We headed off a bit later today and had a lot of looking around so didn't get in until after 6pm but we had a great day. We loved the High Desert Museum and enjoyed the Volcanic experience but the highlight was without doubt the ride from Sisters Via McKenzie Pass and Hwy 126 where we climbed from sandy pine forest a lot like around the Narribri area up into and through mountains and  initially alongside a massive lava flow then through and over it and down again through incredibly cool, moist and luxuriant forest. Magnificent ride and awe inspiring scenery. WOW! An excellent road surface and lots of twists and turns and ups and downs. Not fast but a lot of fun. We are in Eugene tonight, a University town. Pictures tell the story:

Indian Chief head dresses at the High Desert Museum where the history archeologically and anthapologically were covered well.

An otter who posed beautifully before diving in for a swim.

And one of many beautiful sculptures throughout the museum.

Heading for the butte on the shuttle at the Newberry National Volcanic Monument.

A shot of Mt Batchelor from the summit of the Butte.

And a view from the Pilot Butte of Bend and the Sisters mountains in the distance.

And a slingshot parked beside our bikes when we emerged from lunch.

Sisters, a cute and quirky little town. A sign unfamiliar at home.

And this tree has literally been built around in the ground and first floor verandas. Told you it was quirky.

Lava flow on the way to Eugene.

And ultimately it goes from beside us to the road going straight through.

The Dee Wright Observatory in the Willamette Natioal Forest. Quite bizarre, literally construted by lava rocks on the top of the summit of the McKenzie Pass.

A shot of the Three Sisters from the Observatory.

And a  shot of the Three Sisters as we descend.

And we descend into the forest. Didn't get a shot where the forest was the most dense. So should have had a GoPro on.

A Covered bridge across the Blue River as it galloped alongside the road.

And a shot of some buildings in the University of Oregon, Eugene being a University city.

Bits and Bobs:

Breakfast room wisdom from this morning.

Last Night's Accommodation:

Hampton Inn and Suites Bend, 730 SW Columbia Street, Bend, OR 97702

Lovely room and building. Parked our bikes under the portico at the front. Included WiFi, hot breakfast and parking. Staff very friendly and comfortable bed with short walking distance to many restaurant options for dinner. Comfortable spot to drop.

Well yesterday was all about exploring one lake and surrounds, and today was about exploring many lakes and surrounds so the same only different. We yet again enjoyed the solitude of country roads with many twists and turns so a yummy ride. We also needed to source a new front tyre for Norm's bike, not available in Chemult or La Pine but thankfully was in Bend at Pro Caliber Motor Sports of Oregon, 3500 North Highway 97, Bend OR 97701 where we walked in and the boys had it fitted for us half an hour later with much good humour and banter. Thanks Guys, really appreciate it. You can find them at

http://www.procaliberbend.com/

Again the pictures tell the story of our day:

Crescent Lake resort where we had a coffee, a fishermans paradise, as were most of the lakes.

Odell Lake Resort.

Odell Creek.

Davis Lake, we were going to call it Disappointment lake becasue we couldn't get to the water and if it hadn't been for some fire damage wouldn't have got this shot.

A massive lava flow which followed alongside us on our journey, not surprising since Davis lake was formed by a lava flow blocking the Oddell Creek. It was over 100 foot high in places.　

Twin Lakes.

Deschutes River.

Lunch at La Pine at a truck stop and Norm checked out what was parked up and had a chat with the owner of this rig (Peterbilt) with a 10 foot sleeper and a 53 foot trailer!

Lava Lake.

Elk Lake Resort, all happening here.

Devils Lake. This one was a real contrast, only 9 foot at it's depest and only 30acres.

And heading for Bend this was the view in our rear vision mirrors.

An impressive building in Bend where we are staying tonight.

And the Old Mill area where we had dinner tonight.

Bits and Bobs:

Words of wisdom from a shop window in Bend.

And a hitch hiker who attached itself to my arm at the bike shop.

Last two Night's Accommodation:

Eagle Crater Lake Inn, Chemult, OR 97731

Scary from the outside but has been nicely refurbished inside. Definately looks the pick of the ones here in town .... town is very challenged. Complimentary sodas in fridge and available in office. Complimentary basic continental breakfast parking and wifi so doing their best to be customer focused. Bed comfortable but highway literally at our front door and railway line at the rear so not entirely peaceful albeit that the trucks were greatly diminished through the night. No lock on the window ... in fact no catch at all so Norm retrieved a stick from outside to fit the channel at the base of the window. A can do man my Norm.

June 23rd is the 21st Anniversary of our son Danny's death so the day has felt a little surreal and I have appreciated being surrounded by incredible beauty today as we circumnavigated the Crater Lake, somehow felt a little soothing to the emotions. We also doubled up on a bit of the trip to get to where we needed to go and discovered it's possible to cover the distance in a surprisingly short amount of time if you don't stop every few hundred metres for a photo, hardly surprising that and tonight we are officially in the sticks and I'm typing this in the bar beside the restaurant where we will have dinner and am apparently a bit of a curiosity to the locals. I think Danny would have been pretty stoked about exploring the country as we have done so I will continue to assume he is doing so with us. It's been a huge job to decide what photos to include and what to leave out. Enjoy!:

A very cute Art Deco building in Klamath Falls on our way out this morning.

And a barn near Fort Klamath I spotted yesterday.

Heading from the entrance to Crater Lake, and interesting Canyon as we head for the lake.　

Fossilised Steam Vents - these vents vented steam along a fault line as the volcano erupted. They are in fact hollow and lined this canyon / fault line.

Into the snow and if you look closely you will see a round snowball aloft which was aimed at Norm but the oomph was lacking and instead it landed on my bike. Ah well you apparently get that.

 The rocky outcrop is called the Phantom ship.

The pinnacles, more fossilised steam vents but some huge ones, sorry it doesn't look like it in 2D.

Heading out of the Lake park.

The Vide Waterfall. Impressive.

And a shot in the Rim Village.

Bits and Bobs:

Hire car wisdom found in a car park today.

Last two Night's Accommodation:

Olympic Inn, 2627 South Sixth Street, Klamath Falls, OR 97603

Comfortable room, lovely bed, free parking and Wi-Fi, included hot breakfast and soup and light soup and sandwiches in the evening as well as a cookie later in the night. Staff helpful and handy to major roads and shops as well as walking distance to a few dinner options. Good value.

Sorry, forgot to take a photo, doh!

Have had a quieter paced today which was welcome and have found it hard to take in the abundance of water and luxuriant growth after spending so much time over recent days in very dry and arid conditions where anything struggles to grow. I'll let the pictures tell the story:

A view of Mt Shasta across Upper Klamath Lake. Mt Shasta was out to our left as we approached Klamath Falls yesterday. Sorry about the power lines, couldn't avoid them without sliding on my butt down to the rail line and no way back after that.

The Logging Museum in the Collier Memorial State Park was a treat and apparently a lot of the machines were operating yesterday for Fathers Day, shame we didn't find that out earlier. We did a lot of daydreaming at the museum and felt very old. By the way family, Dad says you can put the chocolate in the pantry for his USA fathers Day so it's there when he gets home....Good luck with that I'd say.

This monster did a mammoth job before the days of hydraulics.

And an interesting shoe Sharen and Ken .. shoe? I thought it would be classed as a boot.

And a cute little bridge at the museum over a crystal clear fast flowing stream. Beautiful.

We visited the Fort Klamath Museum which was a bit of a disappointment really. This was a fort charged with keeping the peace between the new western settlers who came out on the Oregon Trail (which we followed on last years trip) with the resident Indians so a big job. It was once a fort of 2,000 men complete with a 100 acre vegetable garden and 50 buildings. It is now a large grassy paddock with a gaurd house (interesting but small museum) a jail (which isnt listed on the building list) and the little red post office (from Klamath Agency a settlment down the road a bit). Oh and a steep entry with a deep layer of large stones designed to tip people off their bikes which thankfully didn't happen. The poor little village of Fort Klamath was in a very poorly state also. Very sad. This is a view over the fence of the Fort Museum to Mt Shasta at which point Norm was ready to go.

Norm just out of jail. Ha ha,

We came back a different way in fact on the 'Volcanic Legacy Scenic Byway' and this is a view from Norm's bike of the lush growth on the way to the Wildlife Refuge.

And through some of the National Forest which was beautiful.

A view back to Upper Lake Klamath as we headed back to the hotel.

And then on the shore as we continued.

Then we headed out the same way we had in the morning to gain a bit of height to take a shot of the lake and this is a contrast of some of the intensive farming with irrigation and the lake looking back towards Klamath Falls.

And a lava flow, one of many, on the hillside we had ridden up.

And a look out to Klamath Lake.

One of many eagles circling around the hillside.

Coming down from the eagles lair.

Another one bites the dust, literally and no Norm didn't drop it when he was taking a shot. My camera holder broke a strap on the bottom and it tipped upside down. I felt something brush my foot (my notepad) and looked down to see the holder upside down so pulled over and did a U turn and rode back until I saw the notepad on the edge of the road, the torquoise aluminium cover was a help so picked that up and walked back further and found the poor old camera right in the wheel rut. By that time Norm was back and we checked for the camera card and needless to say it was gone so walked back further again and found that in the middle of the road. Phew. Thankfully we had turned off the main road looking for a windy ride back to the town so we were literally the only traffic on the road. The joke is that when we replaced Norm's broken camera in Moab it only cost $130.00 and we joked later that we should have bought 2. Today we did buy 2, for $53.00 each! Probably helped that the shop was closing down. Exactly the same model as Norm's so no bragging about who has the better camera now.

Bits and Bobs:

Two signs I missed getting a shot of today which appealed to me were both in Klamath Falls, and then another quote from the shop in Truckee.

The first:

A credit Union called 'Rogue Credit'. Really? Wouldn't want my money in there!

The second:

On the city limits on the highway 'Unmuffled engine brakes not to be used within town limits'. Yes, finally a differentiation so responsible operators still have access to engine brakes.

Truckee Quote from one of the shops:

Every parent should have this tattooed on their forehead! Love it.

We headed off before breakfast because we had decided to return to the coffee spot in Carson City but you guessed it, they are closed on Sunday.  Not to worry, we had a delicious breakfast at Mom & Pops Cafe just up the street then headed for Virginia City and what a treat that was. Of all the old gold mining towns we have visited it was the most complete even though only a shadow of it's former glory and all kinds of quirky, we could easily have spent all day there, if not longer. From there we continued on the old 395 Highwy to Reno and and it turned out to be an awesome winding climb up and down ride as it had been into and out from the lake. Having decided yesterday that Reno was easily missable we took the freeway straight through and proceeded to have a beautiful ride through vast open plains, pine dense hills and sandy rocky outcrops along with many dry lakes and and then ultimately productive farming and agricultural pursuits amongst volcanic remains. We are going to find increased traffic and people numbers hard to cope with when we get to the coast after all the peace we have enjoyed in the interior and the mountains. Ah well.

Breakfast in Carson City in Mama & Pappa Cafe opposite the State Capitol Buildings and memorial Park we checked out yesterday.

A shot of the State Capitol Building which sat in a lush garden of trees and lawn. It felt moist and cool under the leaf canopy and the birds sounded wonderful so they obviously appreciated it as well.

And a shot through the door into the building. Yummy.

And then there was Virginia City. Wow. This is on the approach.

And I just kept snapping.

Gold was the first draw and the miners were aggravated by the grey mud they had to deal with so discarded it into the main street ... until they realised it contained silver so then they dug up the main street. Gotta love it. Check out the timber veranda walkway, it literally followed the contour of the land... up and down. Bizarre.

And another. Could have spent a long time in here!

And the last one.

Cold Springs Valley, think it should be Dry Springs Valley at the moment.

Heading to Reno and I just love the big infrastructure of America and this was the highway we headed into Reno on yesterday. Loved these bridges. There was another one to the right of this shot but couldn't get it from this vantage point.

Heading north.

and still heading north.

Lunch at Kopper Kettle Cafe in Susanville which was delicious. This is what we found when we retuurned to the bikes.

As we were leaving an elderly gent saw Norm's Folsom Prison Blues singlet top under his jacket and the conversation went as below:

EG: Folsom Prison!

N: Yep.

EG: I was a warder there.

N: Don't remember seeing you.

Me: He wasn't in there, just a Johnny Cash Fan.

EG: I was there when he performed, I didn't see him but I was there then.

N: Awesome.

EG: It was a terrible place to be, I didn't like it, it was all the worst of the worst ....

N: Maximum security?

EG: Yeah. We had to carry rifles all the time. I had to pull a gun on a guy once, and if I'd shot it would have been a terrible mistake. I didn't like it and I left soon after that.

Mmm, been humming or singing the song all day since Norm said  ... shot a man in Reno, just to watch him die ....

Nap time after fueling up at Adin.

The scariest toilet key we have ever seen at Juniper Junction (Adin) thankfully only needed it to unlock the restroom.

19 miles to the National Heritge sight for the lava flow but evident even here and the plateau (crater) here is incredibly fertile with irrigated crops everywhere.

And a last fuel stop at Merrill. Nearly into Klamath Falls now and I asked if there are 'Falls' at Klamath Falls only to be told not since the dam went in. Very familiar story. Probably just as well, too pooped to check them out tonight anyway.

Bits and Bobs:

Truckee Quote from one of the shops (sorry it was too blurry to post the photo): 'Opportunity is missed by many people because it is often dressed up in overalls and looks like work'.

Last two  Night's Accommodation:

Marriott Vacation Club Timber Lodge, 4100 Lake Tahoe Boulevard, South Lake Tahoe, CA 96150

Huge complex but comfortable room and good personalised service. Parking not on site for bikes so don't like that but knew before booking in, mind you it took Sharen and Ken longer than the 10 minutes they were told to retrieve their car yesterday and 45 minutes today. All sorts of choices re activities and ideally suited to the many families here. Awesomely comfortable temperatures so not surprising it is so busy. Have their own chair lift to the ski slopes / high country. Bed beautifully comfortable and good eating choices. A great resort to relax in.

We headed off on a round trip through Carson City, Reno and Truckee then back to Lake Tahoe and saw a variety of sights. Carson City was named after the Carson River which was named after Kit Carson who was a revered explorer and western identity who we have even heard of. Reno was a city full of casinos and also some sort of parade today so after a frustrating time trying to get into the main street for a look we abandoned that and headed for Truckee which was a treat. A former mining town (not sure about today) but was chock full of tourists enjoying all the quirkiness of the place then we headed back to the lake and glimpsing so many beautiful sights of people having fun in the lake and just the beauty of it on our way. The lake is 1,670feet deep so must be awfully cold.

A very quirky hotel in Carson City, Firkin & Fox.

Supreme Court of Nevada in Carson City

A Law Enforcement Officer Memorial in the park in front of the court and state buildings. Liked it.

Silhouettes of deer on the entry back to the highway from Carson City. Looked good.

Stopped trying to figure out where to go in Reno and some of the parade revellers pass by. Check it out.

The Reno Bus Centre, quirky sign.

The Truckee Diner. Cute.

Truckee Hotel.

Ken and Norm in our lunch spot in Truckee The Wagon Train Cafe. All kinds of quirky and delicious lunch.

And Nola and Sharen.

Lake Tahoe Brewery in an old servo in Truckee.

Heading back to Lake Tahoe and this is a beach spot along the edge of the lake.

People enjoying the water anywhere they can get down to it which made for some interesting parking on the road above. Apparently 'No Parking' and  'Tow Away' must mean something different here!

And into the distance across the lake and yes snow covered peaks.

Love the beautiful tall straight pines all around here. These are right beside where our bikes are parked. Covered tonight to keep the pollen off them.

A tribute to the Pony Express in front of the Harrahs Casino.

The Chair Lift beside our Hotel. $40.00 per adult and up to the top of the sand line you see behind the building. We didn't take a ride.

And a shot of part of the resort. There is an array of incredible real estate in the area right around the lake, all year round spot for holidaying so a great run away for the rich and famous. Along the perimeter of the lake the buildings are incredible and some of the entries alone would cost as much as a really good sized house at home.

And a final farewell shot at our last dinner together for this trip. Tomorrow Norm and I head for Klamath Falls, Oregon and Sharen and Ken head for Sonoma, California. We've had a great time since we caught up in Nashville and have made lots of great memories on our magnificent adventure together. We will have to start planning the next one!

Left Death Valley at 7.30am to beat the heat but it was still close to 100F and the day just continued to be spectacular from start to finish. We started in God's abandoned quarry with what looked like heaps of different piles of stone, earth and sand product sorted in their colours and some a bit mixed with a bit of a jumble in between but by Lone Pine there was more vegetation albeit desert type but then by Bishop it changed and reminded me of around Cooma (NSW) with yellow hills coming down to lush green flats except the yellow hills were predominantly sand not dry grass and the green was promoted by irrigation as we found in a number of places. The ride to Bishop was getting uncomfortably hot but from there the altitude averaged between 4,000 feet to 7,750 feet and was more comfortable and the vegetation changed to ponderosa pines and even snow draped peaks in the distance, couldn't believe the contrast. Then into Lake Tahoe tonight and we climbed forever then dropped down onto the lake and the sights were incredible. Would have loved some shots on the way up but the day was already long so if I get a chance tomorrow I'll get some, if not, I missed them.

The sign at the front of the ranch as we left this morning showing the highest recorded temperature. Apparently swallows were falling out of the sky, not surprised at that.

The Devils Cornfield.

Mesquite Sand Dunes.

More dipping roads, fun on the bikes.

Crossing Panamint Ranges moving out of Death Valley.

Climbing up over the range and looking back to where we had come from.

The County Court House in Lone Pine.

Here come the troops over Norm's shoulder, Me then Sharen and Ken bringing up the rear.

And we climb up into the pines and cooler air,  very welcome.

We had lunch in Mammoth Lakes and discovered there is not 'A' Mammoth Lake, rather a collection of lakes and hence the title Mammoth Lakes, this is Mary Meade Lake complete with a waterfall at the end. We are standing on a very substantial bridge about a third of the way up the lake. Very impressive.

The Mono Basin not far from when we headed for Lake Tahoe.

Last Night's Accommodation:

Furnace Creek Resort, Highway 190, Death Valley, California 02328

Check in wasn't until 4pm and we arrived early at 11.30am but were booked straight in so were very grateful. Room comfortable with another comfortable bed, air conditioning effective, lots of eating options, pool, golf course and a whole lot of other stuff if you want to poke your nose outside the door into the blast furnace. Staff managed things well and were friendly and helpful.

We had left our bikes at Yamaha Las Vegas to be serviced on the way into town (on the west side for a trouble free get away) and once we heard the severe heat warning on the news last night for today regretted it a bit. In any case we were on their doorstep before they officially opened and we pulled away from there right on opening so really grateful both for them fitting our bikes in but also for helping us get away in good time this morning.  Impressive service and helpful staff

www.yamahaoflasvegas.com

Our ride to Death Valley was only a couple of hours to get here so we were glad we got here before the real heat of the day. Definitely not as hot at the time of riding as it was to go to Hoover Dam. We had made the decision that any exploring we did we would do with Sharen and Ken in the car and we did. The Park Ranger told us the temperature today would reach 51c by 4pm and stay there until around midnight before it slowly dropped and tomorrow will be 54c. We will be leaving at 7.30 in the morning so we can be out of the park heat within a couple of hours.

The mountains surrounding us here and the desert landscape is both severe and beautiful but I wouldn't want to be stuck in it. The hotel here is 191 feet below sea level so quite a contrast to a lot of the National Parks we have been in. Again, the pictures tell the story.

It's official, we are heading for Death Valley.

The road stretches out in front of us.

And heat shimmers combined with spectacular moonscape views.

Heading to Furnace Creek.

Almost there.

A look out over the Badwater area and I resorted to Chris Ikin's T shirt as it was roomy and light coloured so a hit in the heat and amused many, especially a German tourist. Happy to help.

Thought we would go see natural Bridge but there was a 1.5mile road, then a 1 mile walk and a crappy road as well. Gave it a miss.

A one way drive along the Artists Drive,

A second shot on the drive.

Furnace Inn where we first wanted to register but at this time of year it is closed. looked good.

View at Zabriskie Point.

And another.

A view from Dante View to the Amarosa River not that we could see any water, more a salt pan. The smoke which has been increasing all day is from a grass fire in San Bernadino on the other side of the mountains.

And coming down from the Dante View. The temperature up there was 13c lower there than in the valley and as you can see the area also supports more vegetation.

Last two Night's Accommodation:

Vdara Hotel Las Vegas, 2600 W Harmon Avenue, Las Vegas, NV 89158

What a treat from start to finish. We had booked a nice suite in this new hotel what we ordered wasn't available when we got here and we must have looked on the point of collapse because they put us in an upgrade complete with full kitchen washing machine and dryer on the 32nd floor so got all the washing done and had a great view as well. The bed, oh my God the bed. I stripped it down to get the name of the  (Sealy Posturepedic with Vdara Plush Pillowtop made expressly for Vdara Condo Hotel). Have to remember that, it was deliciously comfortable on all my sore achy bits which was quite something as I was so asleep when I went to bed the first night I got my tablets out and forgot to have them and still slept in until 10am! Hotel in a great position, great amenities and all staff terrifically helpful and friendly. Great experience.

We melted into the mattress last night after dinner and a short stroll on the strip and finally convinced ourselves to get out of bed around 10am. Got all our washing sorted, had brunch then headed off for a look along the strip and I have to tell you I felt better about how difficult I found the heat yesterday because we could retreat into air conditioned buildings for a bit of relief. In theory the heat won't be quite as high as we ride to death Valley ... hope that's right ... damn! The weather channel just said it's going to be 121F in Death Valley tomorrow. Just as well we are planning to head off early and only a couple of hundred kms before we get there. But, to Las Vegas, a collection of shots below.

The view from our window.

And with the Bellagio Fountain at work in the day ..

.. and at night.

The Harley Davidson Cafe today...

...and last night

A chocolate shop with no shortage of customers in the Bellagio building.

Last night, a bit of Paris ...

..and today.

More of Las Vegas.

A sign which may appeal to some / many.

And for Forest Gump fans, here is a branch of the Bubba Gump Shrimp Company.

Yet another awesome day from start to finish!

Superlatives are meaningless and the brief  dipping in and out of National Parks we have done doesn't do any of them justice but we are gob smacked at how different they all are. ALL of them realistically should take days to explore, some more than others but that sort of time we don't have. The photos below tell the story.

Our neighbours last night, a group of German Harley riders with back up support.

And on a fruitless search this morning for an espresso coffee.

Approaching Zion National Park.

And just into the park, this is the Chequerboard Mesa, the rest I didn't take names for as we were riding through. We had hoped to take a side road to waterfalls and such but this required a shuttle ride and extra time we didn't have. I'll add a number below. Don't know the names as we were riding.

The start of a very long windy tunnel, quite narrow but adequate for cars to pass each other but we were being stopped and sent through one lane at a time today, we assume to cater for Recreational Vehicles. Glad we were waiting in the shade as the heat was starting to get up there even though it was early in the day.

And a final one in the park.

A shot not long after leaving the park. The sights kept unfolding in front of us.

And on to Las Vegas and we marvelled at the massive engineering feat to construct roads to get in and out. Above and below.

Ken and Sharen headed to Las Vegas after lunch and we went on to the Hoover Dam since we didn't get to see it in 1998 when we visited Las Vegas. It was awesome but oh my God it was at least 40c and we struggled to keep up the water and the will to continue for that matter. it was like riding in a blast furnace coupled with incredibly strong gusty wind so a trial all round really. Definitely hotter than anything we have ever ridden in for such extended periods since the heat had been rising rapidly since early morning. This is a shot of one of the many freeway bridges on our way into the wall since the wall is no longer the main highway.

And some of the dam wall.

And the spillway, as you can see it's a long time since any water ran over this.

Last Night's Accommodation:

Sorry I haven't located the photo so will add it at a later stage.　

Best Western Plus Ruby's Inn, 26 South Main Street, Bryce Canyon, UT 84764

Comfortable though a bit dated. Hot water in the shower and a brief walk to the main building for substantial dinner and breakfast and a huge store of souvenirs and practical stuff. Quite incredible. Been trading since 1916 and in the same family.

Well yet another great day of spectacular sights from start to finish. Since we couldn't access the Vermillion Cliffs other than looking at them which was awesome (Google Vermillion Cliffs Arizona for awesome photos) we decided to double back and head for Page so we could see the Horseshoe Corner and what a treat. The ascent up to the plateau was incredible in terms of engineering of the road and rock face views as well as towards the plains and the Vermillion Cliffs as well and then all sorts of changing views and treats as we travelled through the edge of the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument and back onto 89A at Kanab and we just kept seeing terrific sights from there up to the park and they continued. Can't believe there can be so many changes!

The Vermillion Cliffs in the morning light.

And an awesome cutting as we climbed to the plateau from the plains.

Glen Canyon Dam Wall on Lake Powell.

Horseshoe Bend. What I would give for a camera with a larger viewfinder.

North of Kanab.

Dixie National Forest - Red Canyon. Gob smacking.

The second of two short cute little tunnels.

And to Bryce Canyon. Wow. We could have a handful of photos for each point but will spare you that. This is the Natural Bridge.

And Fairview Point, 8,819foot elevation.

Bryce Point.

Inspiration Point, 8,100foot elevation.

Sunset Point, 8,000foot elevation.

Bits and Bobs:

It has certainly been underlined for us here at the National Parks that Australia is somewhat a nanny state given all the things we have been able to see and explore here in the USA. perhaps it has something to do with their right of self determination and a quote we hear recently that 'All Americans have the right to die in their National Parks'. In any case people are expected to be responsible for themselves rather than being protected from their own stupidity. A couple of signs as an example today from the Glen Canyon Dam Wall overlook above and at all the Bryce Canyon Overlooks this afternoon below.

Last Night's Accommodation:

Marble Canyon Lodge, Highway 89A, Marble Canyon, AZ 86036

Adequate spot to drop for the night. Basic but clean and restaurant available with air conditioning which was appreciated after the hottest day so far of 101F. After dodgy Wi-Fi the last two nights we had none at all here. Ah well.

Sorry, forgot to take a photo.

We had an awesome day's riding with ever changing geography from red rocks then winding along a cool leafy valley from Sedona up to the rim of the canyon and then through a lot of ponderosa pine grassland and onto the Sunset Crater Volcano complete with lava flows and then Indian Pueblos and great open plains around the rim of the Grand Canyon and ever changing colours of the cliff faces and mountains around us. All sorts of wow!

Bridge north of Sedona.

Sunset Crater Volcano believed to have erupted in 1100.

And in the opposite direction where we came from.

And a look at a small part of the lava flow which remains and nature is slowly reclaiming the space.

Wukahi Pueblo

Citadel Pueblo looking towards the surrounding grassland.

Cameron Trading Post a surprising oasis just past the turn off to the south rim of the Grand Canyon.

And the bridge which was on the old highway at the Trading Post.

Some tough clay wearing away over centuries making a great show of colour in contrast to the red cliffs in the distance.

The view stretching into the distance.

Changing again as we head for Marble Canyon.

And more changes.

And we descend towards the Navajo Bridge over the Colorado River.

And the Navajo Bridge old (left) and new (right)

Last Night's Accommodation:

Best Western Plus Arroyo Roble, 400 N State Route 89A, Sedona, AZ 86336

A lovely comfortable spot to drop and explore. Large comfortable room and bathroom. Included parking breakfast and Wi-Fi. Just a short work to countless dining and shopping options. Very nice.

Slept in, had a leisurely breakfast then headed off on a Pink Jeep tour of Sedona and surrounds. Really enjoyed the birdseye view before it got too hot and Mike Lamb our guide was knowledgeable and fun.  Sedona he started off as an agricutural area and is like an island in the middle of National forest, the area being about 75% developed at this point. After the tour we had lunch and I've been fighting most of the afternoon with tech bloody nology. Think the laptop has had an upgrade which inteferes with internet connection and the notebook has real potential to become a frisbee at this point.

Chapel on the mountainside.

Clouds building.

Pillars.

The troops over Sedona, all squinting in the sun you will note.

One of many galleries.

Lizard head.

Spectacular nature.

Great view.

Awesome sculpture of an indian mother and babe above and below. Need three shots to take it all in. My favourite of all we have seen and there have been many. Damn shame we haven't had a tattslotto win I could have happily bought some.

And late in the day the storm gathers behind the valley.

A reasonably kick back day but we managed to stretch it out and loved the whole day, even the solid rain and hail where there wasn't supposed to be any. Gotta love being on the road.

A taste of the neon signs in Holbrook after dinner last night. This was part of Route 66 and there are lots of examples of 'Main Street America' to be seen.

The Historic train Station on Bucket of Blood Street ... I kid you not!

Standing on a corner in Winslow Arizona and such a lovely sight to see ...

Dan's diner Winslow for a chocolate milkshake. Beautiful old building and great ambience. Place was full of tourists, most of them on motorbikes.

A windmill in a memorial park which caught my eye.

We visited the meteor crater west of Winslow. 1 mile long and 3/4 mile wide and was 750m deep but gradually silting up over time with wind erosion. We saw this from the air in 1998 when we flew from LA to New Orleans and never dreamt we would see it first hand.

Looking west from the Meteor Crater to the thunderstorm we were about to ride through which wasn't supposed to be happening. ha ha.

Welcome to Red Rock Country as we approached Oak Valley.

And we headed into Sedona.

Wow, where to look, the views keep jumping into our view and is it any wonder heaps of movies have been made in this environment.

The view from our hotel room. Glad we will have time to explore tomorrow.

And a bit of fun with a sculpture in the garden.

Bits and Bobs:

The opening hours 'ish at the Petrified Wood Company in Holbrook, way too much stuff for me to even tolerate there.

Last Night's Accommodation:

Lexington Inn Holbrook, 1308 Navajo Boulevard, Holbrook, AZ 86025

We rocked up and there was literally no other vehicles in the car park so we were wondering if this was the Holbrook version of Hotel California where you can check out anytime you like  but you can never leave. Imagine our relief to get back from dinner to find the car park full. Phew. Anyway, large comfortable rooms and not a bad included breakfast.  The hotel also wins the award for the best located toilet roll holder being in the most obvious / practical / reachable spot in the bathroom so you can reach it without dislocating any joints, go figure .... given all the other places we have stayed.

My favourite shot at Monument Valley late yesterday afternoon.



And the sights continue heading out of Monument Valley as we head for the rain.



Coming out of one of many thunderstorms today complete with pouring rain and hail and a night dark sky as well as some awesome / scary lightening. Seems we dipped in and out of these and were either approaching or leaving or riding alongside. We got very very wet.

A shot of the Painted Desert. A shame it was so overcast, doesn't do the clays and stones justice.



And another with petrified logs at the base.



Painted Desert Inn.



And a shot in the quirky little bar. A stretch of the old Route 66 was within the park.



More Painted Desert known as the Teepees.




Petrified tree. These trees were blown to bits by treasure seekers after amethest and crystals many years ago. Really!



And the cross section of the grain of one log. Beautiful colours and patterns.

And here is a happy camper we found in the car park.

At the end of the day in spite of waterproofs we were very wet and uncomfortable and my bike served as a handy clothes line in the Arizona sun, is nothing sacred?!?!

And since Holbrook is on the old Route 66 we had a look at what we could find reminiscent of the period and here is the Wigwam Hotel which is still in use ... including the wigwams as well as other rooms.. We enjoyed the drive on our way home from dinner tonight looking at some of the old neon signs.

Last Night's Accommodation:

The View Hotel, Indian Route 42E Oljato, Monument Valley, Utah 84536
The only hotel inside Navajo Tribal Park and is attached to a huge Visitors Centre and Restaurant. The room was comfortable and artworks throughout the hotel were superb and varied. The whole complex showcased both the valley and the Navajo people. Worked well. The hotel sits nestled into the side of the valley and doesn't seem obtrusive. Staff friendly and helpful .

Left early this morning to get to our booked tour of the monument valley at 1pm only to find when we got here all tours had been cancelled because of flooding which wasn't much of a surprise given all the rain we had on the way.



We had breakfast looking out over the canyons of Mesa Verde and decided the hotel was aptly named 'Far View Lodge' this is the view from the dining room.



We got to drive down the mountain in the dry but this was the weather rolling in from below as we descended. We got our waterproofs on at the bottom and before we were finished the mountain was covered in cloud and we were only a couple of kilometers before the sky opened up.



A quirky stop, 4 Corners where we stood in 4 states at the same time Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona and Utah. Between the access road and the corners was a 20m stretch of mud, oh dear. Apparently the current monsoonal rain is the first in 6 years so no locals are complaining so we sucked it up as well.



Finally a shot of something magnificent out of the clouds. The sights had been incredible and somewhat to this point and pointless to photograh as great huge irregular shapes were wreathed in clouds and difficult to distinguish. Even so, they were magnificent.



The Mexican Hat for obvious reasons.



Monument Valley on our arrival.



Finally clearing a bit an hour later.



And a shot further around up to the hotel.



This was John Waynes's favourite spot. Self Explanatory. Sharen and Ken found his cabin but we don't know if it was a holiday spot or from one of his movies.



The things you do when you're killing time waiting to get into your hotel room.



Off to find the stretch of road from the Forest Gump movie when he was running across America.



And this was where he 'stopped runnin I half knelt down in the road to take it without getting run over and managed to convince a couple of Japanese tourists to get off the road before they were skittled as well. They took some convincing.

And finally in our hotel room at 4pm and this is the view from our room. Don't think we will see the stars tonight ...another feature we booked for. Ya gotta laugh.

Bits and Bobs:



We had our first actual room key last night and thought we might get another since we are in a type of Park tonight but not so.



Norm decided on a mixed grill last night and got a small game hen, jumbo shrimps and rattlesnake sausage. Made me shudder just hearing it.

Last Night's Accommodation:



Far View Lodge, Mesa Verde National Park, Mile Marker 15, Inside Mesa Verde National Park, Mesa Verde, Co, 81330
Quirky rooms but comfortable and a sense of the remoteness without being austere. Beautiful dining options at the restaurant and accommodation units spread around site so not conscious of the numbers here. Bed comfortable, free parking and wifi.

We headed off early so we could get to do the things in Mesa Verde we wanted to do this afternoon given we have a tour time to meet around lunchtime tomorrow in Monument Valley. The countryside changed from red cliffs and canyons to wide open spaces with some agriculture with grain and cattle and what looked like at times pretty basic native grass and pines. There was also some irrigation but the settlements were sparse and small and as we started to see small and large protrusions of rocks on the plains and green speckled sand drifts the colour had changed to sand colour and as we got to Mesa Verde the stone is not surprisingly sandstone. We headed for the park, found our hotel and unloaded our cases then headed to the Chapin Mesa Archeological area to grab a bite for lunch and then toured the Spruce Tree House on a self guided walking tour and loved it. Glad I had the warm up climb yesterday so the walking wasn't such a shock to the system. From here we headed to the Cliff Palace for a guided tour and loved that also. Ranger Reagan was passionate about his work (Ranger / Tour guide 6 months and Archeologist 6 months). He was entertaining and informative and it felt a privelage to tour the remains. Pictures tell the story of our day below:



Not far out of Moab we came across this Hole in the Rock sign. Eeek! even worse around the corner was more painting on the rock and some crappy commercial establishment. Couldn't believe it!



Wilson's Arch.



Mesa Verde Visitor Centre, a beautiful building and incredibly helpful staff.



One of the first sights as we entered Mesa Verde National Park, literally visible from the ticket window.



And we start to seriously climb and the views are awesome.



Our first glimpse of the Spruce  Tree House, an interesting name since it isn't actually in a tree. The inhabitants left around 1,300 years ago.



The Spruce Tree House.




And a couple of old fossils at the Spruce Tree House.



Our first glimpse of the Cliff Palace before the descent.



Within the Cliff Palace.



And again.



On our way back to our hotel this was an overlook over the House of Many Windows.



And here are the windows just to prove they are there though we think the title may have more to do with all the many holes in the rocks but who knows, not us.



Still in site of the snow as we return to our hotel and a shower and dinner.

Bits and Bobs:



More coffee wisdom above and below.

A lizard Norm almost stepped on yesterday coming down from the Delicate Arch.

And one on the footpath pretending to be a stick today.

Last Two Night's Accommodation:

Sorry, forgot to take a photo of the hotel (Norm usually does that and I didn't think to, oops).

Best Western Plus Canyonlands Inn, 16 S Main Street, Moab, UT 84532-2503
Large comfortable room with plenty of room to spread cases out and still have room to sit. Included breakfast, free wifi and parking. Staff helpful and facilities clean and comfortable.

After breakfast we headed off to explore the Arches National Park and were we in for a treat! I'll let the pictures tell the story and there were many even with only one camera. There were spectacular features, to see, soaring cliffs and canyons and needles of rock and everything in between. Way too much to see properly in one day but we gave it a good shake even walking, actually scrap that, climbing nerly 3 miles to get to the Delicate Arch. If I hadn't been so stubbor I would have chucked it in but Christine Ikin there is a shot below for you. After a quick bite of lunch we decided to head to Canyonlands National Park thinking it would be ordinary compared to the Arches and how wrong we were. The Arches had spectacular sights and generally closer to us where the vista up on the Island in the Sky section of the park we explored were incredible,  deep and vast and just as spetacular in different ways. Our reccomendation to anyone is that you need several days to explore these properly and if you're an adrenalin junkie and like Zip lines, canyoning, parachuting, white water rafting or just plain old fashioned hiking then a week minimum  and ther would still be more to see and pick your time. We were glad we did our climb in the early parwt of the day before it was too hot.

Firstly Arches national park.



Park Avenue.



A view to Courthouse Rock from Park Avenue.



Balanced Rock.



One of many arches of all shapes and sizes.



Delicate Arch, especially for you Christine Ikin.



And another to give context with people under the arch and snow capped mountains in the distance.



Norm almost back down from Delicate Arch advertising Inline 4 Cafe.



And a view of one of many great sights on the way to the Devils garden

And now Canyonland (Island in the Sky section).



Big Mesa.



Overlook view from Island in the Sky Visitor Centre . The snow capped mountains in the distance are 152 miles away.



View from Green River Overlook.



Orange Cliffs.



And a shot from Grand Viewpoint.



Shaffer Trail.



And a canyon near the outskirts of Moab called Negro Bills Canyon (seriously I'm not making it up).

Bits and Bobs:



More coffee wisdom above and below.

And some more trucks being transported through Moab (above and below). These are Freightliners so how they do it, and the others we showed a few days ago were Kenworths and they do it differently.

If you ever get to Denver Colorado, do yourself a favour and get your butt on a motorbike, in a car, coach or truck and get on Interstate 70 West and head for Moab Utah and be prepared to be blown away by the continuing change of spectacular mountains, canyons, cliffs, rocky outcrops, thundering rivers, broad plains and every colour you can imagine in the rocks. Wow, wow and wow .. and we thought it might be a bit of a featureless day, couldn't have been more wrong! Our trek climbed out of Denver into what had to be the ski hub of Denver and homes / holiday homes of the rich and famous and randomly wealthy then on further to full on snow and ski slopes then dropped down to find grassland and intensive farming and a quick ride through Vail to see more of the speccie real estate of the rich and famous and on through canyons with the Colorado River absolutely thundering along on the left hand side of the road with cantilevered roads hanging out over the river from the cliff face then to huge sandy hills and onto more open land with mountains surrounding it and then to the red country of Utah and there was a photo opportunity at every corner. Feel exhausted just thinking about it and looking forward to exploring tomorrow. Norm experienced a bit of a disaster with his camera which flew off the bike and was consequently run over and the storage card couldn't be found so the majority of our pics below are courtesy of Sharen and Ken. Thanks Guys.



A bit difficult to see but a whole lot of ski runs as we came to the snow.



And heading to the Eisenhower Tunnel built in 1973, then to the left is the Johnson tunnel built in 1979.



A very long descent with warnings for trucks to select low gear. There is a runaway ramp in the distance. Would have to be terrifying to have to use it. After much climbing there were many steep descents and the only brakes I smelt were on a camper, none of the trucks of which there were many. Well done!



And still we climb up and down.



Soon after Norm's camera was gone and this is the mighty canyon we descend into and for the majority the Colorado River was thundering along on the left.



Welcome to Utah!



Changing countryside.



Grand Junction for lunch and these hills looked like petrified sand.



And red cliffs as we approach Moab.



And one for Tombo Henderson, a real Easyrider bike fueling up in Moab. Ha ha.

Bits and Bobs:

Last night we went and had another look at the sidewalk chalk drawings, which are part of a festival, on our way to dinner. Not a lot were well along so took this one for the little grandchildren.



And getting desperate for coffee as we recognise it from time to time we came across a shop in the mountains with awesome coffee and lots of great signs. Will show you two a day until they're done.




Last Two Night's Accommodation:



Courtyard by Marriott Denver Downtown, 934 16th Street, Denver, Co, 80202
Lovely hotel, lots of nice comfortable spots to sit, chill, eat or drink. Free wifi. Guest laundry and gym. Rooms lovely and comfortable and yet another lovely comfortable bed. Happy it was a two night stay, good spot to have for a base.

Got the bikes serviced today and got my hair done as well. The bikes are now parked at the front of the hotel ready for the morning. It poured and hailed flat out on our cab ride to the bike shop and visibility was down to 50m so we were relieved to come back on near to dry roads and no rain. Phew. Didn't want to get the gear wet again before we headed off.

We enjoyed a chance to just chill a little and explore the town. Went to the Capitol Building which has a tower staircase and a brick on the way up which states you are a mile high above sea level .... only trouble is that it's only open Monday to Friday so we had to be satisfied with photos from the outside.  A collection  of the sights from our wanderings are below:

An interesting re-use of a beautiful old Bank Building which is now a Renaissance Hotel.



The Capitol Building.



A view from the Capitol steps across the Civic Centre Park to what looks like some sort of Parliament / Legislature building.



Some buildings near the Capitol where the free shuttle buses turn around. This is a terrific circular service from the Capitol to the Union Station. A huge number of buses and good patronage.



For anyone who watches the Food Channel there is a show 'Diners, Dive Ins and Dives'. Sam's Diner is famous on it and has a great reputation. The queues were long with a minimum of an hour wait to get a table.



And down on Lorrimer Street a couple of police who helped us find what we wanted.



Union Station has been refurbished here as it had been in Saint Louis but they have kept the trains and the interior of the building has heaps of eaterys and other shops. A collection of shots here.

And the last one is a list of what is available in one shop. No idea what the last 3 are.



And some fun for kids on our way back to the shuttle. Littlies were running and jumping through the water.