RideAbout65.4 – Day 29 – Cedar City, UT to Green River, UT via Bryce Canyon and UT Route 12

Total distance: 329.39 mi

Today’s Mileage: 329 miles

Total Trip Mileage so far: 5788 miles

I am listening to: Nothing – don’t need it with these roads.

Pat and I will ride together out the nice road 14 to the junction of 89 where he will head toward Texas and home and I will head North to pick up UT 12 at Bryce Canyon. UT 12 is supposed to be a “Bucket Road” – we will see if it lives up to its name.

I arrive at Bryce Canyon and spend some time sightseeing – once again the National Parks senior pass gets me in for free. Bryce Canyon certainly lives up to its reputation – photographs do not do it justice but I take some anyway and after cruising around a bit I am off to hook up with UT 12.

Ok, UT 12 is now my new favorite road – extreme scenery mixed with swooping curves of all types and great pavement make for a fun ride – there is a bit of traffic but as soon as I get a few miles away from Bryce the traffic thins out to nothing and it is just pure pleasure of road, bike, and man. When UT 12 ends up near Capitol Reef National Park, I find a small connector, Route 72, to take me the 40 miles up to I-70 so I can drone down the interstate to Green River for the night. However, I have been told by a Harley guy at the hotel that this section of I-70 is very scenic.

Well, put UT 12 on the back burner, Route 72 is the new best road!! Other than a car at the beginning and a truck at the end I did not pass a single car – I had this terrific road all to myself, Katie and I had a pretty good time. Eventually I will get the video of this road and UT 12 edited and posted.

What a day, 12 and 72 add up to one fine day of sport riding.

I have been finding on this trip that using the interstates every once in a while is more efficient than spending an hour or two going in all directions just to avoid them. That leaves more time for the good stuff. In the spirit of that concept I hop on I-70 and head for Green River. The guy at the hotel was right – it is extremely scenic and now I am glad I went this way. At rest stop to admire the view I strike up a conversation with a local vendor of trinkets that he says his wife makes. He did have some nice stuff and after a half hour of looking I finally pick out a nice shiny trinket to send home.

On to Green River for the night – tomorrow I plan to ride down to Moab and see what it is all about. I have found what looks to be a good road to return from Moab to I-70. Then I will just take I-70 almost into Denver so I can have an easy ride up north of town to see my daughter’s friend Chantel and then down to Colorado Springs to visit Fred, my old friend from high school.