east on I-40 to Williams.  Williams is 60 miles south of the south rim of the Grand Canyon, and an old railroad town.  Back in the day the only way to get to the canyon was by rail, and this was where you caught that rail.  I got a room for the night and decided the Grand Canyon would wait til the morning!

Note:  Arizona highways as I've experienced them so far are awful.  They have more holes in them than a story told by Johnny the Snake.  (I don't know anyone named Johnny the Snake, but I'd imagine a story told by someone with that name would have a lot of holes in it.)

Vegas, baby, Vegas

Saturday, May 21st

It was a beautiful day and a beautiful drive!  Utah has an amazing lanscape and I recommend anyone drive through it.  I-70 west from Denver through Utah will not be a route you'll regret taking! 

Making my way to Vegas, I cut through about 30 miles of Arizona, which was specatucular.  It felt like I was on a boat riding the Colorado river through the Grand Canyon.  The highway weaves through giant rock formations, and it looks like you will drive straight into them as the road disappears around the corner. 

Nevada was pure desert.  It was hot and sunny!  The desert is so expansive, and looks very easy to bury a body out there that will never be found.  How many are out there now?  Vegas appeared in the distance!  What a site, and what contrast to the landscape around it! 

After such awful weather pretty much the entire trip, I treated my self to a room at New York, New York.  I have two friends (they are married) from Korea that live in Vegas.  They picked me up and took me to an off the strip restaurant that was fantastic!  Shrimp by the pound for each of us!  The table is covered with a plastic sheet, you wear a bib, and they bring you your pound of shrimp in a plastic bag.  It was delicious and easy to see why there was a 45 minute wait for a table! 

Like they say, what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.  It was great to see old friends, especially friends I had met in such a far off place.  Thanks Jenny and Justin!

Not Gonna Be Salty

Friday, May 20th

I checked the weather forecast for the Pacificic Northwest.  It looked like rain for the next ten days, so I decided on a major re-route.  Instead of Seattle being the first corner, I'd head for some sun and make San Diego the first corner.  Las Vegas wasn't far, 449 miles away.  The new plan would be to head for Vegas, then see the Hoover Dam and Grand Canyon on my way to Phoenix, Arizona.  Afer that, I'll head to San Deigo, reach my first corner, then LA and up to the coast. 

To get to Vegas, I'd have to head west and then south.  West would take me through some mountains in Utah, and south back to the desert.  As I headed west, it quickly got cold and windy, and once again I had to put on all my cold weather/rain gear.  Then it got dark.  Very dark afer just 70 miles of driving.  I pulled over to a rest area that luckily had a roof that provided some shelter.  As soon as I got of the bike it began to hail.  Small-sized hail, but hail nonetheless.  For two and a half hours it would hail for a few minutes, then stop, hail and stop.  I stood shivering hating this trip I am taking.  It was the lowest point mentally I had been, and thoughts of quitting entered my mind. 

There was a break in the weather, and I thought this is my chance to get to a town, the nearest to the west was Salina, 30 miles away.  I jumped on my bike and took off.  Much to my chagrin, it got dark and I rode through brief hail storms.  Slowly and steadily, and in pain as hail pricked my face, I made it to Salina, cold, wet, and angry, but 106 miles closer to Vegas.  It was as if the weather thought I had a drink that needed freshening up with some ice.  Uh, weather, I don't have a drink, so please stop providing me with little balls of ice.  While I appreciate the thought, stick it where the sun don't shine, which at this point, is anywhere I am.  I took a hot shower and dreamt of sunshine and warmth in Vegas the next day.

Hail falling on the roof of the rest area that provided much needed shelter.

Tease

Thursday May, 19th

It was drizzling when I woke up and the temperature was in the 40's.  Despite this I really wanted to get out of Moab.  Which I did.  But did not get very far.  Green River is a town 50 miles northwest of Moab.  That's where I ended up after 144 miles of driving.  I passed Green River earlier in the day and continued northwest.  It was cloudy with patches of blue sky.  As I got further north I saw what would be the end of my day.  A wall of thunderstorms.  I drove into sheets of rain and immediately turned around and headed back to Green River, the nearest town with a hotel I didn't have to drive through a thunderstorm to get to.  Damn.  Short day with little progress.

Arches Provide Good Support

Tuesday, May 17th

My plan for the day was to check out Arches National Park early, then head north to Salt Lake City on my way to my first corner, Seattle. 

Of course it was raining when I woke up.  I asked for a late check out in the hopes the rain would stop.  Which it finally did at noon.  Clyde and I took advantage of the break in the rain and went to Arches National Park.   It's hard to put into words what I saw.  Petrified sand dunes, red rock, rocks sitting on top of other rocks that look like they should fall over but don't, and naturally formed rock arches.  The park service is quick to point out that the park has been used by Hollywood for several movies.  The famous scene in Thelma and Louise when they drive up to the canyon, and most recently 127 Hours, where the actual event took place.

I spent a lot more time than I had planned there because it was such a cool place.  It was late in the afternoon, the weather was threatening rain again, so I decided to spend another night there. 

Bad decision.  The next day.  Thunderstorms.  So I stayed another day!

Snow to Desert

Monday, May 16th

I woke up Monday morning to another unseasonably cold and cloudy day.  I was off to Red Rocks, a place I'd always wanted to see a concert, and about a 30 minute drive from Ryan's house, enroute to Utah.

Red Rocks is a beautiful place on it's own, and must be an unbelievable place to see a concert.  To my surprise, there were quite a few people there working out and running the stairs of the amphitheater.  I stood on stage and imagined all the people that have stood in the same spot and played music to thousands of screaming fans that adore them, and what they must have felt like playing to thousands of screaming fans.  I'll have to come back to Red Rocks for a concert some day.

The walk into the venue

View from the stage

I had originally planned on going to Yellowstone next.  But it was snowing in Yellowstone, so I re-routed to Utah, based on the suggestion of Kate's husband, Mike.  Thanks, Mike.  So I jumped on I-70 west and head for Arches National Park, in Moab, UT.  As I got on 70, the clouds parted and I enjoyed a crisp, blue sky.  What a feeling being on a motorcycle driving past snow-capped mountain peak after peak.  70 follows the Colorado river.  I had to stop at a rest stop to surrounded by mountains, and where the CO river rushed by them.  It was a stunning setting to take a break. 

Mountain faded to rock shelves and desert.  As I crossed the border into Utah, my arch enemy slapped me hard in the face to remind me he still existed.  Wind.  I dropped down 191 south and it was another beautiful ride into Moab, which is just outside of Arches National Park.  It's a cool town with a "we love doing outdoor activities" feeling.  Lots of jacked up Jeeps with huge tires, signs for rafting trips, skydiving, and other ways of experiencing the naturally beautiful surroundings.  I like it.