Colorado River Ride - Moab, Utah

Dinner and a river boat ride on the Colorado river was interesting to say the least. We were mostly with Europeans who were on honeymoons or vacationing, listening to country music and eating pulled pork and beef with biscuits and sweet tea. Not sure if they new what to make of the cowboys and a old fashion ho-down. However we all did appear to be having fun.

   

Cliff Dwellings near Marble Canyon, Arizona

On our way from the North Rim of the Grand Canyon to Lake Powell, there is a beautiful stretch of road that runs along Route 89A past the Vermilion Cliffs which are part of the Grand Staircase of the Colorado Plateau.  

This was a spectacular road to ride. Just past the Marble Canyon and Lee's Ferry, we stumbled upon these Cliff Dwellings.  At first, we thought this was an ancient Native American site.  We soon learned from information at the site that these dwellings were actually constructed in the 1920.  The original homesteaders got the name "Cliff Dwellers" because of their proximity to the Vermilion Cliffs. Regardless of their origin, this is a unique and very interesting stop on the way.  There were a few Native Americans  there who set up tables to sell some locally made crafts.  It is truly a site to see and we are glad we took the time to stop and explore there.  

Motorcycle Ramps do the trick

These photos depict us loading and preparing for our trip to the Grand Canyon. We had decided to use our Ford F250 truck to get there intially in order to carry our additional items and to avoid possible adverse weather conditions particulary in the Rocky Mountains and on the great plains. This turned out to be a good decision since we wittnessed snow in the Rockies and Tornado warnings in Nebraska. Once arriving in Moab UT we unloaded our motorcycle and left our truck to begin a week full of adventure and awesome riding. We rode 1,200 miles on our Harley-Davidson through the various canyons and scenic byways from the Canyon Lands in Utah to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon in Arizona.

Sunset on the Colorado River - Moab, Utah

Here are a couple of photos we took as we cruised down the Colorado River on a jet boat tour at sunset. The temperature was near perfect when we left at approximately 7:30 pm. It was the longest day of the year so the sunset was around 8:45 pm. Once the sun began to set, the temperature dropped dramatically on the river and in the canyon. The camera could not truly capture the panoramic beauty and vibrance of the colors,.however this is an example of what we did experience.

Paris France to Moab Utah

Met this friendly group of guys from Paris, France in Moab, UT. We were having lunch at the La Hacienda Mexican restaurant when they pulled in. After speaking with them for a few minutes I asked if I could snap their pic and post them on the blog. No problem of course was their answer. They had rented Harley-Davidson motorcycles in Las Vegas and were traveling to most of the popular canyons for their holiday.  When we moved from one canyon to another we seem to staying in the same locations. Moab, Bryce and Zion.

One morning they were gracious enough to invite me to sit and have breakfast with them. As I spoke with them I thought of all the planning I had done preparing for our trip. I can't imagine the planning required for their trip. 

Thanks for coming to visit our country.