Blanding, UT - Brigham City, UT Motorcycling

Price has one of our best-kept secrets: All-you-can-eat $6 Pizza Hut.

73. We left Blanding in the morning on the Fourth of July (Monday) and saw people fill up the sidewalk of its main street for the parade. I waved at the kids from the motorcycle, and their faces seemed to ask if the parade were starting already. Blanding is a quaint pretty town situated in the one of the most scenic area in the Southwest US. To its east, it's the Million Dollar Highway, also known as Route 550, that tempted me to ride all the way to Grand Junction, CO. I stopped the day before in Bloomfield, on Route 550, and headed west on Route 64 to Shiprock and then Blanding. To its west lies the Grand Canyon, which we didn't go since we've gone there before. To its south, it's the Monument Valley that we visited the day before.

74. And to its north - well - it's Canyonland National Park, Arches National Park, and Moab. The ride along Route 191 from Blanding to Moab is beautiful. Moab resembles - as we find out - Canmore, a staging ground for outdoor activities. The landscape of Southern Utah, between Blanding and Moab, is - again - simply beautiful; the landscape changes from hilly treed roads to farmland near Monticello to rocky semi-desert as we neared Moab.

75. The 100-km stretch between Moab and the I-70 junction is a straight, busy, fast road. It's a rather frustrating stretch for motorcycles since the road is narrow and there are many RVs that clog the one-way lane. Patience is required when I encounter a changing road environment like this. I mentally note of this change, the same way I do when I enter a big city. Road suddenly becomes crowded and slows down. If I am careless, these changing environments can be deadly. For example, I notice I have a tendency to overtake several vehicles at once when the opposite lane is empty. Although I do this safely, the consequence of overtaking several vehicles at once is to keep riding fast. To get away from them as far as I can, so that I don't end up with the crowded convoy tailing me. If one of the vehicles follows suit, then this might turn into a two-vehicle road race. When this happens, it can turn to a stupid road pursuit, and I just have to tell myself to allow the vehicle to overtake me. I have to remind myself - when this situation occurs - that my engine is only 800 cc.

76. I-70 gives a haunting feel. White rocks line both sides at far away; it almost suggests that dinosaurs might just arise out of nowhere and chase us. There is no greenery to hide, and it will be a scary blast to ride if the wind is screaming. We're lucky wind doesn't blow much today. Cars move so fast in this interstate highway; 85 miles/hour is their average speed. My motorcycle is struggling to keep up; it gets buzzy above 75 miles/hour. Out of the interstate highways we travelled so far - I-15, 90, 25, 40, 49, 10, 20, and 70 - I-70 is definitely it.

77. Seven miles west of Green River, UT where we stopped for refueling, we left I-70 for Route 6. This is a welcome change. It still feels haunting with the white rocks staring at us cold. But this route is made for motorcycling. A hilly road with enough twists to favor motorcyclists. Enough number of passing lanes to pass RVs. Some 125-km later, we stopped for lunch in Price, UT. The town's name suggests it's a good town to stop. We ate at Pizza Hut for an all-you-can-eat $6. Where can we find such a bargain in Canada, we asked. The waiter is courteous and has great tattoos on his arms. I was tempted to ask where he got them from. I was tempted to eat as much as I can too. But I'm riding, so I stopped eating earlier.

78. North of Price, along Route 6, the road becomes even more twisty and uphill. Southern Utah again shows its beauty. Clouds were gathering, and I rode as hard as I can, to get away from them. I watched the sky as I rode. I tell the clouds to not get near me. Drizzles came down in a few minutes, and then they went away. On and again. Near Spanish Forks the rain threat went away. The sun greeted us again. We were relieved.

79. We entered I-15 northbound, south of Provo. The highway city traffic is fast, and I was happy to oblige. American motorcyclists are polite and civil, and fast as well. We've had a great experience riding in its interstate highways. Our best Fourth of July experience. We arrived in Brigham City at 6 pm to rest, after covering 600 km. And I finally get to stop in a carwash to properly clean my motorcycle chain. One of the best riding days.

One of beautiful many rock formations along Blanding and Moab.