First, sorry about the delay in updating you, caused by lack of wifi in the desert & a smidge of exhaustion due to some looong days, but here goes.  You might like to grab a coffee first.

ACROSS THE DESERT

Buggar, just lost this entry so will come back later.

Once H&J had sorted their gear, we set off through Palm Springs to Lake Havasau.  We were in for a bit of a shock as we hit the desert immediately after leaving LA.  Of course, early a’noon was the worst possible time & we copped the end of a heat wave – 120F in Vegas.  We reckon the desert temp was 45C plus!  The guys coped well, but Jayne & I had to contend with extra heat from the engine & pipes, as well as heat from the six lane freeway & endless passing big rigs – phoooeeee!   We were forced to make a couple of stops & eventually had to wait until the sun set.  Quickly we discovered the benefits of wetting our merino t-shirts & jean legs and were very grateful for our gel neckties, camelbacks & gatorade.  I found it ‘cooler’ to wear my facemask, believe it or not!

Our journey to Lake Havasau ended at midnight, rather weary but still very warm.  Desperate for a cooling swim, I convinced the motelier to open the pool & we gleefully jumped in – only to find it was a mere 35C, OMG, nothing cools in the desert.

ROUTE 66

Next day, a very early start to beat some of the heat for our shortened journey along Route 66 to Flagstaff.  A quick ride over the rebuilt London Bridge & we were off.  This was a gorgeous biker ride through amazing desert scenery & high bluffs.  Lots of photo stops – at one point, we spotted several condors circling& thought they were eyeing up H&J!  Oops, no gas at Oatman (in fact, not much of anything) so the guys had to backtrack, leaving all the bags (yes, including R&J) to fill in 30mins watching the mule-poo sweeper in action – I mean, slow-motion.  Had brekkie in a quaint saloon & fed quarters into a pianola that made a dreadful din, despite being warned by the locals.  Met lots of bikers in town & swapped travellers tales.

Loved Route 66.  A changing view with undulating road disappearing across the desert pan and land for sale – what the heck??  We figured they were rock farms.  Kingman was pretty, had vintage railway; Seligman & its cowboy town shop fronts; Williams for America’s smallest snowfreeze – only 75c & piled a mile high!

Fabulous swim at Flagstaff, much cooler at 26C so utter bliss.  Italian for dinner, walls covered in photos of old movie stars so we had fun guessing names.

GRAND CANYON

After experiencing the heat of the desert & some long days riding, we shortened our journey to the Grand Canyon & back-tracked a bit through Williams. This time, to Howard’s delight, we found a great cafe that served NZ style coffee & NZ sized biscuits & muffins – not the SUPERSIZE we were becoming used to.  Very cute taps/faucets in the washroom that worked like oldfashioned water pumps – something different everywhere we go.

Stopped at Cameron for Jayne to enjoy lots of traditional Indian gift & jewellery shoppping.  The restaurant had an amazing ornate pressed tin ceiling & huge sideboard.  Managed to fill the camelback with lots of ice, this was great!  The Harleys drew lots of attention, everyone is keen to chat & tell a tale or two.

WOW!!! Our first views of the Grand Canyon were breathtaking.  Nothing can describe how truly vast this great cavity is – it was awesome.  The a’noon light was magical & we spent quite a bit of time admiring the views after check-in, just trying to take it all in.  Lots of cute squirrels & fairly tame condors (tagged No.21 & No.22) entertained us too.

Met a bunch of Kiwis in the bar before dinner beside a picture window with a panoramic view of the canyon – perfect!

LAS VEGAS
Decided to abandon our optimistic plans to circumnavigate the canyon as 700kms would be a huge day & the bright lights of Vegas were beckoning so we took a more direct route but still managed to fill the day.

… more will follow but time for lights out now.  Our days are full & busy & typing on this mini PC with its sticky keys, especially after a drink or 2 is a tad frustrating.