Day 6: Easy Rider Tour – Monument Valley to Farmington NM

After breakfast in Kayenta, we loaded up and headed out.     Today would be a short day, but not short on scenery.     Monument Valley was a few miles away.      The wind had died down, the feral dogs were behind us, and we rode on in.     I never get sick of this place.

Easy Rider Monument Valley
In 1969, they rode it at dusk. We rode it at dawn.
Monument Valley 1969
Easy Rider Screenshot from 1969.   In 45 years, the scenery hasn’t changed much.
Captain America bike riding through Monument Valley
Dr. Phil, Riding Captain America through Monument Valley.   Riding this bike just makes you feel cool all over.

EagleRider had another plan for us.   A tour through the valley floor.    Another reason why they’re the best at what they do.    This wasn’t just a motorcycle tour, everything is about the experience.    Its just their mindset.

Little guy (me) didn’t go the bathroom before we left,  so I had to get that handled.  I was holding everyone up, and they took the opportunity to give me a ration of shit coming back to the tour trucks.    lol, perfect.  Felt like I was home.   All in good fun.

Our tour guide was Navajo, and shared his stories.   We weaved around the  valley floor while he told us of Navajo life, history, a little bit of the language, and locations.    A great little tour.

Monument Valley Easy Rider
Two Mittens, Monument Valley
2 mittens Easy Rider monument valley
2 Mittens, screenshot from Easy Rider in 1969
Monument Valley Truck Tour
Mr and Mrs Tczap, and me  (Mr Zip).     Enjoying a tour of valley floor.

 

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The draw of this place is that you can’t really take it all in. A picture is worthless, you just need to see it.
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John Ford Point, Monument Valley. For 2 bucks here, you can sit on a Gelding and pretend you’re master of all you survey. I like this beast, makes me look taller.
Joh Ford, John Ford Point
They Call it John Ford Point for a reason…
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The biggest difference between me and Ana, is she makes this look good.

A fun couple of hours, and another nice break.    Some good conversation, and a good amount of  laughs.     Everyone had a good time I think.    We headed back to our bikes and down the road again.

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I ran ahead, so Bruno could get some pictures. The hill from Forrest Gump.

This is my State.   Pretty proud to live here.

We ran the 24 miles to Mexican Hat.      I first ran through here in 2009, with my 12 year old daughter on a daddy daughter weekend.    It was dusk when we hit Kayenta.   No room, at any inn.    It was dark when we ran through Monument Valley, and headed past Mexican Hat on the bike on the way to Bluff Utah, where we finally found a place to stay.    I remember passing the Mexican Hat lodge Inn in the middle of the night.    Cool little place, lots of neon and out in the middle of nowhere.   Kept thinking how this would be a good place for an old school biker retreat, like they used to do it back in the day.    One year later, I got together with some good friends in B.A.C.A. , of which I’m a member of,  and it ended up happening.  My buddy Drifter knew the guy that owns the land directly below Mexican Hat, and now that retreat happens every year.     Kinda cool.

mexican hat
Mexican Hat

From there we headed to Bluff, Utah for lunch.   Twin Rocks Cafe.

Twin Rocks Cafe, Bluff Utah
ehh, I’d have named it something different.
Twin Rocks Cafe, Bluff Utah
Getting ready to head out. On to Four Corners.
Cannon 113
Utah, Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico.   The only place in the US you can be in 4 states at once.
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Pete and Linda took their turn, heading into Farmington.

The Captain America bike turns heads.     A lot of thumbs up, from people in the know.      Bruno was riding with me still, and about 30 miles outside of farmington in Ship Rock New Mexico, I sped up and so Bruno could take this shot.    Seems like most of my adult riding life I’ve been rubbernecking for old roads.    He sent this to me today.       I quite love this shot.

Captain America - Farmington New Mexico
The Tczaps, crossing the San Juan River.     I dig this picture.

We headed into Farmington.    We checked into the Hotel there, and I had the chance to finally take the Captain bike out.    I took it.    Stopping at red lights, rolling her down the main drag for a few miles….   It was pretty cool.    You know people are looking, and you just can’t but help feeling completely bad-ass.     After all, this is the most famous bike in the world.

And yet, and the end of this day I went down and did my laundry at the Hampton Inn.      It was time.     I called Mrs Zip, found out what was going on at work, and slept like a baby.   Good day.

Day Six – Easy Rider Tour – 175 Miles


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