Desert Canyons & Historic Route 66

From the airport, just take the brief shuttle ride to our hotel. You’ll find something to do this evening in this glitzy resort town with it 24-hour casinos and endless entertainment possibilities! Go out for an evening’s entertainment and enjoy all this unique city has to offer.

Collect your motorcycle at the local bike pickup. Once packed your Route 66 and desert canyons adventure begins. Ride out to Lake Mead then head north. It’s not long before you are experiencing the first of many scenic wonders on this tour – the Valley of Fire. Lunch locally and then spend the afternoon riding through the Virgin River Gorge and up into the high desert towards Springdale and your overnight hotel. Springdale lies just outside Zion National Park with it’s awesome sandstone cliffs. For dinner there are plenty of restaurants to choose from. Enjoy mooching around the eclectic shops found throughout town.

We suggest an early rise to make the most of this fabulous scenery whilst bathed in the morning light. Under the spectacular red and tan cliffs of Zion National Park, it’s an awe-inspiring ride! However, this is just the start of the day. Head on up to Cedar Breaks National Monument and yet more stunning vistas. Ride on through Red Canyon, to Bryce National Park. Make sure you ride out to the various overlooks and viewpoints throughout the park. The crimson-coloured hoodoos (rock spires) are both weird and wonderful. At sunset the best vantage point is Rainbow point, lying at the park’s southern edge. After sunset, head back to your hotel. Again, there is a good choice of restaurants in the area. Tomorrow is a big riding day so be sure to get a good night’s sleep… and look forward to an even bigger day for scenery.

Get a very early start for possibly the most spectacular day’s riding you’ll ever experience. Today you’ll discover what the “Grand Staircase’ is, the perilous beauty of riding along the “Devil’s Backbone” and the variety of ever-changing scenery South Utah has to offer. There’s the canyons and forests of Escalante Wilderness, sandstone cliffs and mesas of Capitol Reef, and Glen Canyon National Recreation Area’s Fry Canyon. Ride along the Colorado River’s twisting and meandering path, surrounded by towering mountains and deep canyons to Natural Bridges National Park. Finally your day ends with an evening ride down the spectacular Mokee Dugway into the aptly named “Valley of the Gods”. Before long, your day ends with a final leg to picturesque Bluff. It’s been a long and exciting day, with lots of riding and photo stops, you’re completely exhausted but it was worth every second. This is a day you’ll never forget.

This morning you’ll start your Route 66 and desert canyons tour day with a ride West through the Valley of the Gods toward Mexican Hat. Then continuing across the classic Wild West landscape of stark sandstone buttes and valleys. Eventually you’ll rise over the hills and into the Navajo Nation and it’s spires of stone pinnacles known to the world as Monument Valley. On your way west you’re sure to recognise the scenes from numerous films like John Wayne’s “The Searchers” and more recently “Forrest Gump”. Once you arrive at the tribal park you’ll realise how your perception of the Wild West has been shaped by this place. At the Tribal Park you’ll learn more about this magical ‘valley’ and the Navajo people and culture. Get some lunch, take lots of photos and continue onward. It’s a simple ride to your next spectacular sight, one of the seven natural wonders of the world known as the Grand Canyon! As soon as you enter the park be sure to stop at the desert view overlook, and climb to the top of the stone tower for the best view of the canyon. You can then take your time on South Rim Drive, stopping at the various viewpoints along the way to marvel at the geological strata’s multi-coloured hues in the early evening light.

First thing today, how about a helicopter ride over the Grand Canyon? It will take your breath away as you soar over its immensity and follow the river’s meandering path through the Kaibab Plateau. Afterwards, an hour’s ride takes us to Williams, a nice little town with a good vibe, and plenty of places to grab lunch and do a bit of shopping. You’re on Route 66 now, and Williams was the last 66 town to be by-passed by Interstate 40.  Next stop Seligman, this afternoon you’ll get see many iconic Route 66 towns as you pass through Truxton, Peach Springs and Hackberry. As you ride through the area you can almost hear the sounds of singing coming from the Music mountains off to the North. Your hotel for the evening is in Kingman, is considered the ‘heart’ of the Mother Road.

This morning you’ll want to get an early start to avoid the heat of the Mojave Desert. First, you continue on Route 66, known locally as the Oatman Highway, over the Black Mountains’ Sitgraves pass and into the historic gold mining town of Oatman. Now a tourist attraction with its wandering wild burros begging for handouts, but the town still retains its historic charm. You’ll then take a meandering ride North to Las Vegas. Cross the Colorado river by way of the new Pat Tillman Memorial bridge rather than helicopter, and stop at the Boulder (Hoover) Dam and scenic Lakeshore Drive.  It’s time to return your Harley-Davidson, have a fun night in this neon oasis. Then it’s time to experience Old Town Las Vegas this evening.

Today it’s time to go home but first enjoy the time you have left in ‘sin city’! Maybe stay a night or two more in this unique city. Whatever you decide to do you’re sure to remember this Route 66 and desert canyons adventure for a long time to come.