Iowa to Grand Canyon....and back.....the low tech way

[aaronrkelly]

Since Ive owned a motorcycle Ive dreamt of seeing the Grand Canyon on a motorcycle trip.

This year it happens. Why this year? Cause I finally said fuck it....now or never, Im done waiting for the right time.....the extra money....etc....get out the credit card, take a week off and lets go.

Ive got no fancy adventure bike with Touratech gear......Ive got my large party barge of a touring bike.....so mostly pavement it is.

I have no whiz bang camping gear that will compress to fit inside a KTM fanny pack.....Ive got left over shit from WalMart that I likely bought years ago for my kids to "camp" in the back yard in.

My plan......toss all this crap in my el cheapo Harbor Freight trailer....hook it to the Vision and head to the Grand F'ing Canyon.

Ive got 9 days....but I want to do it in as few days as I can and still have fun.....cause I do have other obligations that COULD use my time....but if it takes 9 then it takes 9.....but Im hoping for 6ish.

I made no plans for where to be on certain days or how long Im going to ride.....just that I want to see "in order of importance".

Grand Canyon
Pikes Peak
Manitou Cliff Dwellings
Skyline Drive in Canon City, CO
Royal Gorge
4 corners

So I get the time off work.....6 weeks till go time.

In that 6 weeks I took some weekend trips to try out my "fancy" camp gear and such. Just basically ride a hard day out and see something, camp that night and come home. Worked decent.....no illusions of great, but a solid decent. Also discovered my bike needed brakes and tires but again, 6 weeks, plenty of time to sort it out.

new tire fitted (and brakes)



So gear is prepped (ie tied in trash bags.....err, I mean high tech compression sacks)......bikes been gone over (tires, brakes, oil change etc)....and my $250 Harbor Freight trailer is loaded and ready to go....and hopefully come back.



.....and to top it off the week before we leave my co-rider (my girlfriend) has twisted the sheet out of her knee; is in a brace, dopped up and walking with a cane.....sweet.....thats gotta help, right.

[aaronrkelly]

So we are leaving at 3am on Thursday morning.....the plan is to ride hard the first day because Nebraska sucks.....and everything we want to see is near Colorado Springs.

Before leaving picture....yeah, its 3am....I've just got off work and Im kinda less than thrilled. See my plan was NOT to be leaving at 3am....but a co-worker had a scheduled World of Warcraft game planned so my start time got pushed back.....yeah, no shit....World of Warcraft. I reasoned that there was no point in going in and napping till day light....might as well get to it.


So off we go.....in the dark. Not much to see....a couple deer, other then that nada.

[Go-4-It]

Sounds like you have a good plan and the time to make it happen. Enjoy, I look forward to following your Star ship to the Canyon.

[WaywardSon]

The best plan is no plan...go for it. You're gonna see some nice country! Take lots of pics.

Hope the girl-friends knee holds up.

[aaronrkelly]

So is there anything to see in Nebraska....

Here is Nebraska at day break...



and several hours later here is Nebraska again....



Oh....more pics of Nebraska



Im beginning to think there is NOTHING to see in Nebraska (and well on my way to proving that point) when I come up to Lexington NE and need fuel. I pull of the slab and as I do I see a sign for a military vehicle museum.

So I get my go juice and take off following the signs.....to hopefully find something redeeming in Nebraska. Honestly I figured I would round the corner and be greeted with a few vehicles.....this place was huge. You couldnt swing a dead cat without hitting a tank, truck, dozer, gun etc.....easily the biggest military vehicle museum Ive seen (which was only this one).

[aaronrkelly]