Morning at the Capitol Reef Inn |
The kiva at sunrise |
The hummingbirds are busy |
And eager riders prepare for their day |
Dien packs up his gear |
Map of day 3's ride, approximately 310 glorious miles |
We ride to Hanksville and eat breakfast at Blondie's |
Secrets are revealed to Marty and Suzan and shared with the guys |
The Hog Springs Rest Area near Glen Canyon |
Suzan and Marty go exploring... |
... and use the bridge as a trampoline! |
View from the bridge over the creek |
Red bike and red rocks |
This natural rock amphitheater is adjacent to the rest stop |
Lake Powell panorama |
Arm streching exercises at the scenic overlook |
This sign at the viewpoint recounts some of the area's history |
Dien captures the group and the view in a panoramic shot |
Ron observes that it's a long way down |
Judy wisely photographs the rest of us perched on a boulder |
After leaving the viewpoint, Judy fires up her camera |
These "triptychs" give you a sense of the ride |
We're traveling through a very scenic area |
Judy keeps snapping photos as we speed along |
Here are some of Judy's shots, one at a time. That's Lake Powell on the right. |
Curve ahead! |
Approaching the bridge over the inlet to the lake |
At the back of the pack |
Another scenic vista |
A pleasant sweeper |
What a delightful road! |
Natural Bridges National Monument panorama |
Big bad bikers at the Sipapu Bridge viewpoint |
Mike showing off his new look |
There could be a career in modeling for this guy |
Ready to ride to the next viewpoint |
There are great views along the short trails to the overlooks |
This is a second viewpoint for the Sipapu Bridge |
The bridge is easier to see in this telephoto shot |
You can read all about the Sipapu Bridge here |
Natural Bridges panorama: Kachina Bridge |
Kachina Bridge |
Walking to the Kachina Bridge viewpoint: Hey, you! |
Near the Kachina Bridge overlook |
A red K1200RS looks good just about everywhere |
Walking back from the viewpoint (somewhat more slowly) |
Marty leads the entourage |
The rest of the gang is close behind |
You with the camera AGAIN? |
180 feet in length and 27 feet in width, Owachomo is the smallest and thinnest of the three natural bridges here |
Another panoramic view of Owachomo Bridge |
The view from beneath Owachomo Bridge |
Dien discovers that it's cool and comfortable under the bridge |
Soon, the rest of us are "cooling it" |
Owachomo Bridge trolls |
The experience was well worth the short hike |
We resume our ride and soon arrive at the Moki Dugway |
Moki Dugway panorama |
As you can see, there are no guard rails |
Ed and Judy stop and wave the group past |
Ed snaps a few shots while the group rides by... carefully |
Ron concentrates while Marty waves |
Mike is followed by Jim and Suzan |
Making our way down the hill |
People on this road tend to be courteous. A truck waits for the group to pass. |
Another panorama from the top of Moki Dugway |
The group winds down the hill |
Are those our people waaaay down there? |
Isn't this a cool place? |
We're almost to the bottom |
The rest of the group is waiting for us slowpokes |
We stop at the San Juan Inn in Mexican Hat for lunch |
In addition to a restaurant, there' s a hotel and a trading post |
The Inn is on a cliff overlooking the murky San Juan River |
While waiting for lunch, Ed snaps a few photos |
Highway 163 crosses the San Juan here |
We each get a wonderful Navajo Taco |
We stop for gas and a cool drink in Kayenta |
A "reservation puppy" -- there are many strays on the rez |
On the road we encounter a herd of sheep |
Their sheep dog herds them along |
There's a black sheep in just about every flock |
At the Holiday Inn in Chinle, we have time to freshen up |
This critter has all the time in the world |
We take the south rim scenic drive at Canyon de Chelly |
We stop for a pose at the Tunnel Overlook |
A Navajo artisan offers jewelry for sale |
There! How about that one? |
We drive to the end of the south rim road to the Spider Rock Overlook |
Spider Rock panorama |
Spider Rock is arguably the signature formation in Canyon de Chelly |
Spider Rock makes a great backdrop for a group photo |
Speaking of context... |
White House Overlook panorama |
Below is White House Ruins |
This is the only place you're allowed to hike into the canyon without a guide |
Here's another panoramic treatment of the White House Overlook |
Ron and Marty seem to like it here |
As do Jim and Suzan |
Junction Overlook panorama |
Tsegi Overlook panorama |
A full moon peeks over the canyon rim |
Ron surprises Marty with the hat of her dreams |
It goes well with her orange overpants (see previous photo) |