I somehow missed the word we were not eating breakfast at the Bonnie Springs Ranch. So I got real fast service being the only diner at 8:30 am. Bill blessed our bikes with Holy Water, and we were off. Our first stop was the breakfast buffet at the Red Rock Casino.
Way too long on the 215 freeway around the west side of Vegas finally got us towards our destination. A supposedly quick stop at Zion Harley Davidson turned into an extended stop for lunch on the first day Buffalo's Southwestern was open for business. I think I have visited more Harley Davidson dealerships in the last week than in my entire life. More bits fall off these bikes than you can shake a stick at.
After I finally got my bill from Buffalos paid, we were off. The flattened plateaus of the sandy desert quickly changed to towering cliffs of limestone we neared the park. Some gusty cross winds made all our bikes slither across the freeway.
Once there, we were surrounded by dark red stained sandstone rock faces. A shuttle bus is the only transportation allowed past the Lodge into Zion Canyon. Where the canyon narrows along the Virgin River, a short river walk takes you to the bitter end. Warnings are posted beyond the paved trail to continue at your own risk. Parts of the river bed are literally swamp land due to the water seeping off the face of the cliff, and have the flora and fauna to match.
Wild Columbine and several other wild flowers dot the edge of the trail as it nears the mouth of the canyon pass. A humming bird flew up the face of the cliff, sipping on each wildflower along the way.Dinner at the Lodge Grill was a welcome treat. Our last two riders, Josh and Scott arrived today from Grand Junction. They ran into snow. We are now 12 bikes, 17 riders, and one chase car.
Todays slideshow:
No comments:
Post a Comment