Motorcycle Tours through any of our Nations’ most scenic places are always adventurous and highly rewarding. Our motorcycle tour of Historic Route 66 and the Grand Canyon this past October was no exception. With only four days to ride our itinerary was ambitious. We hoped to cover a lot of ground and experience as much of the glorious Desert Southwest as possible. The plan was as follows:

• Day 1: Salt Lake to Kingman, AZ via Las Vegas, Boulder City, Lake Mead
• Day 2: Kingman, AZ to North Rim Grand Canyon via Route 66, Williams, South Rim, Jacob Lake
• Day 3: North Rim Grand Canyon to Duck Creek, UT via Jacob Lake, AZ, Kanab, UT
• Day 4: Duck Creek, UT to Salt Lake via Bryce Canyon, Capitol Reef, Torrey, Manti

With over 500 miles to ride, our first day was to begin before sunrise. We arrived in St. George at lunch time and enjoyed a nice visit and a good meal at Five Guys. My parents were living there at the time so we were able to meet them for about an hour over some burgers and fries. Whenever one of my motorcycle adventure tours happens to take me near friends or family, I always try to manage a brief rendezvous. “Road reunions” always lend another welcome aspect to any motorcycle adventure tour and this was no exception. We then burned down into Las Vegas, through Boulder City, NV., over Hoover Dam and Lake Mead then finally into Kingman, AZ. This was a good but long day in the saddle and we were ready for our comfortable K.O.A. Kabin, a hot shower and a tasty campstove meal.

Our second day was more relaxed and ohhhh so beautiful. We picked up Historic Route 66 in Kingman. The 100 mile stretch eastward through Hackberry, Peach Springs, Seligman and Williams is a great two lane highway through the past. These historic places are fun to see today as they have tried to keep the nostalgia alive. Then just 60 miles straight north through the Kaibab Nat’l Forest is the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. Grand Canyon adventure motorcycle touring is some of the most rewarding and spectacular riding any adventurer could ask for. This country is world famous for good reason! What better way to immerse oneself in this country than out in the open air atop a competent adventure motorcycle?

After worshiping the view from the South Rim for a time, we began the final leg of the day toward the North Rim Campground. I could never get tired of riding this route! It’s almost too much beauty in one day, it’s definitely too much for words, you just have to see it to get it. After a brief sandwich and fuel up at Jacob Lake, we finally made our way to our campsite right ON the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. This had to be one of the coolest campsites I have ever seen or imagined. From our campsite at over 8,000 feet we watched the sun set over the Grand Canyon and took tons of photos. A nice hot fireside dinner and a recounting of the day’s incredible journey took us well into the night.


Day three was also a stellar ride. We rode Scenic 89 through Kanab, Utah where we stopped to visit my Grandmother’s sister and her Husband. They are about 90 years old and are 100% legitimate old school western cowboy types. They have lived and ranched in Kanab since the fall of Rome and it’s great to visit with them and just listen to authentic stories of historic Southern Utah life. After cookies, diet cokes and some worthwhile conversation, we blazed north and settled in at Duck Creek, Utah. This too is highly scenic country and well worth checking out.

The final day was another long but very scenic one. We rode to Bryce Canyon Nat’l Park, then along the world renowned Utah Highway 12 to Torrey, Utah and Capitol Reef Nat’l Park. Not one mile was boring! This is God’s Country! Motorcycle adventure touring through many of America’s greatest treasures, is what some of us live and work for. There are few things as therapeutic and instructive as experiences like these. Visit www.adventureriderstouring.com and book a trip to remember.