After
trudging through the lobby of the casino/hotel, carrying my top case
and waterproof bag, I checked the oil and the tires. The scoot fired up
and I headed home on Wednesday, April 24..
I wasn't able to avoid riding the Interstate. I wanted to go through southern Utah to ride some twisties, but had to ride the super slab to get there. Boring! The only interesting part of the trip was coping with the very stiff cross wind just north of Las Vegas.
But
the ride along Utah Route 9 made it worth it. Actually, the road is
Zion National Park. Normally,
one must pay a $25 entrance fee, but the
smiling park ranger at the gate said "Its all free this week", and I
rode in.
There is too much other traffic to do the kind of centerstand-scraping twisty ride a lot of motorcyclists might want to do, but the scenery was spectacular. There is a mile long tunnel cut through the rock and spectacular vistas. They have done a great job of providing lots of pull-over places for photos and ogling. I chatted with a couple from Manitoba on their BWM. The ride through Zion park made the day.
Then
on back into Arizona, down to Page, AZ, where the Glen Canyon Dam
blocks the Colorado River. Gassing up in Page, I listened to the local
high schools kids talking in Navajo and realized I was on the
reservation.
When
I lived in New Mexico, I didn't pay much attention to all the buttes
and mesas in this rugged country. It is both stark and beautiful.
Night found me in a motel in Kayenta - right on the Navajo reservation.