Thursday, July 21


Sat in my beautiful room this morning, drinking coffee, bloggin and looking out at the rock and mountains outside the window. No buildings, just scenery. It was a very nice place, the Monument Valley Inn in Kayenta, Arizona. It was a huge room, with a sofa, coffee table and desk with a chair. The bathroom was huge, but there was one strange thing. There was no toilet paper holder, just the roll sitting on the back of the tank. I find that rather odd since the room is just perfect otherwise, right down to beautiful artwork on the wall. I stayed and enjoyed the room and drank coffee since this was the most expensive one of the trip, $109 plus tax. The intent was to get on the road about 10 or so, and stop frequently after I hit Flagstaff since that's where it will really start to heat up. I will get to Spinner's sometime around 5. She gave me directions last night. Incredibly, all the folks I've visited have had places easy for me to find, or maybe they just give good directions??

This was one of the metal signs I saw during my travels; they are beautiful.  (This was on my out of the way travel yesterday when trying to find Angel Fire.)  There are many different types but this is one of fighting elk. 

The day was a superb riding day with the temperature just right, the roads pretty much clear of traffic, and scenery that made you stand up and pay attention. Red rock, tan rock, winding roads, tall trees. It was all there. I got the first 150 miles to Flagstaff done in good order. Had a bite to eat and then got back to it since I knew the hard part was coming with temperatures in the hundreds.


The second part of the journey was still pretty good for the first 30 or 40 miles, but then it started to heat up. I stopped at the Harley shop in Anthem and an employee there pointed me to the water. She said I looked like I needed it. She also told me to take a roadie, which I did. She also told me what time it was, but I didn't really comprehend.

Interesting to me that they shave the llamas for their fur and the beasts end up looking like groomed French poodles.  The tufts around the legs are patricularly interesting.

Now the hard part ... the last 30 miles into Phoenix, but surprisingly my vest and neck snake were working pretty well, and while I knew it was over a hundred, I was handling it well. I got on the 101, exited at Thunderbird and found a place to park in the shade. I couldn't find the directions to Spinner's, and thought I'd lost them. In reality, they were right where I left them, inside my mapbook in my saddlebag. And then I checked my phone, only to find out, in thinking I was late, I'd gained an hour and was actually a little early. Imagine.


I called Spinner who was on her way home. She told me to stay in the shade and she'd call me when she got home. She did, and I went along and found the house. She had the garage door open, and we slid on in.


Spinner and I just sat a bit, then went to eat at a Cheesecake Factory. I did not know they had WAY more than cheesecake. Chicken piccata is pretty good, and then we took home mango Key lime cheesecake. I had to get into it later, and it was to die for. Tart and sweet all in one, creamy filling, talk about decadent. I had to put it away.


So, tired, tired, tired. Gotta sleep. ZZZzzzzzzzz .........