5 States in less than 5 Days

     Last June I nervously agreed to do a large motorcycle trip with my husband's family. This trip ended up being a whole lot of fun, especially since my husband's mom tagged along in her truck. So technically I cheated on this trip, when the going (weather) got tough, I got in the truck. We started out in Utah. Shane had a work thing so we didn't get on the road til lunchtime. Destination Casper, Wyoming that first night. This was where we would rendezvous with everyone else. Here I was on my own without the truck, but I was sporting my new 3 layer motorcycle coat that I was very excited to try out. In order to get there in a timely manner we didn't plan out a long picturesque drive through Utah. we went the Evanston I80 way to get there quicker. Wyoming has lots of land. Rolling hills, grazing cattle, and wind. Lots and lots of wind. As the temperatures dropped that wind gets very piercing and cold and I needed 3 more layers to my 3 layer coat. Needless to say after many hours we made it to Casper, and I was tired of being cold and tossed and buffeted by the wind for so long. The next day we regrouped. As we were heading along we decided to add on to our journey and make a quick jump up through the Black Hills of South Dakota which was a beautiful ride. The Black Hills are full of blue lakes and lots of pines and quaint towns. It was quite inspiring. We went all the way up to Mount Rushmore and spent 15 minutes there. Yes, 15 minutes was all we had time for, but somehow it was enough to see the monument and check out the museum.   

           We headed back down to Red Lodge, Montana which is at the base of Beartooth pass. The beartooth highway traces a series of steep zigzags and switchbacks, along the Montana-Wyoming border. The approximate elevation rise is from 5,200 ft to 8000 ft  in the most beautiful landscapes. At the top there is still plenty of snow and a rock formation off in the mountain range can be seen that resembles a bear tooth jutting up out of the mountain. We followed this route down through to Cody, Wyoming where we stayed the night. Cody has a rather large museum that has loads of history about the west, indians, climate, and geography. Luckily my husband's mom was there to walk around it with me since the guys never left the wing on guns.  
           We headed out back towards Montana. Along the way we passed Devils Tower. In Montana about an hour away from Billings is the Little Bighorn Battlefield national monument where we visited the site of Custer"s Last Stand. We spent several hours there walking the monument and hill and learning about this time in history.

            How could we be in this area and not drive through Yellowstone? Yellowstone is always fun and beautiful. I love the animals best. The buffalo and the big horned sheep. The temperature dropped in the 30s and we hit hail and snow, even in June. I was so glad for the truck. On the way towards home we stopped at Jackson Hole, WY. for lunch, then wound through Star Valley and into Idaho to complete our circuit back home.

A Day in the Life Of........

Utah Day Trip! Spring of 2014. I do love day trips, and Utah is so beautiful. There are so many different terrains and things to see. We started out at Thanksgiving point to enjoy lunch and the tulip festival. My favorite part of the day :) 
                                         

Second stop was Mount Timpanogus. Sadly the Alpine Loop was closed this day, but that is generally a very pretty drive. Nevertheless we still got to putt around the mountain.
                                                   

Onward to Bridal Veil falls. It's amazing what you can find just off the highways.
                                                  

Meanwhile.... Somewhere in the mountains behind Heber, this lovely winter scene requires us to turn back and find another way to Kamas.
                                                    

Jordanelle, where you wish the motorcycle doubled as a wave runner. Oddly, I have never been here before.
                                        

Last stop - Park City. Dinner and window shopping are always fun in this quaint mountain town.
                                                   

Home again. The simplicity and adventure minus the exhaustion of a one day ride.

Sunny Southern Utah

        The next trip of any significance was in 2013. We traveled down through southern Utah again but this time we headed towards Zion. However cold I may have been on the last trip was equaled by how HOT I was on this one. I quickly learned that there is a very narrow temperature range that is fitting on a motorcycle. 60 to 80 degrees is really right where you want to stay. It is harder to keep a pleasant countenance if you veer too much out of this range.

        We are headed to Bryce, and I am excited to not be cold! As we travel further and further south the sun beats down. It is summer and it is hot. A stifling choking hot. I really wish I could take off my jacket and wear shorts, but there is no escaping the sun and I can't risk the exposure.

         We stop at Goblin valley, and it is amazing. Truly one of nature's works of art. I would love to walk among all the hoodoos, but I don't get very far. It is too tempting to take the opportunity to shield myself from the sun in the bowery and pour water over myself. 

          On the way to Bryce we have a beautiful highway drive in the evening through a picturesque winding highway that takes us by remarkable scenery, formations, and across mountain tops. Then the rain rolls in. Luckily it is not too much further til we reach the hotel soaked, tired, and hungry. The storm promises to stick around for a few days, but we are lucky again because the next day we are able to travel around Bryce canyon and hike and enjoy without any weather problems. I wasn't even too hot.

          We prepare to leave the next morning. The storm has picked up again, and travels with us. I am thankful for the huge ugly bulgy bodysuit that my husband has bought for me. It is the most waterproof thing ever. It is quite an experience to speed down the lonely desert roads with lightning crashing not too far off around you. On the motorcycle, you are part of nature. It is a 3D experience. All your senses are tuned in to the environment around you. This is what makes it so amazing and awe inspiring on one hand, but also can be downright miserable and scary on the other.

The First Ride

       One would assume that traveling to southern Utah in May would be a pleasant sort of experience. I was a first timer. This was my first motorcycle. The year was 2012.....

        To introduce me to "the bike", my husband thought it would be fun to take a quick overnight trip down to Cedar City. Have a nice ride, enjoy a good dinner, stay in a hotel, and then come home. It sounded good; especially the dinner and hotel part. By the time we got there it was cold and amazingly windy. Dn't worry, it seems that wind does not push your bike over if you are on it. At least not yet. Rule number one: anything can and will happen on the bike which leads to Rule number two: be prepared. For anything. Seriously.

         We do get there, and we have a nice dinner in a nice restuarant on a cold ride up the canyon. Rule number three: even if you don't feel cold when you start out, you soon will be. Bone chilling miserable type cold that takes 3 days to warm up from. So just start out in enough body clothing that you are sweating profusely to give yourself a small chance of fighting the eventual cold. Rule number four: don't ride at night. See rule number three.

          The next morning we wake early to get a head start home (basically make a run for it). There is a nasty storm coming in hard. Rule number five; if you have any hair at all you need to get expert in braids, ponies or anything you can come up with to keep as much hair as possible contained. This prevents 3 hours of knot combing. There we are driving from Cedar City to Salt Lake in ridiculously cold weather without any stops because even one stop will cause the storm to overtake us. Rule number six: if at all possible don't travel 5 hours straight on a motocycle without allowing yourself an opportunity to get off for a break. I was so cold I was sure that my toes had hypothermia. This would not be the last time I have felt that way either. However each time I ride I get a little better prepared. It's a process and a learning curve for sure. Our subsequent trips have been full of adventure both good and bad and I am glad to catalog these trips because our time together and our experience is priceless.