So as mentioned yesterday, we decided to leave the lodge at Bryce Canyon early because its a dump and we wanted to get out whilst it was still cool and not have a repeat of yesterday with the heat. We rode some 150km before we found this gem in Mt Carmel called the Thunderbird Restaurant. A classic all American Diner with all the Americana memorabilia inside so what should have been a 30 minute breakfast stop turned into well over an hour savouring an amazing breakfast and the sights and sounds inside this lovely old place.
Today was another incredible day through Utah. We rode Monument Valley and the Valley of the Gods on route to our destination, a small town called Mexican hat where we are staying at a Roadside Motel called the Hat Rock Inn. After now having done this sort of riding for many years, I have started to come to the conclusion that these cheap and cheerful roadside motels are the way forward. Whilst my preference has historically been to find good 4 or 5 star hotels, the problem with these is that invariably you have to unload the bike, schlep all your gear up to the room, come back down to go park the bike invariably in some parking lot two blocks away and after a long day in the saddle, this kind of PT is the last thing one wants or needs! The attraction of these roadside motels is that you get to pull up outside your room, unload and collapse! Bliss!! Now most people might think that we are trading quality for convenience and whilst there is an element of truth to this, with Google, TripAdvisor etc, one is quickly able to ascertain the quality and for the most part we have been lucky with our selections…no bedbugs, roaches or other creepy findings…yet!
Monument Valley
Our Days ride…
Valley of the Gods…
We got into Mexican Hat at about lunch time, stripped off (it was 45c) and hopped into the pool that looks over the river in the Canyon. It was Sunday, Mexican Hat has a population of approx. 10 and so there were no restaurants open so lunch/dinner was a hastily made cheese sandwich from the 7-11 at the petrol station up the road…one of the downsides of these roadside motels I guess!!
