The heat won and I've stopped for the night in Page, AZ in a motel with a wonderful air conditioner.

But prior to that, I woke up to a crisp morning at the Cannonville KOA. Was up and off by 9 local time and had a good breakfast at the Hungry Coyote Cafe in Tropica. Now I have to tell you, I was a little concerned about there being a hungry coyote there! After the Hell's Backbone ride the night before I could imagine anything.

Bryce Canyon National Park and Zion National Park were two main goals of the trip. My parents loved this area as they came often due to my grandfather Ernest A. Moritz having retired in Boulder City, NV after completing the construction of Boulder Dam. I always call it by the original name rather than the current Hoove Dam. He was the head of the Western Division of the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and responsible for the construction of the dam.

I have pictures of me at about age 4 standing in front of one of the canyon entrances. I got another in front of Bryce but none at Zion. But I toured them both. Amazing places and each is unique althought quite near one another. HINT: go to Zion in the morning and then Bryce in the afternoon.

At Zion you are down in the canyon at low elevations. That means hot in the summer. You're looking up at the formations and feel almost swallowed by them. Much of Zion is, I think, wind-carved and there are some very strange formations.

At Bryce you are up in the mountain ridges, looking down upon formations carved primarily by sea erosions. The soil and rock is quite different and the formations nothing like what you see at Zion. The elevations are from about 7500-9000 feet so it's quite comfortable. The roads at Bryce were fresh and smooth and a good ride. Zion is a bit rough.

I have tons of pictures to post on this segment so look for them. They'll be in a separate sub-album, but that's later.

Having done Zion second, it came time to eat and a Las Vegas police investigator I had met at Bryce suggested Oscar's Cafe for Mexican food. Boy does he know his Mexican food! I had the Taco Pollo Grando and was stuffed! It was about 4pm before I got away and that's what got me into the heat and the wussing out to a motel in Page.

It was a fantastic day to make this nostalgic connection, to see some awesome carving of God's world, and to ride some wonderful roads. 

Date of this writing: Thursday, July 13, 2006  10:58 PM
Photo Gallery: click link at left
Riding date:  July 12  Day No. 
From:  Zion National Park
To:  Page, AZ
Via:  very direct
Stayed at:  motel
Location:  Page -- becuz it wuz hot!

Stops and Sights: Glen Canyon Dam (Lake Powell). Huge Lake!

Miles today: GPS - 252 
Cumulative:  4753

Weather: Hot from Zion. Was nice and cool in Bryce

The roads:  Fantastic in Bryce, highly interesting with poor surface in Zion, elsewhere who knows -- was just trying to stay cool