Heading Back to Florida

After leaving Zion on Saturday Aug 19, we rode through the switchbacks and tunnels one more time and then headed south on US 89 toward the south rim of the Grand Canyon. We only took enough time here to take a few pictures and ride the south rim before moving on toward our destination for the day, Williams Arizona. Williams is located on Route 66 and has lots of old diners and gift shops to seperate tourists from their money. It is also the base for the Grand Canyon Railroad which runs from Williams to the south rim and back.

We were lucky to get a room as there was a gun show and antique car show in town. An early dinner at Rod's Steakhouse ( not one of our better choices ... but unlike Utah they did have a full bar).

Sunday we rode all day on I 40 which also hooks up with Route 66 and ended up in Santa Rosa New Mexico, also along route 66. After 20 days, 13 states and 5,000 miles we are still doing well. We road through a portion of the Painted Desert, landscape similar to badlands and other areas we have seen so far. Beyond that there hasn't been a lot to look at, and I think that will be the case for the rest of New Mexico and Texas.

The weather does seem to be more questionable the past few days and we have had a little rain. We start the day in full leather, shedding those before noon but usually we have to stop to put them back on because of a the rain or threat of rain.

There must be something going on somewhere east of here because we were passed numerous times today by groups of riders, jackets bearing the name Banditos of Texas. The first group passed be as I was passing a semi at 75 mph, 1/2 the group were my left and the other 1/2 between us and the semi... I refrained from making any gestures as they passed. For the first time I thought about the gun we didn't bring on the trip.

We hope to get an early start Monday and get to Witchita Falls Texas before we stop for the day.