Week 5 peterbrownroute66

Sunday 06.10.13 peterbrownroute66, Route 66 blog, Get Your Kicks On Route 66

We have left the state of New Mexico and are now in Arizona, and have gained another hour so we are now 8hrs behind the UK. Jane has taken us on some more scenic routes and the odd dirt track for good measure. We still headed for the petrified forest and as we thought the gates were shut. Gutted as we were looking forward to this and for tho's who don't know this was a forest 225 million years ago during the Triasic Era. It was covered with volcanic mudflows and after numerous chemical re-actions took place it turned the wood into stone. Only the native Indians are permitted to sell it so we headed straight for Stewarts Petrified wood shack and we bought a branch, some nuggets and jewellery. I think Bertha will need some adjustment to her suspension when we get back. Anyway we had planned checking in at the wigwam hotel in Holbrook, but felt it lacked some of the creature comforts and as we are here for a couple of nights we have now checked into a nice motel with rapid wi fi.

 

We love seeing and hearing these trains

 

Dirt tracks are ok but you dare not stop as you have no grip under foot to hold the bike up

 

I was temped to jump the fence

 

This is a tree trunk with the end polished

 

Pam spending my money again

 

These are so unreal and can not believe it was once wood

 

Wigwam Hotel at Holbrook

 

Monday 07.10.13 peterbrownroute66, Route 66 blog, Get Your Kicks On Route 66

Tomorrow we will be detouring from Route 66 for several days and picking it up at Flagstaff. So we don't miss anything we have rode within 10 miles of Flagstaff then doubled back to our base camp. It might seems daft but there were points of interest that we wanted to visit which was another petrified forest trading post so Pam could spend some more of my money. The small town of Winslow, then onto a very big hole that was caused 50,000 years ago by a huge iron meteorite, then onto two deserted trading posts which were the Two Guns and Twin Arrows. Money is now getting tight so Pam is on the phone ordering a pizza delivery for tea.

 

Even the small logs weigh a tonne so god knows how they got this here

 

Q

Our spoils

 

Guess where we took this

 

550ft deep equivalent to a 60 story building

 

Two guns trading post ( Wow )

 

Unsure why these closed down as they were not cut off by the interstate 40

 

Tuesday 08.10.13 peterbrownroute66, Route 66 side trip

As we are heading into Indian territory where alcohol is banned Pam has ditched some more clothes and I've got shut of a pair of socks and are now stocked up with 4.5 litres of wine and a can of beer. The ride has been fantastic again other than some areas which had very strong side winds and even had tumble weed blowing across the road in front of us. We are now at Chinle Arizona which is home to the Apache Indians, and has a small canyon just out of town called Canyon De Chelly. I had originally only planned a one night stop here but had to make it two due to our next destination not being available on the dates we wanted. This however will give us some time to chill and re-charge the batteries ( not that there flat ) also lost an hour today so back to 7hrs behind the UK.

 

On route to Chinle

 

 

Canyon de Chelly

 

I'm glad the wind has dropped

 

You can imagine John Wayne coming around the corner being chased by a load of Indians

 

Wednesday 09.10.13 peterbrownroute66, Route 66 side trip

What did I say before we were going to chill and recharge the batteries, chance would be a fine thing. We decided to do the rideable perimeter of the canyon which has designated viewing points. By the time we finished we had clocked up 58 miles. After that had a 2hr horse ride through parts of the canyon now that was the hard bit. Pam just thought the horse knew where it was going and didn't realize you had to steer it, and all hers wanted to do was go back to the stables. Then the other problem was getting out of 1st gear anyway she managed it but wasn't to happy with 3rd and 4th and I must admit I wasn't either. Give me a motorbike any day. Talk about saddle sore is nothing, we now both have baboon bums and are walking like John Wayne. Can not wait to get back on the bike tomorrow. O'h before I forget you may not get anything from us for a couple of days as we are heading deep into apache territory.

 

Remnants of old houses

 

All the views are breath taking

 

Gee up neddy

 

Old apache markings dating back to the 1800s

 

Bonnie & Clyde

 

Thursday 10.10.13 peterbrownroute66, Route 66 side trip

Good news wi fi is slow but it does work here. We had a very wet and windy ride to monument valley and are staying for 2 nights at gouldings lodge in the Navajo region which is in the state of Utah. The scenery on-route was one of the best we have ridden and when you enter monument valley it is just breath taking, only thing was the weather and my pictures don't do it justice. The forecast is good for tomorrow so we are only enclosing a few of today and you will have to wait until tomorrow for the better ones.

 

Monument valley in the distance

 

 

This is at the back of our room. You will have to wait for the front view

 

Friday 11.10.13 peterbrownroute66, Route 66 side trip

Wow and Wow again, I always thought this would have been one of the highlights of the holiday and it has exceeded my expectations. I didn't realize how big monument valley was. We have done at least 100 miles exploring the different areas and even found a canyon within the park called the goose neck. We did try and attemp going up muley point which climbs a cliff with a series of hairpin bends, but when we got part way up we discovered it was gravel from there on so decided to turn back. We did however opt for a 2 1/2 hr trip in a open top 4x4 which was well worth the money, only thing is it kept stopping at the Indian jewellery stalls.

 

View from bedroom at 7.00 am this morning

 

 

 

Mexican Hat

 

Swan Neck Canyon

 

 

Boycotted the horse tour

 

Each monument has a name

 

 

The Eye

 

Necklace, earrings, & bracelet for $25

 

Saturday 12.10.13 peterbrownroute66, Route 66 side trip

It's strange most holidays are fixed around the destination and the travelling is the boring bit, but with the motor bike it's the opposite way round. The travelling from A to B being the best bit tagged with the sight seeing in between makes it all the better. Today started with a nice ride back into Arizona with our over night stop at Page ( the boring bit ) on route we had a couple of brew stops then visited Antelope Canyon which was fantastic. You walk through a tiny crack in the ground and enter vast caverns with lots of chambers all carved out by water. You have to take a guided tour as some tourists have died a few years ago due to flash floods. After that we had a boat trip on the Colorado River up to the exit point of the canyon. Then onto the dam at Page before checking into our hotel. Birtha is having a slight problem with her rear end, being a slow puncture which I can't trace. So I've bought a tin of puncture foam so hopefully that will sort it.

A request for more photos has been made so hopefully this will do?

I'm in the groove with feet on my foot pegs and soaking up the scenery

 

Beats star bucks coffee any day

 

Entrance to Antelope Canyon

 

Don't know what Pam's doing

 

All this has been carved out by water

 

 

 

 

Back to the light of day

 

A couple of steps to the right is a 150ft drop

 

Colorado River

 

Top water mark was reached 14years ago

 

Actual dinosaur foot prints created 170 million years ago

 

 

You can't beat a bit of foam in a squirty can

 

That completes our week 5. Click on newer post on the bottom left to get to week 6.

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