When I go to a small restaurant, just outside the park I notice they have
an Internet PC so I can send and read some emails. The I have a coffee, go
back to the BMW and start enjoying the park.
Unfortunately the nicest road is closed for all traffic except for the tour
busses but I want to drive my bike and not take the bus so I get back on
Highway 9. Driving thru Zion national Park is realy great with the trees in
authum colors, the sun shining and beautifull mountains and canyons.
Autumn colors in Zion National Park
Beautiful roads in Zion national park
It is so different from the boring dull straight roads in the Netherlands,
I wish I could ride here every day.
That's me, behind the BMW
I follow Highway 9 thru the beautifull mountains, past the Park exit and to
Mount Carmel Junction. From Mount Carmel Junction I get on Highway 89
North. The scernery is beautifull, it's sunny and warm and I'm having a
good time.
A river meandering through the landscape
Settlement of Long Valley and Mt Carmel Monument
Halfway between Mount Carmel Junction and Highway 12, I stop for lunch at
"Bryce-Zion Midway Resort", a very nice restaurant on Highway 89.
I order a Midway Pan Fry with boiled patatoes, unions, green peppers,
corned beef, cheese and some more ingredients. It tastes very good! I can
recommend this when you are visiting this area.
Bryce-Zion Midway Resort
After this wonderfull meal I get on the BMW again and follow Highway 89 to
the junction with Highway 12. From Highway 12 I go to Highway 63 that goes
to the Bryce Canyon National Park.
Beautifull rocks
At half past two I arive at the entrance and I have to pay $10 again.
Then I enter the park and drive to a parking at a viewpoint. I walk to
the edge of the canyon. It is beautifull this deep canyon, cut in the
mountains by a river. The colors of the rocks are very beautifull.
The entrance to Bryce Canyon National Park
I walk at the canyon rim and then I walk back to the bike and leave
the park. It's a long ride back to Mesquite so I can't stay much
longer.
Beautiful view on Bryce Canyon
I leave the Bryce Canyon National Park on highway 63, then I
get on highway 12 West until I come at highway 89.
I drive South on highway 89 until I arrive at the junction
with highway 14.
There is a gas station and food shop at
the junction so I stop to get a cup of coffee. The friendly
lady from the gas station makes me a fresh cup of coffee
and I buy an energy bar.After a nice cup of coffee and a
chat with that lady I get on the BMW again and climb into
the mountains on highway 14 to Cedar City.
Gas station, food shop at the junction of highway 89 and 14
Highway 14 to Cedar City goes high into the maintains. So
high it was getting chilly and at some stretches of road
there was snow on the side of the road. It is realy
beautifull here. Big forests with beautifull colors and
nice houses, often with a pickup truck parked next to it,
in the forest.
When I parked the BMW on the side of the road to take some
pictures, I was passed by a Trans-Am with a catlle trailer
behind it. I like that  .
It was high in the mountains. So high, the BMW had trouble
running stationary. The road was almost deserted and I had
a great ride.
There was snow in the forest next to highway 14
From highway 14 I arrived in Cedar City. I promised my
oldest son to buy him some real American drumsticks (he's
a drummer in a band) so I stopped at a music store in
Cedar City. It was very funny that the girl in the music
store looked just like his girlfriend. From the music
store I drove through Cedar City to Interstate 15 and on
Interstate 15 I drove South, back to my motel in Mesquite.
When I arrive in the little town Washington, the sun is very
low so it's hard to see the road so it's time for a break. At
a gasstation in Washington I fill the tank of the BMW again and
get a meal at the Burger King. From Utah I drive into Nevada and
in the beginning of the evening, I'm back at the motel.
When I arrived at my room, I found the door of my room unlocked ??
Fortunately I had only left some clothes in my room and they
where all there. Today I drove 360 miles and I had a wonderfull
day.
Tuesday, October 15, 2002
At seven o'clock, just after sunrise, I'm on the road again.
Today my destination is the Grand Canyon South Rim in Arizona.
From Mesquite I drive Interstate 15 South to highway 169. From
Interstate 15 I follow highway 169 to highway 167. On highway 169
I stop at a McDonalds restaurant in a small town to get breakfast.
While I'm having breakfast, I chat with some old man in the McDonalds.
One of them had been in Europe when he was in the military. That is
one of the things I like here so much, the friendly people to chat
with that you meet when you're traveling alone.
After leaving highway 169, I get on highway 167 past the desert,
to the Hooverdam. It's a real desert here with only ocasionaly another
vehicle on the road.
In the middle of nowhere on highway 167
It is impressive. As far as the eye can see, only rocks, sand and
some small bushes. A blue sky and a burning sun. I'm glad the BMW
is a reliable bike.....
It's a great motorcycle road. Doing 70 mph, swinging through the
sweeping corners. Beautifull views. I'm glad I'm on a motorcycle.
After a great ride I pass Las Vegas Bay, a recreational area of Lake
Mead, close to Las Vegas and a short time later I have to stop at a
road block. Police is checking all vehicles entering the road to the
Hooverdam because of the fear for terrorist attacks since September 11.
The Hooverdam
Just before the Hooverdam I stop for gas and a drink and then I drive
over the Hooverdam in the direction of Arizona.
Past the Hooverdam I stop at a parking to stretch my legs and take some
pictures and then I get on highway 93 to Kingman.
The BMW parked past the Hooverdam
After ten or eleven miles or so I cross the Arizonma State border and
highway 93 changes in Interstate 93, a long straight road through
Detrital Valley.
Sometimes, in the middle of the wilderness, you see some caravans, campers
or a wooden house with some cars parked around it. People actualy live
there, in the middle of nowhere.
It is a long straight road and the speed limit is 75 mph. Everybody is
driving 80 or 85 mph behind an 18 wheeler when suddenly the big truck and
all cars slow down to 75 mph. That must have a reason so i do the same and
a few minutes later, we are passed by a police cruiser !. Someone must have
warned the trucker on the CB radio. I'm glad they did because I saw a lot
of signs along the road with the message "Break the law, go to jail"
and I rather spend my holiday driving around in the USA then sittimg in
some local sheriffs jailhouse......
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