Sturgis Tour - First Riding Day; Vegas to Zion

Ann & Chris had a special birthday recently,
so we celebrated with them!

We had a 200 mile ride today, beginning with a ride down The Strip, before taking the I15 freeway out of Las Vegas. Even at 6.30am the interstate traffic was heavy, but gradually thinned out a bit as we got further away from the city. By the time we turned off for Valley of Fire State Park, we were almost the only ones on the road.

Valley of Fire is stunningly beautiful, with it's deep red rock formations making curious shapes & backdrops as we rode through the twists & curves. Temperatures were rising steadily, & everyone was thankful for the ice-chest containing water & soft drinks that we carry in the support vehicle. Hydration jackets & neckies were wetted & donned, as some respite against the morning heat.
We stopped for a late breakfast at Overton, where our favourite cafe had opened early especially to accommodate us, & before too long we were back on the road, the riders by now beginning to relax & settle in to riding their rented Harleys.
We carried on another 90 miles or so, & were ready for a stop at Zion Harley-Davidson. They too had opened especially for us, as they are usually closed on Mondays. John & I had called in to see them a few days before, & asked if they would open for an hour or so, in case any of our group wanted to buy souvenier T-shirts. Laura, the manager kindly agreed, & I think they were pleased that we came! Apart from our group, half a dozen or so other bikes pulled in after seeing our bikes parked outside, so I think Laura was quite happy to give up her Monday morning off in exchange for hugely increased sales!

H-D carrier bags containing T-shirts, jackets, boots, & an array of other bits & pieces were duly bunged into the back of the van, before we set off on the 30 mile ride to Zion Canyon, & our lovely overnight stop. The photo above shows all the bikes neatly parked as we arrived at the hotel, with the beautiful mountains behind. We arrived mid-afternoon, giving us plenty of time to enjoy a swim & the sunshine at the outdoor pool, while others took the free shuttle-bus to the village a few miles further down the road, or simply relaxed in the cool of their comforable rooms.

We met for dinner in the restaurant with stunning mountain views, & as dusk fell we watched the bats swooping outside in search of insects. Ann & Chris had both celebrated special birthdays recently, so we surprised them with a cake, candles & all! Later, when leaving the restaurant to go back to our rooms across the car-park, we were stopped by one of the hotel staff shining a torch on the grass several feet away. It turned out to be a rattlesnake, 3 or 4 foot long! They were very concerned for the guest's safety, & had sent for someone to come & 'deal' with it. She warned us to keep well back, as rattlers can jump up to 3 times their length when they strike. John didn't need two tellings - he's terrified of snakes! Anyway, a pick-up truck pulled up, & a couple jumped out. The man was carrying a spade, & after a little hestation & a lot of direction from his wife, he gingerly went nearer & struck, chopping the poor rattler's head off with his spade. The body continued to writhe for several minutes, & when it quietened down a bit, one of the onlookers got brave & approached to give the tail a shake. Sure enough, it rattled just like we used to hear on the John Wayne films on a Sunday afternoon! Last year, we saw tarantulas here; this year, a rattlesnake. Wonder what we'll see next year. Couldn't help feeling a bit sad for the snake, though.