Nogales and the beginning of the ride

Finally I made it to Tucson. Just before we went on the ride to Nogales I looked out my hotel window and this was the sight that greeted me. Sure glad they are crows and not vultures.

The next morning was the ride to touch the fence in Nogales Arizona. What a nice gesture this proved to be. The people of Nogales were most welcoming.

Here I am parked in a line of bikes. Before the ceremonies started.

Here is the fence. 1 side Arizona USA and the otherside Mexico.

Here I am touching the fence. Making it a true 3 flags classic.

Here I am with a nice policeman from Nogales Arizona. I was asked by one of the police how long I had been riding a motorcycle . I said about 40 years, Oh wait a minute, I am only 39 years old. Gee I must have been born on a motorcycle.

The shadow on this picture was too bad. The police in Nogales ride BMW's and this guy could practically make this bike stand on its head. He was an excellent rider.

So this guy standing in front of this bike drives up. He is from the Nogales bikers and is the Chief of Police in Nogales Mexico. He opens up this trailer. That is a disco ball hanging inside on the lid. Takes out that speaker and has a sound system and a stage. The guy in the trailer is a deputy mayor of Nogales Arizona and he is thanking us all for coming. It was quite a production but very welcoming. The Mexican chief of police then took whoever wanted to go into Mexico for a ride and about 25 went. The rest were relegated to 3 restaurants which had buffets for us and we were joined by dignitaries and other officers. I had a dish that was a horrible green but turned out to be marlin in a sauce. It was very good.

 

You are not allowed to hang any banners on the Mexican fence so they used this one into parking lot. It worked.

This is Blake Anderson the president of the 3 Flags Committee.

 

 

Just outside Tucson

 

We pulled over after leaving Tucson at 3:30 AM and 3 of us stayed on the highway but Tonni went down into the pull out and it was sloped pretty bad and he fell over so as the others helped him get up right  I took this opportunity to take a picture of the sunrise.

We stopped for fuel after that and I took these pictures hopefully so one could see the lovely terrain we were riding through.

 

Boise Idaho. The trees are starting to turn.

The next stop was a rest area we stopped at briefly and I took pictures.

 

 

This was the checkpoint at Walla Walla Washington. I thought it looked a little crude. Why was it not right in the Hampton Inn. Well I guess they had tents overhead but about 2 hours before we arrived this tremendous wind came up and blew everything away.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Utah to Tuscon Arizona

Well I left off on the Escalante Staircase heading for Flagstaff. At some point you go past entrance to Bryce Canyon and some of the rock formations are indicative of what you find in the park. And then you go through 2 beautiful red tunnels and into Red Canyon. I have actually been here before but took some more really awesome pictures before putting on my rainsuit in Mt Carmel Junction.

 

 

This is a continuation of the staircase. Awesome colors and just rock, rock, rock everywhere.

 

Now this is just outside Bryce Canyon. Utah is so diverse with different rock throughout. I find it a very fascinating place. Colorful and the vistas go on forever.

 

 

In Red Canyon

 

 

So on to Mt Carmel Junction and putting on the rainsuit. Sure glad I did. It was a cold wet journey through the reservation and Kanab. I was never so happy to see a MacDonald's sign as I came down out of the hills cold and alone only to find it was an advertisement for the one in Tuba City and nowhere nearby at all. I fueled up at a little Indian service station and headed for Flagstaff. The wind picked up and it was pouring rain as I entered the city. I glanced over and saw a Super 8 checked for traffic and headed in. Whew! Nice room and a restaurant across the parking lot. The next morning the rain had let up and the sky was blue to continue on the next leg of the journey. Down Lake Mary Road towards Tuscon. As I got nearer I crossed this awesome bridge at Roosvelt Dam. So nice to be able to stop and take pictures as once on the 3 Flags there is no time for dawdling and picture taking but we would be retracing those steps I had just covered only it was Tuscon to Torrey 667 miles in one day and I had just taken 2 days to cover it.

 

 

The water levels were way down in the reservoirs. Not as bad here as in California.

Lots of Saguaro cactus in the hills now and I noticed the barrel cactus were in bloom but did not get any pictures. Yes I finally felt like I was in Arizona. I arrived at the Doubletree Hotel for the start. They took my picture as I arrived for my passport. Tonni, Mark, and Marshall who were to be my companions on this journey greeted me and then I finally checked in at my hotel down the road La Quinta. I saw a lot of friends and the next day was the Touch the Fence ride to Nogales which I will tell about in my next episode.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Continuing 3 Flags Trip

Right now I am in Lone Pine California after an incredible trip to the BMW rally in Quincy but first lets play catch up. After leaving Lava Hot Springs my next destination was Torrey Utah. Now I have been to Cedarbreaks and Zion and Bryce but never did I get to Capitol Reef National Park. It is absolutely my favorite and I can hardly wait to return.

This was my view from my room at The Rim Rock. Stunning!

 

View of the back deck

I felt so decadent eating at such a great place and the food was excellent.

I went for a little walk after dinner and took this pictures of the red, red rock.

 

 

The following day I packed up and  continued my journey. But first I took a side trip into the Visitor centre in Capitol Reef National Park

 

There is an incredible orchard down by the Visitor  Centre that the settlers planted many years ago and for $1.00 you can pick a bag and eat them.

 

 

This is a hole worn into this rock and was probably used by the Indians to grind grain and herbs. I left the next morning travelling on  the Escalante Staircase. On top of a ridge with the rock falling away on both sides . All swirls and colors. Incredible. But first I had to go over Boulder mountain. I encountered many deer and range cows there and took these incredible Vistas

 

 

 

 

 

This is the beginning of the multicolored rock and the staircase.

 

 

Well I am plagued with fatigue right now so will continue this journey as soon as I can.