Your journey begins on Wednesday, Sept. 26 at the world-famous Bellagio Hotel - one of the top resorts in Las Vegas! Your bike will be ready and waiting for you. We depart on September 27 for fourteen days of incredible motorcycling. Our ride from Las Vegas takes us over the Hoover Dam and south to Kingman, then across western Arizona on the legendary Rt. 66 - the "Mother Road" of the USA.

Time seems to have stood still as we explore the roadside charm of towns like Hackberry, Peach Springs and Seligman. If anyone is inclined to add state #6 to our list of accomplishments for the trip, we can cross the Colorado River to visit Needles, CA - which often claims the honor of highest daily temperature in the USA.

After an overnight stop on Rt. 66 in Williams, AZ, we’ll take a turn south. The winding roads through the forested areas around Prescott and Jerome provide some of the best riding in Arizona, and you’ll be surprised that Arizona is not al desert. We arrive in Sedona early enough to spend time browsing the shops and galleries, as well as enjoy a sunset over the red rocks with our dinner.

The South Rim of the Grand Canyon is truly spectacular and we'll have two days to see it under the changing light of the Arizona sky. Stops at the best of the overlooks and lunch at the edge of the abyss will show us many perspectives of this wonder of the world. Options for our "day off" include hiking, a trek into the canyon on the back of a sure-footed mule, whitewater rafting, a helicopter ride, and more. Some of these excursions will require additional fees or advance reservation - we will be glad to help you make arrangements if you like.

We leave the South Rim for Springdale, Utah, and we’re taking the scenic route – the VERY scenic route! More than 5 million people visit the Grand Canyon each year, but only about 10 percent travel to the more remote north side. Our route takes us east, to the very head of the canyon, where it is only a few hundred feet wide. We will cross it on Navajo Bridge and turn west again to the thick pines of the Kaibab National Forest and the North Rim. Even if our destination was not the Grand Canyon, you’ll love the road!

Sheer cliffs of Navajo Sandstone rising 2,000 ft. above the green valley floor, narrow canyons cut by the Virgin River, and hiking trails with steep vertical drops offer numerous photo opportunities as we make our way through Zion National Park. Established in 1919, Zion meant “resting place” to the Mormon settlers in the area. Springdale is just outside the south gate of the Park. The Hamlet of Tropic is on the east side of Bryce Canyon National Park and was the home of Ebenezer Bryce, the namesake of the park. Local settlers would remark that the area was “a hell of a place to lose a cow." You will know why when you see it! The road from Tropic to Torrey is an incredibly unique desert ridge top road with memorable views on all sides. It’s one of those safe-but-scary experiences that makes traveling on two wheels such a thrill.

Capitol Reef National Park is larger than Zion and Bryce Canyon National Parks combined. The park was set aside to protect the Water Pocket Fold, a great hump on the earth’s surface stretching nearly 100 miles from Thousand Lake Mountain to Lake Powell. The “reef” is an up thrust ridge with a cliff face that rises above its surroundings and stands as a forbidding barrier to travel. On top of Capitol Reef are white domes of Navajo sandstone that early pioneers thought resembled the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C.

Our route takes us north, and over the next few days we'll visit areas famous for both natural beauty and their Native American Heritage. Canyonlands, Arches, Natural Bridges and other points of interest lend plenty of opportunities for hiking and photography. Monument Valley, with its unique sandstone features rising from the desert floor, is home to the Navajo People. Roadside traders offer a vast assortment of truly unique Native American jewelry and other artful items. The local Navajo give backroad jeep tours of the region and their perspective on the history and culture of the region is an interesting complement to our view from two wheels.

Now comes the "extended" part of the trip. Since we departed Las Vegas, we have primarily been in the desert and forests - with a few small mountains sprinkled in. Some REAL mountains would be nice for a change. No problem - we will ride east into Colorado. The road to Durango also takes us to Mesa Verde National Park, home of some of the most extensive and well-preserved Native American in existence.

The next day we have off. Spend the time in Durango or come along on a ride on another of the most famous and beautiful roads in America, the San Juan Skyway. It includes the the "Million Dollar Highway", so named because there are actually flecks of low grade gold ore the road bed. We will visit Telluride and Ouray, the "little Switzerland" of Colorado along the way, and maybe even take a relaxing soak in a natural hot spring. This is gorgeous country, and the lush green forests, swift streams, and mountain lakes are a dramatic contrast to the stark Canyonlands of Utah.

Our departure from Durango points us in the direction of northern New Mexico and continues through the countryside surrounding Taos. The terrain changes once again from forests and rolling hills to the more rugged landscape of Central New Mexico. Small villages and Indian reservations line our route, and we observe a lifestyle that is held over from days past. We spend our final night before arriving in Albuquerque in Santa Fe, capitol of New Mexico and home to dozens of historical sites, many of them clustered around the central plaza and the Palace of the Governors - the oldest municipal building in the United States. Spend part of the next day exploring Santa Fe. It’s not far to Albuquerque, and we’ll arrive in the afternoon. The Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, the largest gathering of hot air balloons on earth. You will stand under a daybreak sky filled with literally hundreds of balloons ascending at once. In the evening there’s a Glowdeo – balloons lit from within by their gas burners – and Fireworks. Want a ride in a balloon? Not a problem!

After a couple of days in Albuquerque, we will bid farewell. You will take a nice, comfortable flight home and we will safely transport your bike back to you.