Post Write Up

There were many, many miles of fun and lots of new people that I met on this trip. In fact, there was over 11,000 miles of fun. I will never forget this, my first epic trip. I can't thank enough all the wonderful people that helped me and sheltered me along the way. It was great seeing old friends and family that I have not seem in far to many years. The fact that I got to meet 3 nephews was awesome. Also meeting the new sisters-in-law was great too. The Dragon, The Blue Ridge Parkway, The Snake, Cherahola Skyway, The Rockies, riding along Niagara, the Grand Canyon, and so many more places that I could list. I loved riding this time of the year, where we have the cooler weather and changing leave colors. I know that I could have planned better and saved even more money but to me....I wanted to not have a schedule. It was nice having a list of things and people that I wanted to see and that was about my extent of the planning. I think it turned out great, I wished that I could have held out longer and seen more of the upper States and the bigger National Parks, but I want to spend time on each and not rush through them. That's why I didn't extend my route. I knew in order to see everything, I would have to take another month off. In the end, I wanted, and needed to go home. The bike could have left me stranded with worse electrical problems, luckily it took me home. I figure there is always next time. It was a joy planning, and the excitement of the upcoming trip was great. I'm sure the next one will bring the same excitement.

I know that this trip served a purpose to satisfy my need to do a huge trip before I die. Well it did, I can now write this off the list. Now lets see how many more I can fit in before the time is up.

Thanks again everyone...and I hope that you enjoy the blog with photos. Please click on the photos to enlarge them to fit the whole screen.

Until we meet again....Safe riding, Dano.

Day 33

When I awoke at the cabin, I hit a hot shower to wake up some more. I packed up camp, saddled up and rode towards Bryce Canyon. It was looking to be a wonderful day regarding roads and weather. I grabbed some cash at a ATM so I could pay as I entered the park. I had no idea if they accept cards there. So the nice Park Ranger at the toll booth informed me that it was a one way in and out Park. He also said that all the views would be on my left as I rode through the park. It was 17 miles in and the a turn around to come back. He suggested to ride to the end, then stop on the way back and view the attractions. Thanks buddy, but I didn't listen, when a stopping spot came up, I stopped. The park has a lot of great views, but after a while they were starting to look the same. But I did enjoy the visit and the sights. One good thing that happened was since I stopped at all the view spots on the way in.....I was free to haul ass out of the park. Everyone going in that direction was stopped looking and taking pictures. The road going out was empty, 17 miles of nice curvy roads, but I didn't overdo it to bad. As I left the Park it was time for lunch. I pulled into Subway and chowed down on a sub, I also used the time to look over the map and see the route towards home. I wasn't going to be able to visit Zion Park in the same day so I went passed it going home. I took Hwy 12 west to Hwy 89 south. From there I took Hwy 14 to I-15. The roads on the 12-89-14 are really nice to ride, again full of curves and great scenery. The wind was starting to pick up in the afternoon and it was blowing north right into my face. Highway 14 from Long Vally Junction to I-15 was a awesome ride, it really took me by surprise, I wished that I had video of the road. There was a fair amount of traffic on the road but it was moving fast. There were a group of Beemer GS riders that were working the bikes in the twisties fully loaded. They were fun to ride with 'till I passed them, for a big bike, they can move. It was a killer ride from the morning to where I entered onto I-5 south. I was rollin along on the 14 when I though I saw lava rock out of the corner of my eye. Damn if it wasn't, the whole hillside was covered in lava-flows. The road ran straight through it with Aspen trees with golden leaves and white bark. Man was that a weird and pretty area. The top of the hill took me to a overlook of Navajo Lake. What a great view that was. This whole area of southern Utah was fantastic, its definitely going to be on my "to return to" list. It was wild and remote, with the total lack of civilization. That makes for good riding. So when the road turned into I-15 at Cedar City, Utah, I just wanted to get home. I was close enough that I didn't care to stop or see any other attractions. I set the bike loose and headed through Vegas and made it home in the early evening. When I got to the 15, I just knew that my trip was over and that I wanted to be in my own bed that night. I figured that being that close to home, I can always come back on a weekend and see the things that I missed in the area. I was so glad to be home, it was an awesome ride, for the day except for the terrible wind coming from the south. On the return home drive from Vegas it was terrible and moved me all over the lane. The general total for the day was 575 miles ridden on the last day. Ahhhhh home sweet home. The bike slept wonderful in it's garage, I passed out once I touched my own bed. Heaven I tell ya.....

The pictures for the day....

Day 32

I had a good sleep and woke up hungry, there wasn't a doubt as to where to have breakfast. Time to go back to Mom's Cafe. I sat down and had some pancakes and bacon, yummy. From there I rolled out of town to the I-70 west for a few miles. I then went south on Hwy 24 at the town of Sigurd. The drive south was nice, great wide open hills, just huge vistas. At the town of Torrey I stopped and gassed up and asked some fellow riders of the direction they came. They said Hwy 12 is the road they just took, said it was Po-Po free and no cows on the road. Cool! Thanks for the heads up guys. I was delighted when I started down the 12, man is it a nice curvy, scenic road. It is a must do if you are ever in the area. The terrain goes up and down and all kinds of curves. What a fantastic ride, I saw the most amount of motorcycles on this road than I did any other, including the Dragon. There were so many BMW GS, and Suzuki Vstroms on this road. I have to admit, I do like the Beemer GS bikes and the hard luggage, that's a sweet set-up if ya ask me. The weather was awesome with a few hazy clouds overhead but mostly sunny. There are parts of the ride that reminded me of the Grand Canyon on a small scale. This road has all types of terrain, from the twisties next to rock walls, high mountains with colorful trees and big views. It is an eclectic mix of rides. There was one part that snaked across the top of a good size hill, several hundred feet high. Each side of the road dropped off to the bottom with no guardrails it was maybe a quarter mile long, like that. It was funny riding on a 2 lane road and not even having a shoulder on the side of the road. Just imagine road, curves and cliffs on either side. It was cool. Riding through the area makes me want to go back and visit Moab, as there were tons of rock outcropping that remind me of all the pictures that I have seen over the years. I knew that Bryce Canyon Park was going to be my next stop, and so I needed to find a place to stay for the night. I came across a KOA campground in Cannonville. So I rented a cabin for the night as the temperatures at night were getting extremely cold. I made a fire, roasted some dogs, heated some beans and kicked back and watched the sun go down. Man what a way to end a fantastic day of riding. I uploaded the photos of the day to the computer, but thats all I could do, as there wasn't a cell signal to go online with. Starting the fire was fun, I did it with the little magnesium starter, where you scrape shavings off and use a striker to make sparks to ignite the magnesium. The shavings were in a bundle of dried grasses and twigs that I picked up around the cabin site. I got my survival practice kick in for the trip. The Dragonfly camping burner is awesome too, wow what a powerful little, compact burner that is. It has the ability to burn all types of fuels, so it is very versatile. The KOA campgrounds at this site are super clean and nice. The cabin was great, it had a set of bunk-beds and a queen size bed too. It had the basic electricity and chair and wall table. On the covered porch there was a swing bench, and it also had the picnic table, grill, and fire pit. For 40 bucks it was so worth it. You had to walk across the grounds to take a shower or use the restroom but hey, its part of the deal. If I was on the road with a bunch of people, fellow riders, I would recommend this as a great way to save money. It could easily sleep 4 people in the small cabin, split 4 ways, thats cheap. With the proper camping supplies it would be lots of fun, a nice fire an few brews with a grilled burger.....fun stuff. So I crashed out after the fire burnt down, and slept comfy in my bag on the queen bed. Oh yeah, these cabins had portable heaters in them so it stayed toasty as I slept. The nice thing about this campground was that it is located about 12-15 miles from the entrance to the Park so its not expensive like the other places near the entrance. I think I'll do more of this type of lodging and camping on other trips. The day saw me ride about a total of 200 miles as I did some side roads.

Here is the great road pictures from the day...
























Some of the KOA campground and cabin



Cookin'


These were interesting clouds at dusk



Other shots..

Day 31

As I woke up, there wasn't a real good game plan as to where I wanted to go next. I was checking my tires daily and it appeared that if I went a lot further that new tires would be in order. I also was going to need a new chain. The speed odometer problem also got worse. From not having a speed reading to the whole dash was blinking off and on. So with that in mind, the decision was to steer back towards the general direction of home. So I decided to run the I-70 west out of Grand Junction. I saddled up and was gone, I-70 is kind of boring leaving Grand Junction, but I made good time and the weather was warm and sunny. I stopped a few times to take pictures and admire the formations in Utah. The sights there are cool and have lots of layered colors. I cruised along all day and did side roads and scenic view turnouts. It was a relaxing day, Every now and again there was some wind, but mostly good cruising. I pulled into the town of Salina, Utah. It was about a 300 mile ride for the day. I took quite a few side roads that added up for the day. As I went into town I decided to look around for a place to stay and didn't want to to the usual motel8, etc right off the Interstate off ramp. So I drove into the older part of town and found the small town main street and all the nice maintained old buildings. I located a hotel just past the red light on the right, it was the "Ranch Motel" located at 80 North State, Salinas, Utah. It was a small, small room but it had all the essentials. The cool thing though was that it was like a flash back to the late 40's or 50's. The walls were plaster and all the corners were rounded, even the ceiling corners. Then the bathroom looked like a time capsule, the fixtures and stuff were mint, in perfect condition. It was a cool place to stay, cheap too. From the outside they looked like small bungalows with a cover over the doors. I would recommend the place, it was clean, nice and quite. After I unpacked, I walked down the block back to the red light and ate dinner at the talk of the town. It was another cool experience, it was also a throwback in time. It looked like a cafe of the 50's. The waitress and staff were super nice and the food was fresh homemade. I had the special "broasted chicken" with mashed potatoes and corn. The chicken was fried, but....in a pressure cooker, it was great! So after I stuffed myself because it was soooo tasty, I went to the room and crashed out. It was a fun day riding and the room/dinner were great. Oh yeah the diner was called "Mom's Cafe" at the corner of State and Main in Salinas. That means at the red light in town, its a big building on the south east corner of the red light in town. Try it out, its good.

Here are some of the pictures for the day.

Day 30

I knew the day was going to be good, I could hear Harley's rolling down Main Street as I got out of bed. You know that Harley's only ride when its sunny and no rain, they dont want to have to clean their bikes. Sure enough the sun was shining and only a few clouds. I did the usual packing and gassed up and headed north out of Durango on Highway 550. I have ridden this road many times, but never on a bike. I lived in the area in 1991-1992, so this was going to be a treat. I took my time all day and stopped and shot pictures and video. The roads were mostly empty and I was lovin life. The mountains just out of Durango are the Needle Mountains on the east side of the 550, and the La Plata Mountians on the west side. Both sets of mountains were covered in snow on the top half, what a site in full sun. I rode over the Passes and stopped at a lot of areas and admired the breathtaking views, the Aspens were golden and other trees were changing color as well. I had the ride that I hoped I would. I fell in love with this area years ago, and it still amazes me every time I go through them. The Red mountain Pass is also a favorite of mine, the sheer cliff walls and the vertical drop offs are amazing. There are no guardrails in some areas so you get a real idea that any mistake, and you are gone for hundreds and hundreds of feet straight down. Its wild to be riding on a curvy road that is etched into the face of a solid rock cliff side. This road is a definite road to do, its full of corners and amazing views. If ya ask me the late fall in the cool air with the changing colors of the trees. That is the best time to do this ride. Make sure that you have good cold weather gear that you can add on, because there is a HUGE variation in temperature and altitude. Some of the upper elevations will see you passing the 11,000 foot mark, with views of other mountains shooting up to 14,000 foot. The ride is unforgettable, and if you make it to Colorado, please make every effort to do this road.
After the ride into Ouray the "Switzerland of America", I stopped for gas and to rest for a few minutes. The day was running past me and I had a long way to go, if I was going to turn at Ridgway and run the 62/145/141 to Grand Junction. I saddled up and made the turn onto highway 62, wow what a scene looking back onto the mountains that I just passed over. These mountains make you feel small, its amazing I tell ya. And when the sky is clear, it is the bluest skies that you have ever seen. These roads were some new, and some that I had driven before. I once took part of this road to Telluride. These are great roads too, damn I'm lucky! So I rolled down the 145/141 because a guy on TRAT recommended that I try it, and comment if it is the equivalent to the Dragon. Well.....no, not even close. These roads are fast sweepers, nothing like the tight curves of the Dragon. None the less this was a scenic road that gave me tons of pictures and excited spirited riding. There was one area that was covered in red sand as the previous couple days rain washed onto the road. That made for a few tense moments rounding some corners at speed. Once the road cleared up I came upon a nice photo opp., so I pulled over. There was a Jeep Cherokee with four English people. They saw the Triumph and started chatting me up about my bike and if I knew where it came from. HA HA HA, it was funny, like I had never heard of a Triumph, this is my 3rd ya know. I told them Hinkley and they carried on that they lived 10 minutes from the factory. They were a nice group of two older couples. They asked my name so they could write it down in their journals for the trip Stateside. I wished that I did the same after I left, or at least given them this blog page. I warned them to get off the road after dark because the area is bad for deer and elk after dark. They were going to Durango, they had a long way to go, and nightfall was only about one and a half hours away. I proceeded down the road to the small town that is owned by a dude from the Discovery Channel I think. It is in the middle of nowhere and all the buildings are adobe looking and everything ya need is in this one place. Its kinda a weird place, it just seems too fancy to be in the middle of nothingness. So I turned and burned down the 141 and made it to Grand Junction just after dark. It was an AWESOME day of riding, scenery, weather and temperature. Once in a lifetime stuff here people, make the effort and go....
I pulled into a motel 8 off the I-70 after I had eaten at a Taco Bell. I rode a total of about 275 miles for the day.


Here are the days pictures, enjoy, I did.

The Needle Mtns



Random pictures


















The sprawling metropolis of Silverton, Co.

























The town of Ouray, also know as Swizterland of America


Outside Ridgway, those mts. are what I just passed over

Day 29

So as I crawled out of bed and peeked out of the window, I was rewarded with sunny skies and lots warmer temperatures. Sweet! I loaded up and went across the street to a store and bought some crackers and canned soups to put in the luggage in case I wanted to stop to eat somewhere remote or got stranded. So I blasted out of town and saw the same five deer standing in the same area as they were the other night. Its not fun hitting deer, in cars or on bikes. So I rolled down highway 64 going west in the direction of Pagosa Springs, Co. from the 64 I picked up the 84 north. Both of these roads are nice to ride with lots of views, I was lucky to have the trees changing colors. I pulled into the McD's in Pagosa and had a burger and used the time to warm up a little and scan the maps for roads to ride. I decided to just hit Bayfield and then take the back way into Durango. I stopped and shot pictures the whole day, what a great day, a little cold, but OK. When I made it to Bayfield I was stunned how much it has grown since I lived there in 1991. Wow time flies. So I got stuck in a sheep migration move from the high hills to their lower winter grounds. It was a flashback to 1991 when I had the same thing happen on the same road, almost in the same spot. I went by the old "A" frame cabin that I once rented while I lived in the area, again it was all different. I cruised around the old roads and just took in the sights and enjoyed the nice roads. I pulled into Durango and found a room, dropped off my things and drove around the old stomping grounds. Man had Durango grown in size. It was neat seeing the places after almost 17 years away. Durango is a great place to visit for anyone, it has tons of great things to do and see. There are the local mountains, rivers for rafting, kayaking, sailplanes, fishing, Mesa Verde National Park with the cliff dwellings. It is also famous for it s narrow gauge rail road that runs to Silverton. That is a awesome train ride, pay the extra money and sit in the parlor/caboose car. It has its own balcony and restroom and no kids are allowed as you also have a bar and bartender. Its a 3 hour trip one way, take it in the fall as the leaves are turning, its amazing. It is a great town, visit it if ya can, I highly recommend it. Plus its a great place to ride out and sample local roads from, there are some killer roads in the area, with views that are unmatched anywhere. So after I rode around shooting pics I cleaned up at the hotel and went to Denny's for some soup and salad. I ate and went to bed early as I knew the day ahead was going to be a long fun day with lots of stops for pictures. I was a wimp and only rode 175 miles for the day.

Here are some of the day's pictures.


A few wild Turkeys


More regular pictures

Day 28

When I awoke in the morning it was drizzly and wet. It had rained through the night and the temperature had dropped too. I cleaned up and headed to Church at 8:00am, after Mass I went to breakfast at the restaurant from the night before. They had a killer breakfast buffet for like 7 bucks. They had someone cooking fresh omelets and some fresh green chili that went perfect over my potatoes with veggies. When that was done I rode across the street and paid for another nights stay at the hotel because the weather was getting worse. I stayed in the room and did some blogging and mostly watched the weather channel to see the extended forecast of the Rockies. It appeared that I was going to be good to go after the next day. I called a dude from The Speed Triple.com to see about dropping in and meeting him in Denver area, but I changed my mind. I wanted to get some of the Rockies done before the weather turned bad again. Later in the evening, I made my third stop at the restaurant across the street for dinner. I had some fried catfish and okra, good stuff. If y'all make it into the town of Chama...the little bar/store/ restaurant on the north west side of the intersection corner that looks like a old western building, stop in, its a great place to eat. After stuffing myself, I headed to my room and checked the weather channel some more, then headed to bed. It rained all day and was very cold, I would guess in the mid 40's. No riding and no pictures of the day, just rested and readied for the next day.