Ride across the USA

[Bazbro_imp]

Well said, Cormanus.

Many thanks, Django and the rest of you guys.

[flynrider]

Have a safe trip home, Django! Thanks for coming to visit us. I had a great time exploring Southern Utah and Colorado with you. Your trip was a great excuse for me to bypass the usual roads and to go and see something new in my own back yard (relatively speaking).

[the Ferret]

We on the CB 1100 forum are an awfully small group, comparitively speaking among motorcycle groups, but you gentlemen have shown a friendship amd generosity towards a fellow member all out of proportion to our group size.It has been a pure pleasure to see.

[pdedse]

Spectacular photos of Django doing the Southwest! Congratulations on a fine, fine trip. Next time include the Northwest. : )

[SCCBrider_imp]

Man, I have always wanted to do this. Hopefully one of these days I will be able to do it.

[LongRanger_imp]

Please don't take this the wrong way, but "hope" won't get it done. Grab your calendar now, circle a date, and then figure out how you're going to be ready for your trip when that date arrives. Until you circle the date, I'm afraid another year will slip by and "hope" is all you'll have. Carpe Diem.

[Django]

At that trip I [ul] [li]changed tires 2 times[/li] [li]did 1 oil service
[/li][/ul]
I had no technical issues or any problems and every night a good place to rest.

I was stopped 2 times for speeding, both times they let me out without a fee.

I had 3 close calls:
[li]on a multi lane a van came into my lane from left (I honked and it got back)[/li] [li]at the dragon an oncoming Harley came into my lane[/li] [li]a car came into my lane from left, I had to draw aside to the (paved) shoulder
[/li]

Do you remember which states you were in and if you really were speeding?
I hope they didn't just notice the unusual rear tag and use speeding as an excuse to check you out.

No, no. Both times they had a reason of about 20 mph to stop me/us.

First time I was alone in Zion/Utah. Looking for a campground I rolled from a 40 mph into a 25 mph zone without noticing and reducing speed. The second was together with Kenny in Colorado, as he mentioned already here:
http://www.cb1100forum.com/forum/showthr...pid=242353

Btw. the math is quite easy: divide the mph by 5 and multiply with 8, e.g.
55 mph: 55 / 5 = 11; 11 * 8 = 88 km/h (exact value is: 89 km/h)
or 35 mph: 35 / 5 = 7; 7 * 8 = 56 km/h
But don't tell.
(Also my gps showed the speed limits in km/h. Was quite accurate for ~95% of the speed limits.)

[Cormanus]

It's a great comfort they stopped you too, Django. I thought such sport was reserved for Pterodactyl and me: http://cb1100forum.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=5972

[Jurlie_imp]

This entry is out of Sequence: I finished with day 3 of Djangos ride through Utah and this picks up the AM of day four:

Day 4:

We roll back into Hanksville in the truck, pic up the bikes we left in an RV campground, load the bikes and move them about 100 yards to a restaurant.


This Honda Rebel 500 had Illinois plates. He has more instant street cred with me then the guys riding the two wheeled road barge RV's:








Our bikes next to the Rebel:



Django and I finished a solid greasy spoon breakfast and rolled down the road southeast towards Natural Bridges Monument to get a campsite. Plan was after solidifying the sleeping quarters we would head to Mexican Hat via the Moki Dugway Switchbacks to have dinner at the Swinging Steak restaurant. A place I've been trying to eat at for the past 4-5 years since a close friend and fellow rider told me about it. They have an off-season and every time I'm down there I seem to hit it when they're closed.

We were chased by large, isolated high desert thunder cells most of the day but got lucky and were never caught:







We made it to Natural Bridges, reserved our site, and then remounted the bikes and made a concerted effort to out run the last thunder cell which from all appearances was attempting to intercept us at the Moki Switchbacks. To add to it all, somewhere out there was Flyn Rider looking to intercept us. We passed him as he was heading towards Natural Bridges and we were heading to the Switchbacks. I was looking for a RED CB like in his Avatar but something told me the loaded down, blue Nighthawk with a heavily bug splattered plexi glass fairing was our fellow forum member.

We made the switchbacks ahead of the storm: That's Django ahead of the car heading down.







We took a few pics and pressed on to Mexican Hat. I was convinced I could smell the steak from the top of the Switchbacks.

Day 5 shortly:
A few additional Pics from Day 4:

FINALLY I have my steak cooking. It was worth the 4-5 year wait. Cooked over an open cedar fire:



The steak:



Navajo cooks:



As we were heading back up the switchbacks to our campsite at NBNM. since we had missed the storm we took some pics back on the Switchbacks:

Django with the sandstone formation in the background which gave the town its name:



Back on the Switchbacks:





My sparse sleeping quarters back at Natural Bridges:


At the end of day four we find Flyn Rider waiting for us back at the NBNM Campground. We make acquaintances and head to bed shortly thereafter. Was a long hot day of riding.

Day 5: We break camp, load the bikes and take the approx. 10 mile one way loop through the park. I'd camped here several times during the winter coming here specifically to watch meteor showers due to the dark night sky and had never actually driven into the monument proper. Lots of nice view points and short hikes down into the canyon to see some well preserved Anasazi ruins.

Breaking camp:



My posse and their iron horses:



Pop Quiz: guess which one is the German?



Lots of archeological sites down in this canyon complex:



After completing the loop we head out of the park and east towards Blanding for lunch. The ride is devoid of traffic, as it's been for the last 4 days.

After lunch and gassing up we head north towards Moab and once again just barely miss a thunder cell which drenched the road moment before we get to the section.




Almost to Moab we stop at a road side attraction. hot as all get out in our gear we get some ice cream and Django has his picture taken with 'Mater'





We get to Moab and check into our Hotels and decide we have enough time to ride out to Dead Horse Point state park and take in some stellar views of canyonland National Park. Check the weather app and it looks good.

Off we go.....only to get pounded by ANOTHER fast moving afternoon storm cell on top of an open plateau that is throwing down lightning bolts and moderate heavy rain. To add a dose of drama to it we're stopped in the park because road crews repairing the surface are moving equipment and barricades off a section that's down to one lane. After about a 15 minute soaking we're allowed to move on.



Dead Horse Point:






Afterwards we head back to town, put on some dry clothes and head to dinner at a Mexican restaurant on the corner across from the Gonzo Inn where Django and I are staying. We end the day with a couple of beers on our balcony while Django calls his wife and updates some of his blog posts.

Here ends day 5 of Django's tour though southern Utah.

Could you please show your route (on map or just name visited places)?
I think I saw Arizona and Utah, but places in your photos are even more beautiful then I've seen.

[Jurlie_imp]

It's stunning scenery, isn't it?

You bet!

Was that a part of the West Coast rally? I've just learned about that thing. So regret I was missing it last 3 years for which I own the CB.