I'm done with the tribute to Glenner the superstar farmer/father. I was wishing that I could hang around Paradox and help Glenn with building the overhangs on his new barn. But I had broken my own rule, and put myself on a schedule.
I promised my wife I would keep the trip as short as possible in order to get permission to go. See, it always better to just go for the forgiveness thing once you get back.
But no use kick or squaking. I had to leave the next morning. After a man hug with Glenn, I fired up the Goldy, which was itching to get back to the ride, and pulled out of the driveway. I pointed the bike toward the La Sal Canyon. La Sal Canyon is a short piece of the road toward Moab. It's pure moto heaven, even on an old Gold Wing.
Pics from Paradox to Mex Hat
MT Beale of the La Sal Mtns...better in the big size, click on Pic
I soon turn south toward Monument Valley. I had visions of spending a night camped on a big flat rock at Muley Point. Can you just imagine an air matt and a sleeping bag on that rock out there?
....but the timing just wouldn't permit wasting a half day to hit Muley in the evening. I skipped the route to Muley Point and the Mokie Dugway for a more direct route to Mexican Hat.
San Juan River near Mexican Hat...
You just can't make the ride thru southern Utah and northern AZ without seeing new things each time you go there. The sun hits the mountains and buttes at different angles than the last time, and it all new again. I saw new roads that went to the right and left. I wondered what was out each one of those. Hummmmm....next time I thought.
A tour bus spoiling the landscape.....oh well.
The weather was just right, in the high 80s. It was a little hot if you stopped for gas, but just right when underway. I gassed in Mexican Hat, and continued on. The next stop was the Indian Trading Post Cameron. I love the idea of an Indian trading post, but Cameron's is juist a Tourist trap of Indian good for sale. I'm not against a tourist trap, but, for me, there was nothing to see there.
Nice stuff though. An Indian rug in progress.....notice the high tech work stool. Some things are just to good to change.
Lots of Hand made Jewelery
I did howerever gas up as I intended to take the eastern entrance to the Grand Canyon South Rim as an alternate to the normal route thru Flagstaff. While I was at Cameron's I talked to several other bikers who were on a multi bike tour of the southwest. Seems like these guys were from all over the world. Pretty cool.
The east entrance to the GC has many scenic view points, and while on Indian land, plenty of Indian Jewelry plus Pottery, etc... The overall decission to make the jog into and out of the Grand Canyon was a bad one. I wanted to take a different route, but if you're not going to do the picture taking thing of the GC then the slow traffic at the Rim is a bit frustrating. Not to mention, if you have to pay to get into the park.....which I didn't because of my geezer pass.
I lost the better part of an hour with the GC detour, in my defence, I did take one picture... :) As an afterthough there are no bad motorides on a road with mega-multi turns. Life didn't actually suck out there.
I did see the thrill of the ride/hunt take place at a view point out there. As I walked to take my picture,
I noticed a late 30s gal stop a guy in moto gear. He and his friend were on FJR and Ducati touring bikes. The gal just asked the bike rider if her girl friend could have a ride as pillon with the guy on the FJR. While I was there the FJR guy transfered his camp gear to the gal's SUV. I over heard him say that she didn't get her girlfriend back if he didn't get his camp gear back. Colateral of sorts. Love, isn't it a beautiful thing......or how brazen can that girl be? :)
Back to my ride, I figured to make Kingman by evening, and sure enough, I pulled into my Favorite Kingman Motel at the Andy Devine exit on Route 66 near 6pm. $29.66 per night with Wifi. I completely forgot to call Frank Marbury there in Kingman, who had offered to put me up for free. Damn, I'm slipping :( Besides, I'd liked to have met Frank.
I interneted the night away. I finished the large 'Cup-O-Soup' that I'd bought in Cameron for dinner, and then went to bed in prep for the ride home tomorrow. To that end, I got up early, in the morning to beat the heat as the next 100 miles was a drop in altitude to the Co River at about 1500 ft. I crossed the river at 8am and did beat the heat. I was reunited with Ca gas prices ($3.50) in Needles.....and those damned EPA gas pump nozzles where you have to deal with their foreskins to make them work.
When I got to Needles, I considered myself to be on the last leg. I gassed for the last time in Barstow, and had a $1 burger for Brunch. The drone thru eastern LA traffic as I took 1-15 home gave me time to reflect on this ride...
I wondered if it would be the last time that I'd see many of the riders that I saw in Maine. I wonderered how many more good rides, like this, I'd make in the next 20 years.
Was there any chance I'd still be riding when I reach, if I reached, 90 yrs old like my good fiend OMB, Old Man Bud? Would my cancer return or something else get me.......at this point in my life I enjoy what fate gives me.
......but I do avoide buying green Bananas. LOL
It was good to get a hug from Dee on my return..........
When I got off the bike, I had a voice mail on my cell phone. It was a message from a friend...His wife's breast cancer that she'd fought for the past year had shown up in her lungs now. The good news was that it's treatable, but the lesson is....get out there and ride now.....there are no guarantees.
Thanks for listening.
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