image.jpg Got some pics! Mark and I were being uncooperative with the obligatory 'we're leaving now" pics and Roy was late anyway...
Time to go!image.jpg
6:00am and we all knew we had to blast out of LA to avoid traffic and some of the heat in the desert. Besides, this was my first real test ride since I put it all together the night before. Might as well go have lunch in Laughlin NV. What could go wrong in the middle of the desert?
Turns out nothing, really. The Buell ran fantastically (until later), no forks leaking oil on my front brakes, no primary oil soaking my brand new rear Pilot 3. And we all tried to learn how to use the new Sena comms while dodging LA commuter traffic at 75mph.
Got to Laughlin and had killed my phone somehow so I couldn't get a pic of the yellow and purple Buell M2 parked at the "Losers Lounge", but a quick FatBurger and back on the hot desert road all the way to Williams AZ. That's about 450 miles, 9 hours on the saddle with gas stops every 100, and getting just under 50mpg! Not a bad first day.
Gas stops at 100 are pretty perfect because at that time we all are ready to get off the seat stretch for a bit, get some water and watch Mark get hit on by old ladies. My Motocentric 19l tank bag ($43) is a little big but has the perfect spot for a 3l Camelback ($7 and get the legit one of your water will taste like plastic) in the bottom and it matches the MotoCentric saddle bags that came with the STT (thanks OP, I think they are new!)
Williams AZ is a cute little touristy town on Route 66 that only exists because it's about 40 miles south of the Grand Canyon image.jpgimage.jpg
Helmet off and cruising the ring road at 30 mph downhill and coasting is truly the way to see the canyon. Of course we stopped at all the spots! image.jpg Do this. It's either the first, or the very last stop on the south end of the canyon. You can walk up inside this tower and it's truly spactacular. I'm not going to post the pic because it will never do the spot justice. Just go you pansy
The weather had cooled off to just about perfect, not a cloud in sight but we did drive through a bit of smoke from the wildfire on the east side of the canyon.
We drove to Tuba City and had the pleasure of a fine dining experience next to Miss Hopi of the local tribe at Denny's image.jpg It pretty cool to see different cultures and we're currently in the heart of American Indian territory going through reservations.
I wanted to see Monument Valley, because I've driven past it with other agendas several times (just like Bryce Canyon were planning on going to on the way home). It was worth the stop. image.jpgimage.jpgimage.jpg
They don't let RV's or motorcycles on the 17 mile dirt ring road around the monument because it's a "dangerous" flat wide dirt road...
As you can see in the pics the sun was going down after a day of the Grand Canyon and we could have stayed at the hotel there at Monument Valley with that view but decided to shoot for a tiny dot on the map called Mexican Hat. Sounds cool...ok let's go!
We had the sun setting through the huge rock formations as we drove through the valley, and dropped into Mexican Hat, crossing the San Juan river for the first of many times. I stopped in front of the Mexican Hat Lodge and as I was waiting for the guys an obvious Harley rider (sunburned face with a white line where his bandanna used to be) suggested we stay there with the offer of a pool, hot tub, super cold beers, and great "swinging steak". I don't know what that is, but ok!
We rented what turned out to be a small single-wide, image.jpgimage.jpg threw on the board shorts and went for dinner.
The beers were cold!image.jpg image.jpg
The swinging steak is exactly that. A bigass fire pit with a swing. Good stuff!
The steak he dropped while cooking went right to his fat ass dog, I guess he's a clumsy cook. Fat and happy, we went to the hot tub. That wasn't. Cold and foggy. But the pool was nice with us sharing the one pool jet to relax the back. No, it wasn't romantic
The tiny town is called Mexican Hat because of this rock. image.jpgimage.jpg who knew??
Yes! Marks Bimmer touched DIRT! The owners club will kick him out for sure now...
Cool place and a good rest stop.
Roy wanted to see 4 corners so that was our next stop. If you are into buying Indian trinkets go ahead. Otherwise, it's missable. Want to see my authentic Indian arrowhead?hee heeimage.jpg
Looks like an awesome ride! If it's not to far out of your way you should try catch highway 12 from Torrey UT to Tropic UT...it's not the quickest route but it was one of the better roads I found on my trip. Safe travels!
Sorry about all the sideways pics? Even if I edit them 90* they come out rotated? I've even tried posting from photobucket
Now deep into New Mexico and a bunch of miles under our belts it's perfect time for us to impose on family for a free room! Mark grew up here so we got to hear "this all used to be dirt!" And "I rode my dirt bike all over where this mall is!" You k ow how it is
There's nothing like New Mexican green chili! They put it on everything and I'm ok with that.
It was the first day not riding, except I had to get to the only Apple store in New Mexico before it opened, so I could be first in line for a walk in appointment. I wasn't the first in line. But I did get to hear all about Pokemon go! From a college girl who was, like, yknow, like, totally into it, right?
Ya, like fer sher, chick.
The Apple "genius" was able to turn my phone off, and then turn it on, which of course totally, like, fixed it. Like why doesn't that work when, yknow, I turn it off and on?
Next stop the Sandia peak tram for "flight 36". Apparently it technically a flight because you go over 10,000 feet? It's about 13,500 total and has a nice restaurant with mediocre food up top. image.jpg
Logan didn't want to go... image.jpg image.jpg
Touching the clouds!
There was a little storm that halted the tram while we were in the bar, but we did get a double rainbow! image.jpg
And a good buzz.
And a spactacular sunset image.jpg
It was the only time we had a hint of rain and we weren't even on the bikes!
After 2 nights with a great family it's back to the road and the next stop was a somber one. All 3 of us went to visit Marks dad at the Veterans Cemetary. Mark got some flowers and enjoyed a moment with his pop. He was a sweet, quiet, man who had seen and done many things, but as most of his generation did, he bore his pain in silence and never asked for a handout. image.jpgimage.jpg
Not sad really, but very moving. We passed a funeral procession on the way out and our comm's were silent for awile down the highway.
The moment was broken when we spied Camel Rock. image.jpg
I think New Mexico is a little hard up for monuments...
Going up through Taos NM, and on the back roads as usual, there is this neat old (1813-1816) Adobe church known for its holy dirt and it's healing. You could FEEL the faith in this place. All the handmade offerings and a room full of crutches that weren't needed anymore.
Cool! image.jpg
Sadly we had to get on the highway for awhile, but made it to the meat of the trip. Pikes Peak. image.jpg
Of course you gotta stop at the raceway!
We met the night security guy who told us not to miss the Garden of the Gods which we had never heard of and (2nd Buell 'sighting') even worked for Harley and bough a new '10 Xb12Scg and ran it on the track at night when he was bored. Cool job right?
Got into town, paid too much for a crappy hotel, had a great steak, and found a framed Wolf picture image.jpg
Tomorrow will be the run up Pikes Peak!!
And pancakes.
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on the 17 mile dirt ring road around the monument because it's a "dangerous" flat wide dirt road... 
