By Mike Lavelle
This article will conclude a three-part series recounting a recent motorcycle trip to Bryce and Zion Canyons, covering 1,666 miles in a group of 3 motorcycles and 1 car. At the last part of our week-long trip, (Friday), we departed St. George and took I-15 north towards Cedar City, to the Zion Kolob exit. Only a quarter mile off of I-15, the Kolob Fingers Road Scenic Byway offers lots of spectacular views in a five mile and over 1,000-foot climb. We had to put on our rain gear and experienced some hail. It is not every day you see motorcycles out and about when there is hail. Riding in the Southwest in May can bring all sorts of weather, even in one day.
Kolob Canyons, while not as popular as the main sights of Zion, offer a different scenic view from Bryce and Zion Canyons. The red sandstone canyons have a unique geological history and are home to a diverse animal and plant life. At the beginning of the road there is a visitor’s center that offers lots of interesting information regarding the area. Following our short ride to the summit and back, we returned to St. George via I-15 south.
Photo from https://pxhere.com
On Saturday May 18th, we left St. George on 15 north to SR 9 towards Hurricane. We then took SR 59 south where it intersected with SR 89, heading south-east towards Jacob’s Lake. We stopped for lunch at Jacob Lake Inn in Arizona, (which was a very quaint restaurant nestled in the forest). Jacob Lake is at the junction of US Route 89A and State Route 67, which goes to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. Continuing on SR 89, we went towards Cameron, where we gassed up and took SR 89 south, which ran into Route 66, and we then went west on I-40 to Flagstaff. At our hotel, we met and talked with a group of motorcyclists from France; they were members of a Harley-Davidson riding club (in France) and were traveling on a 21-day Route 66 and western states trip. Since Route 66 goes through Flagstaff, the local areas are very popular with Europeans who ride motorcycles through Route 66, the Grand Canyon, and other locals in the larger area. Apparently, the lure of the open road, the charm of the Southwest, and the legends (and movies) of cowboys and Indians all contribute to a mystique that makes Route 66, and other sights, a very popular travel destination for Europeans. For many Europeans, Route 66 represents and offers something about America that is not easily seen in the big cities, which is an opportunity to see the real undisguised and unfiltered “Americana.” Apparently, many European tour companies offer special Route 66 tours, and what better way for a European to see the open roads of America than to see it riding on an American Harley-Davidson. (Disclosure, I ride a BMW K1300S – but this will make my Harley friends, Dave and Jim, very happy).
Our last day was Sunday, May 19th, and we departed Flagstaff (the same time as our French riders) and we went south on 17 to Camp Verde. At Camp Verde we intersected 260 which becomes 87 towards Payson. Staying on 87, we went south towards Mesa and exited to the Bush Highway, (which passes the Salt River Tubing area, which is a very popular spot). At the tubing area, we turned south on Usury Pass Road (which becomes North Ellsworth Road) to University Avenue, where we turned east towards Apache Junction and went southeast on East Old West Highway to 60, to Florence Junction, where we joined state road 79 south through Florence to Oracle. We then took state road 77 south, west on Tangerine to Twin Peaks and south to I-10, and I-10 to Vail at the Colossal Cave exit.
