I slept in, the heat of the previous day had taken it out of me. By the time i got going it was 10am and already 34 deg. By the time i reached Las Vegas it was already topping 45. The traffic was chaotic and the traffic light sequences are long. There were cars and RVs overheating spilling coolant onto the road to trap unwary motorcyclists. Well Vegas is not my favourite place, maybe i am just not cut out for the razzle dazzle. I was glad to leave and head east towards the Grand Canyon. I started out at 6am in the cool of the morning, following route 66.
Stopping at the towns along the way, was very interesting, i learnt that it was the old road to the goldfields of California, tough times getting through the desert. It was then onto the Grand Canyon, i had been watching little tornadoes forming in the desert all morning, it was fascinating watching the red soil spiral up and then disappear. I watched one particular one with interest as it formed close to the road. As i got closer it moved into my path. It was the strangest sensation as i rode through the whistling air, it felt like time was standing still, even the roar of the engine seemed to die away. It must have only been a second, it seemed like minutes as i burst through the other side and was pushed across the road. After that i made sure i kept a closer watch on them, strange but my helmet was full of red dust, it looked like i had dyed my greys.
There were masses of people at the south rim of the Grand Canyon parking even the bike was a problem, i got some looks as i parked in front of the cars under a tree. The sight certainly does not disappoint, it is deep and wide and mind blowingly big. Different colours and shadows are forever changing the views, it is hard to photograph and try and get the perspective.
After a few hours at the canyon i left and spent the afternoon in a route 66 town called Williams. Beautifully preserved biuldings and streetscapes, very pleasant to walk around, i should have stayed but decided to move on to Prescott. When i got there i found a rodeo was on this weekend and i couldnt find a room so i moved on towards Phoenix. Black Canyon city became my stop in a non to celubrious place oh well up early again to beat the heat.
