Albuquerque, NM - Blanding, UT Motorcycling

On I-40 westbound in Albuquerque, before heading north on I-25.

66. My left thumb was almost crushed by rear sprocket and chain when I was cleaning the chain before we rode to Blanding, UT. I had no access to a water hose to rinse the chain after cleaning it using a cleaning solution, so I had to use my hands to remove dirt-oil cakes accumulating on the chain link. My perfectionist streak almost got me into a serious accident - when the motorcycle is not moving at all - 2400 km from home.

67. On Sunday, July 3 we rode from Albuquerque, NM to Blanding, UT. It's a 12-hour ride covering 675 km since we visited Monument Valley at the Utah - Arizona border as well. Planning today's route took me the longest time since there's no direct route to the Monument Valley (MV) from Albuquerque. Approaching MV from the south would require us to reach Kayenta, AZ, which is about 480 km from Albuquerque off Gallup on I-40 westbound. Our daily budget of 600 - 700 km, therefore, would require us to stay overnight in either Mexican Hat or Bluff, both in Utah. This is not good from budget perspective since lodging in either town would cost around US$120 due to the touristy location, a price too steep in my opinion.

68. In addition to distance and budget, I have to account for the gas station locations along the way if the route is remote, which is the case for the MV. The maximum distance of the 16 liter of gasoline in the tank is between 288 and 352 km depending on speed. To prevent running out of gasoline in a remote spot, I usually fill up every 150 - 200 km. (Along interstate highway, the fill up distance can go up to 285 km, as it happened between Casper and Cheyenne in Wyoming.)

69. Considering these, I picked Blanding, UT as our destination. Blanding is about 100 km north of MV, which requires me to ride south to MV and then ride north on the same road to head north. Motel rate in Blanding is much cheaper than in Mexican Hat or Bluff.

70. We started from Albuquerque on I-40 westbound for 6 miles and changed to I-25 northbound in the city. We then changed to Route 550 northbound. This turns out perfect because Route 550 is both scenic and a divided highway. We reached Bloomfield, which is about 280 km from Albuquerque, in 3 hours with one refill stop. From Bloomfield, we took Route 64 to Shiprock, and then on to Route 160 in a small hamlet of Teec Nos Pos, and then Route 191 northbound to Bluff. The stretch of Route 64 between Shiprock and Teec Nos Pos is bumpy and narrow, but the winding road offers a rewarding scenery.

71. We managed to reach Bluff at 15:30 by starting from Albuquerque at 08:30. The fast ride along Route 550 now gives us a chance to take a south dip to MV in the same day. And we don't have to pay a steep motel rate as well. MV area is a breathtaking beauty. Rocks are gleaming red under sunlight. Rock piles and formations look like being placed on a vast flat surface by an ancient giant. They give a haunting effect, and it's clearly a highlight of our motorcycling trip.

72. Our stay in Blanding, UT turns out great as well. There is a great little Mexican restaurant, Dos Amigos, nestled inside the 7-Eleven gas station, that I highly recommend, It's run by a young team and has a tasty chimi plate for $10.

Monument Valley as viewed on Route 163 southbound. It's a place worth visiting.