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Last week I left you at the North Rim mid-way through the second day of our Four Canyons Ride. One interesting thing about doing rides is something that I have mentioned before, and that is the rule of unpredictability. You might look at a map and think you can make it from point A to point B, but by the time you get through with all of the stops, pictures, sightseeing and taking the exploratory side roads, your schedule is usually shot and you realize that you have bitten off more than you can ride. Most of the time that wouldn't be a big deal, but on a 2 1/2 day ride, there is not much room for error. Especially in this case, since we started the day at the South Rim of the Grand Canyon at 7am planning on riding 420 miles as well as taking in the sites of the Grand Canyon South and North Rims as well as Zion and then ending up in Bryce Canyon National Park. Some things look and work a lot better on paper than in real life.

Note to self: Don't try that again. It was now 3:20pm and we were just leaving the North Rim after riding over 200 miles for another 122 mile ride through Zion and then another 80 miles on to the cabin we had reserved near Bryce. With darkness setting in at around 6:30pm, we knew that it was going to be tough to make our final destination in light. But, we decided to press on and let the sun set when it may. We reached Zion at around 5:30pm for a late evening ride through the park which was really pretty.

Zion National Park was established in 1909 as Mukuntuweap National Monument. It became Zion National Park in 1919. The name "Zion" meaning "place of refuge," was given to the canyon by Mormon pioneers. Even though Zion encompasses 229 square miles of spectacular cliff and canyon laden brightly colored sandstone landscape, it is only a mere 12 mile ride through the park. If you are so inclined, there are plenty of opportunities to hike different areas including the 15 mile hike through the 30 foot "narrows" of Zion Canyon that go 1800 feet straight up. Much of the hike includes wading through the Virgin River. That is for you energetic people, we preferred to just stay on the bike and look at the awesome scenery.

Zion is a beautiful ride with a great road surface, plenty of twists, elevation changes and brilliant colored sandstone formations. There is also a 1 mile tunnel through the mountain. This thing is narrow and pitch black inside except for a couple of holes knocked out of the side of the mountain for light and air. Since Zion is only a 12 mile ride, it is well worth going through twice to make your way back to Bryce.

Once you ride through Zion you will end up in a neat little town called Springdale. This would be a recommended place to spend the night if you plan on following this trip. There are plenty of nice motels to spend the night and restaurants to dine in. You can even go to the small animal refuge in town to see some elk and deer. If we hadn't had reservations in the Bryce area, we would have called it a night here. But, we still had 80 miles more to go and daylight was fading away. So it was back through the 12 miles of the park to 89A.

We made our way to Tropic, Utah by about 8:00pm that same night. Traveling at night is not a good idea in that area as you have to be on Defcon 5 alert for deer in the road. And sure enough, we met up with a couple of our furry friends with their eyeballs glistening from the headlights as they stood in the middle of the road looking at us. After locking up the brakes and narrowly missing the one in our lane, we were glad we only had a couple of miles more to go to our destination of Bryce Country Cabins. The only good news was that I no longer had to make a bathroom stop. That had now been taken care of.

As I mentioned before on my report from our Glacier trip, Bryce Canyon is one of the most fascinating places I have visited. The rock formations from millions of years of wind, rain, freezing and thawing has crafted some of the most incredible rock formations from brilliant colored sandstone that you will see anywhere in the world. The 18 mile ride through Bryce Canyon National Park stopping at the 13 overlooks would be a highlight of any trip. To see a detailed report from my past letter of Bryce Click Here.

But this time, we decided to also see some of the surrounding area known as Bryce Canyon Country. This area is all along Scenic Byway 12 and includes 2 National Parks and 3 State Parks. Our goal this day was to visit the Kodachrome Basin State Park that we had heard so much about. Kodachrome is 9 miles South of Hwy. 12 near Cannonville. Kodachrome is full of massive sandstone chimneys changing colors from gray and white to several shades of red as the sun moves throughout the day. Chimney rock is one of the more famous sites as it was featured in National Geographic back in 1949. We eventually want to take Hwy. 12 and see the entire area, but if you were to go to the Bryce area, I would budget time for Kodachrome State Park. Click Here for information on the entire area of Scenic Byway 12.

After getting a 7am start we had seen all that time would allow and it was now time to embark on our 420 mile ride home. This is such a beautiful area that it is hard to leave and certainly one that I could spend a few days in. The quickest way back to the Phoenix is to take Hwy. 89 back through Page and down to I-17. This is much quicker than going through 89A by Jacobs Lake.

The Four Canyons Ride is really a beautiful and exciting ride. It is rare that you can go through 4 famous National Parks in such a short span of miles and time. While it is possible, I wouldn't recommend a round trip 1100 mile ride to these locations from the Phoenix area in 2 days and 3 hours like we did. I would leave late in an afternoon and take the 3.5 hour ride to the South Rim Grand Canyon and stay the night in Tusayan or in the park. Don't forget to get your annual National Parks Pass for $50. It will pay for itself on this trip. Start early the next day and see the South Rim, on to the North Rim and then spend the night in Kanab or if time permits and if the days are longer, ride on through Zion and stay in Springdale, UT. The next day go back through Zion again and on to Bryce and the surrounding area. The following day you can devote to your trip back home which will be about an 8 hour ride without too many stops. This would be a total of 3 days and a late afternoon. Click Here for Grand Canyons Map. Click Here for Map of Zion and Bryce.

I have 3 sets of Photos this week.
Click Here for Zion National Park.
Click Here for Kodachrome State Park.
Click Here for Bryce Canyon National Park.
Click Here for Bryce Canyon photos from the Glacier Ride.

Useful Links:
Bryce Canyon History and Information
Great reference map of National Parks in Utah
Lodging in Springdale, Utah
General Information of the St. George and Zion area
Kodachrome Basin State Park

Superstition Harley-Davidson and Spirits Bar and Grill have teamed up to bring riders in the Far East Valley a great Thursday bike night. For those of you in Far East Mesa and Apache Junction, you now have a place to go on Thursday nights. And better yet, just for riding your bike to Spirits, they will give you a free hamburger. That’s right, every rider to show up on their bike between 7-10pm will receive a free hamburger! Stick around and win great prizes and raffle items from Superstition Harley-Davidson. ENTER YOUR NAME IN THE DRAWING EVERY THURSDAY IN OCTOBER FOR YOUR CHANCE TO WIN A $250 GIFT CARD FROM SUPERSTITION HARLEY-DAVIDSON. Drawing will be on October 27th. Must be present to win. Enter once every Thursday in October to increase your odds of winning. Spirits is located at 9303 E. Apache Trail in East Mesa. One block East of Ellsworth on Apache Trail (Main St.). Come sit on the patio and watch the bikes roll in, stay inside and enjoy a game of pool, and friendly wait staff. The large dance floor is always open with music from Goodtime Charlie The OUTLAW DJ playing The Best of Country and the Best of Rock and Roll every Thursday night from 8:30p.m till 2am. With an extensive food menu, 2 patios, and monitors inside to watch your bike, Spirits is the hottest Bike night place to be in the east valley. The LEGEND of Spirits Lives on. More info at Superstition HD at 480-346-0600 or 480-986-5572.

Hooters Mesa Thursday Bike Night. Hooters in Mesa located at 6730 E. Superstition Springs Blvd. will host a Bike Night every Thursday night from 6-9 pm. If you haven't seen this Hooters yet you will have to stop by and take a look. This is one of the nicest locations that they have. Hooters will $2.00 Corona's and 20% off of food and merchandise if you ride your bike in. Stop by for raffles prizes every Thursday Night with Big Raffle prizes the first Thursday of every month. For more information call 480-396-9396.

Hooters at Arrowhead Bike Night. Continues Giveaways and Raffles. Ride by and join in on the fun! Hooters will host a Bike Night every Thursday at the Hooters at Arrowhead located just 1 block S. of Bell on 83rd Ave. Stop by for some great food and Hooters Hospitality. There will be 20% off menu items, $2.00 Corona Thursdays and plenty of parking next to the outdoor patio. Stop by for some giveaways and raffles from Hooters and Arrowhead Harley as well as great wings and fun at Hooters. Click Here to see Pictures and all the detailed information.

Casey Jones Grill Bike Night. A valley favorite bike night for over 3 years. Ride in and sit out on the patio for what I call the Best Cheesesteak Sandwich in town. This thing melts in your mouth. They have 3 new pool tables, darts and foosball. Located in the Mervyns Shopping Center on the SE corner of 43rd Ave. and Thunderbird Rd. Casey Jones is a great place for a bike night featuring a large outdoor seating and over 150 people inside. And for those of you that want to watch a sporting event they have 50 TV's scattered throughout the restaurant connected to satellite to get any game you can think of. They have a full menu for lunch, dinner and a Happy Hour from 11:00AM - 7:00PM and a reverse happy hour from 10:00PM - 12:00 Midnight. $1.75 domestic bottles and $2.00 Jacks. There are always a lot of bikes showing up for bike night at Casey Jones Thursday night. Join them for open mic night on Wednesdays. Sunday. You can always count on lots of bikes here.

Sugar Daddy's Blues Biker Sunday Brunch.
Now is the perfect weather to be sitting out on the Sugar Daddy's patio, listening to Live Music while dining from the Brunch Menu. Live Music from 10am on the patio.
And Sunday Brunch Just Got Better! You now have 3 options to choose from.
Option #1: Eggs Benedict – Grilled English muffins, smoked ham, poached eggs and hollandaise sauce.
Served with your chose of fresh fruit or crispy potatoes. ($8) or Sugar’s Pancakes – You won’t eat pancakes anywhere else. Buttermilk pancakes served with butter and syrup. ($5)
Option #2: Can’t decide what to eat? How about an All-You-Can-Eat buffet for ONLY $12.
Option #3: Order off our regular menu.
Our 5,000 sq. ft. temperature controlled patio has six air conditioning units, misters, and plenty of shade. Sugar Daddy's patio, food and entertainment is becoming a regular Sunday stop. If you haven't tried it yet, give them a try. Complimentary coffee is now served. Make Sugar Daddy's Blues your stop on your ride down Scottsdale Rd. for Brunch or Lunch from 10am - 4pm. Enjoy live music from 10am - 2pm Or maybe just relax on the patio with your favorite beverage and enjoy the beautiful weather and watch the bikes roll down Scottsdale Rd. Click here to see the awesome pictures and details of Sugar Daddy's located at 3102 N. Scottsdale Rd. between Indian School and Thomas on the West side of the road. Stop by and check it out. A great place to hang out. Plenty of Bike Parking. If you have suggestions, email them at sugardaddysaz@aol.com . 480-970-6556.

This Week

Thursday, October 27th
Buddy Stubbs Ladies Night. Alright Ladies, this is a special evening JUST FOR YOU! Stubbs first Ladies Night in June was a huge success. Click Here for photos. Enjoy a "Stubbs Studs" Fashion Show, Wine and Cheese, Shopping Specials, Fantastic Door Prize, Giveaways, Tech Clinic and Demonstrations and a Guided Motorcycle Museum Tour by Buddy Stubbs. Admission is $10 which includes 2 beverage tickets, light snacks AND a $10 gift certificate given to you that night. Invite your friends, all Ladies welcome. Ladies Night starts at 7:00pm. Reservations are highly recommended. Call 602-971-3400 to reserve your spot.

Saturday and Sunday, October 29th and 30th
Spooktakular Savings up to 30% at Superstition Harley-Davidson. Get revved up in the spirit of Halloween at Superstition Harley Davidson… we’ve got a perfectly ghastly gift waiting for you! Just pop in October 29th and 30th, make your purchases as normal, and at the register, pick a pumpkin and open to discover what spooky savings you receive from 10% - 20% - 30% off. Join our crew Saturday, to check out our employee costumes; cast your vote for the best one. Wear yours, take pictures, whatever! Superstition Harley-Davidson is located at 2910 W. Apache Trail in Apache Junction, AZ. 480-346-0600.

Saturday, October 29th
Halloween Poker Run. This run benefiting the Huntington's Disease Society of America sponsored by SRP Volunteers and Arizona Avalanches. Register at the Pera Club located at 1 E. Continental Dr. in Tempe, AZ from 9-10:30am. First riders depart at 10am. $20 single rider, $35 w/passenger includes lunch, raffles and door prizes. Day of ride add $5.00. Riders will ride through Fountain Hills, Rio Verde, Cave Creek, Bartlett Lake and back to the Pera Club for the included lunch. To pre register email sandra_Petraitis@cox.net or call 602-236-4830.

Saturday, October 29th
Hogs With Hearts Charity Poker Run. This is a run splits proceeds between two organizations. Half benefits Packages From Home, a charity that I am familiar with and the same one that I did the Cyclerides.com Hearts to Heroes run for to send care packages to our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. The money raised will be used to pay for postage to send the packages to the troops. The other part of the proceeds will benefit the Colter & Associates Foundation using funds to build a teen community youth center. Registration from 7:30am - 9:30am at Hacienda Harley located at 15600 N. Hayden Rd. in Scottsdale, AZ. $25 for single and $35 double includes T-Shirt, Ride Pin, Poker Hand, and Lunch. Ride ends at Casino Arizona with prize drawings at 1:30pm. Everyone is invited to support this exciting charitable event to help establish a teen youth center through the Colter & Associates Foundation and enhance the lives of our troops serving and fighting overseas through Packages From Home. 480-905-1903.

Saturday, October 29th
Cave Creek Roadhouse 1st Annual Dead In The West Bash. The party starts at 7:00 pm and the live entertainment with EastonAshe starts at 9:00 pm. There will be games, prizes and cash give-aways. To enter the costume contest, you will have to sign in by 10:30 pm. The winner will be announced at 12:30 am. EastonAshe will be playing all weekend. Cave Creek Roadhouse is located at 6900 Cave Creek Rd. in Cave Creek, AZ. 480-575-3098.

Saturday October, 29th
20th Anniversary ALL BUICK CAR SHOW presented by the Valley of the Sun Buicks Car Show and Shine Antique Club.
When: Saturday October 29th, 9:00am - 2:00pm.
Where: Childress Buick Co., 2223 W. Camelback Rd.
What: Pancake breakfast, W. Steven Martin Police Toy Drive (bring a toy to donate), 50/50 drawing and lots of great door prices, fun and entertainment for the whole family. Entrance fee $10/car. Each participant will receive a goodie bag, Buick hat, Buick pen and Buick Lucerne poster.
Who: Chairman Ed Behie 623-856-2392, Registration chair "Bob" at 480-775-8116

Sunday October 30th
6th Annual Motorcycle Mania. Two fun-filled events in one day.
Event 1: Converging rides from Skunk Motorsports in Mesa and Buddy-Stubbs Harley in Phoenix. Ride registration includes one admission to the Motorcycle Mania Block Party in downtown Phoenix. Escorted by the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office, rides will converge in the desert with rest stop, continue to the Madison Street Jail and parade into the Motorcycle Mania Block Party. Registration the day of the event starts at 7:30am at Skunk Works Motorsports and Buddy Stubb's HD. $25 per rider and $20 per passenger. Includes T-Shirt, Ride Pin, Continental Breakfast, Lunch, Admission to Motorcycle Mania Block Party.

Friday - Sunday, November 4-6
Ride Now Powersports Sales Event. Huge Factory Authorized Sales Event! FREE ADMISSION!! Join us November 4th - 6th at the Tempe Diablo Stadium parking lot. All Makes, All models. There will be over 400 new & used motorcycles & ATV's show priced and ready for immediate delivery! On the spot financing! Manufacturer Reps on hand to talk about the latest features. We will have huge $500,000 discounted parts and accessories tent to get you ready to ride. And after you have worked up an appetite shopping, there will be plenty of food and beverage vendors. Live entertainment, motorcycles exhibitions, FREE kids games and activities, charity raffles and more! Try your luck at the Money Machine. Visit our website for more information www.ridenow.com. Or call (602) 923-4375.

Saturday, November 5th
Canyon Honda Open House. Canyon Honda in Scottsdale is having their annual Open House from 9am - 6pm. Stop by all day for Free Food and Drinks, Free Giveaways Every Hour, Demo Rides and the opportunity to talk to Vendor Representatives. See all of the New Honda Street Bikes, Dirt Bikes, Personal Watercraft, ATV's including the 2006 TRX450ER. Entire inventory is reduced to sell. Specials on all accessories in stock. Enjoy a Motorcycle Show from 11am-2pm. Includes all brands and categories including Vintage Cruiser, Touring, Dirt Bike and ATV. All entrants will receive a Canyon Honda gift certificate. Special awards for the top three entries. Stop by the Canyon Honda Open House and see what is new while taking advantage of the Open House savings. Canyon Honda is located at 8420 E. Butherus Dr. Click Here for map. 480-607-5000.

Saturday, November 5th
Texas Hold 'Em Charity Poker Run. Two starting points. Start at Rock Bottom Arrowhead, 7640 W. Bell Rd. or Rock Bottom Desert Ridge at 21001 N. Tatum Rd. $35 per rider includes a Lunch Buffet and an "I rode for the Miracle in the Desert" T-Shirt. First prize $150 Gift Certificate to Rock Bottom. 100% of the proceeds will benefit the third annual Miracle in the Desert. 623-202-6433.

Saturday, November 5th
Integrity Run for Katrina Relief. Bikes, Trikes and Classic Car Run. All proceeds to benefit Hurricane Katrina Victims. Sign in from 9-11am at Keller Williams South located at 2500 S. Power Rd. $40 per couple, $25 per person. There will be prizes and a party at the end.

Saturday, November 5th
1st Annual Toys for Tots Run. Poker Run, Live Music, Chili, 50/50. Sign in from 9-10am at K-Mart Parking Lot at Prescott Valley, AZ. $10 per person, $15 per couple. Donation of 1 can of food and 1 toy. No stuffed toys please. 928-775-9213.

Sunday, November 6th
8th Annual Toys For Tots Poker Run. This is an always popular Toy Run entering its 8th year. The ride starts at Chandler Custom Cycles located at 2775 N. Arizona Ave., 1 block S. of Elliot Rd. on the East side. Registration is from 9am - 10:30am. Please bring one unwrapped toy for ages 2-17, plus $15 donation or $20 per person donation without toy. Last stop, Chandler Elks Lodge with Live Music by Mogollon, Auction, Door Prizes, Free Lunch. All donations benefit the Child Crisis Center. For more information call 480-497-3573.

Sunday, November 6th
1st Annual Rally In The Valley. State Representative Jerry Weiers (R-12) is spearheading an effort to fight hunger here in the Valley this year. All types and sizes of two and four wheeled vehicles, with strong support from Hummer and Harley owners, will participate in the First Annual Hummers to Harleys for Hunger "Rally in the Valley". Participants will assemble and sign up at 2 locations including Tempe Public Library, 3500 S. Rural Road, Tempe and the Glendale Arena, 9400 W Maryland Ave., Glendale beginning at 8:30 a.m. through 10:30 a.m. on Sunday, Nov. 6. Hummers, Harleys and other two- and four-wheel vehicles will then criss-cross the Valley to raise at least $100,000 for the St. Vincent de Paul Society and St. Mary's/Westside Food Bank, allowing them to obtain more than one million pounds of food. There are twenty rally stops where participants can acquire nearly fifty (50) chances to win prizes, then finish the event with food, fun, prizes and live music at Glendale's Murphy Park at 58th and Glendale avenues. There will also be a silent auction held during the luncheon. More than 100 items have already been donated, including a Plasma TV, $5,000 in patio furniture, a computer, $500.00 barbecue, $500.00 gas card, IPOD's, a set of tires, etc. The cost to register as a participant is only $25.00 per person.

Congratulations to all that participated in the Buck Rogers Disaster Relief Fund this past Sunday. Buck reported that he raised a total of $12,079.74 that will be split up among his family members in Louisiana. Buck said: "I still remain for the loss of words to express my sincere appreciation the organizations, Volunteer Staff, Family & Friends that joined the team that made this project a success".

This one has made the email rounds once before but is now circulating again. This is a video of a juggler that plays a piano keyboard on the floor with balls. It is amazing how good he is. Click Here to view.

If you have missed a past newsletter or want to recall something you have seen in the past. You can go to the Cyclerides.com Archives for a listing of all of the past newsletters.

As for me this weekend, I will be attending the Hogs With Hearts ride and Motorcycle Mania this weekend. Should be a good weekend to get out and ride.

Until Next Week,
Blessings and Safe Riding To All,

Barry Caraway
"The Road Is Yours - Take The Ride"
www.cyclerides.com
info@cyclerides.com