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Leaving Las Vegas & The Grand Canyon |
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Written by Keith Steele
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Thursday, 28 July 2005 |
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I started off the day with breakfast at Circus Circus I figured with my affinity for clowns I had to stop in this place. It was cool lots of clowns and circus themed décor and the buffet was enough to fill me for the long jaunt I was about to take. My goal today is to get to the Grand Canyon and then Four Corners. So I could shoot for Albuquerque tomorrow morning. I was doing great on time. Gobbling up miles until I got to the freakin Hoover Dam
between construction and security checks I slowed to a crawl killing 90 minutes not including jumping off the bike to get some pictures for the kids. It was hot as hell and the road was curvy and inclined with stop and go traffic all the way. The Hoover dam is pretty impressive but after what I endured to get over it I could give a rat’s ass when it was built who built it etc. that’s what the internet is for. Besides this was not a tourist trip it was a road trip. I finally got to the Grand Canyon around 430pm and I had been on the bike around 6 hours at this point and I have to say I was in awe of this gapping hole in the ground. Pictures truly can’t do it justice. For what its worth I have supplied some video. I left the Canyon around 7pm and headed for the Four Corners area. I was not really aware of how fast it would be getting dark and I was just cruising and taking in the sites while I was stopped shooting some video I checked my map and figured I was about 3 hours from four corners and 90 minutes from darkness. I was in Navaho territory and there was not much on the map. I passed several Indians who had set up roadside tables roadside to sell their wares. At about twilight I passed a couple who waved and I decided to turn around and ask about local towns. I met a Navaho Indian named Milton Tso and his wife Lynette and son Randal. We talked took some pictures and he told me about a good place for food and a room. I rolled into Cameron AZ. I located the Trading Post Hotel got a room and headed for the restaurant on site. This place was really nice great décor fabulous food and friendly people. Anyway I am eating and who walks in but Milton and his family only this time they have their two year old son Dakota with them and he immediately makes me think of my little Julia and Melodie. Man he was a cutie. So I come to find out that Milton is a musician and has a band and a CD! Go figure. so I invite them all back to my room and we look at pictures of my kids and the trip thus far and we talk about music. I was intrigued about Milton being a musician and asked for a CD and he hooked me up. His band is called Great Mystery and the album is titled In the Spirit and it is spectacular. I must tell you it’s a wonderful blend of traditional Navaho Indian and new age keys spinning a colorful tapestry of sound. I love it so much that you can hear some of it during the video and slide show of the Grand Canyon Arizona and The Four Corners area. After Milton and his family left I went through my nightly ritual of recharging and downloading and went to bed. |
ROAD MAP 
