And another from the web. Much sunnier than when we were passing through at about 7 PM during a storm.

We stayed Monday night in Tonopah, Nevada and Tuesday night in Alturas, California. The ride through Nevada was another favorite of my trip. We came over from Utah into Panaca, and filled up in Caliente for what would be our last gas stop for 200 miles. I was happy to be carrying extra fuel just in case.

We took highway 375, also known as the Extraterrestrial Highway. Nothing but open range and sagebrush. If it weren't for the constant danger of cows in the road and my need to be conservative on my fuel consumption, I would have done 110 mph for much longer than we did. Still, it was exhilirating.

We passed this wide, perfectly straight dirt road that went off into the distance for as far as the eye can see into Nellis Air Force Range. My map didn't show it, but Michael's had it listed as going to Area 51. In addition to the cows, we kept an eye out for aliens.

The storm had hit hard here too (and we were still getting a good amount of it). There was standing water in the desert...lots of drowning sagebrush and cacti.

Since we were doing 110 past here, we didn't stop for pictures. But I found this one on the web.

The highway goes through a tunnel in this cliff. Pretty amazing. You can see an air hole into the tunnel.

After staying the night in Kanab, Utah we headed into Nevada by way of Highway 9 through Zion National Park (which cost $12 per bike to drive through the park). I laughed at Michael's comment when we stopped to pay our fare: "We just came from the Grand Canyon. What do you got??" But it really was worth every penny. I will definitely go back for some hiking.

We drove east around the Grand Canyon to start heading home. What an amazing drive. One of my favorite so far. In addition to no wind, no traffic, and no cops, there was incredible scenery and flat, straight roads where I felt comfortable doing 110 mph.

89 North to Alt 89 West took us over the Colorado River and past the Echo Cliffs and the Vermillion Cliffs.

As nice as it was to have been traveling solo until now, it's great to see Michael. He's a lot of fun to ride with, also very compatible...always seems to stop when I am thinking of stopping, and wants to get going when I do.

Left Sedona today for the Grand Canyon. Decided that the weather was still too nasty to head east to the Petrified Forest and Canyon de Chelly. But that's okay since the Grand Canyon was our main reason for heading into Arizona. And it is amazing.

Had to go through a pretty serious lightening storm outside of Phoenix on my way from New Mexico. It was totally worth it though. Highway 60 through the Tonto National Forest is amazing. It rained steady all day yesterday, and I was ready to be done.

After 10 hours of riding, and not in the best conditions, I didn't quite make Sedona. I stopped for the night at Camp Verde when it got too dark and the rain started coming down even harder. Since Michael only made it as far as Kingman, there was no point getting to Sedona tonight anyway.

But today the weather is perfect, and Michael met me in Sedona. Beemers love company. (And I thought I brought a lot of stuff...)

Well the storm got me yet again today. I stopped for breakfast in the little town of Alma, about midway between Glenwood and Luna. I talked to a trucker there that had just come over the pass from Arizona. He informed me that there was about 6 to 8 inches of snow on the road there, and it was still coming down pretty heavy. As I sat and ate, every person that came in looked at me like I was crazy, once they figured out that the motorcycle outside belonged to me. Then an old timer came in and announced to everyone (and no one in particular) that he had lived here for 25 years and never seen snow in the pass in May. Just my luck. I try to call Mike to let him know I won't be meeting him in Winslow, but no cell service here. I just want out of this damn state...

So I turn around and take 78 into Arizona, which turns out to be beautiful, despite encountering rain, sleet, ice, hail and, within about a 2 or 3 mile distance, signs for: falling rocks, sharp curves, dips, bumps, wind gusts (getting used to these), flowing water, animals, and finally, no road markings for the next 10 miles. If it wasn't raining so hard, I might have stopped to take some pictures.

I am heading into Arizona today, and thought I'd aim somewhere near Winslow, AZ to meet up with Michael (who left Oregon yesterday). That way we could go to the Petrified Forest National Park and Canyon de Chelly.

I decided to go up through Silver City and over into Eagar through the San Francisco mountains.

Watching the news this morning before leaving I heard that the awful winds I rode through to get to the VLA were actually 60 mph winds. No wonder I was so miserable. At this point, I just want out of this state. (Although I think the storm is all across the West. Heard a semi blew over coming from Tucson...won't go that way)

Unlike quartz-based sand, the gypsum stays cool and can be walked upon with bare feet, even in the hottest summer months. The dunes constantly change shape and slowly move downwind, covering the plants in their path. Some species of plants, however, can grow rapidly enough to avoid being buried by the dunes. Some are seen in the dune behind my Beemer.

The majority of sand found in the world (like 99% or something) is made of quartz. White Sands is unique because it is formed from gypsum, which is rarely found in the form of sand because it is water-soluble. Normally, rain would dissolve the gypsum and carry it to the sea. Since the Tularosa Basin has no outlet to the sea, rain that dissolves gypsum is trapped within the basin, and the rain either sinks into the ground or forms shallow pools which subsequently dry out and leave gypsum in a crystalline form on the surface.

After having my fan installed today at Badlands in Las Cruces*, I visited White Sands National Monument, east of Las Cruces NM.

Driving past the White Sands Missile Range was pretty neat. I had wanted to see the Trinity Site yesterday (where the first atom bomb was detonated), but unfortunately didn't have time. Maybe next trip...

For some cool pics, see http://www.wsmr.army.mil/ and wait for the pictures to change.

*Side note on finally finding someone to install the fan. The guys at Badlands in Las Cruces were very good about making time to work on my bike despite a full schedule. The mechanic was kind enough to let me watch him work on it, and I didn't feel so bad when he had trouble getting the damn thing pulled out of there just like I did. He busted the plastic tab (as I'm sure I would have too if I had kept working on it) but reattached the unit with some silicone.

If just one antenna dish was constructed to do the work of these 27 dishes, it would have to be 20 miles in diameter.

Each dish is 82 feet wide and weighs 230 tons.

One of the coolest things I saw in New Mexico was the Very Large Array (VLA). It consists of 27 parabolic dish antennas that are on 13-mile long Y-shaped tracks so that they can be moved into various configurations. Together they form the world's largest radio telescope. http://www.nrao.edu/imagegallery/php/level2a.php?subclass=VLA&class=Telescopes

After getting the seized fan diagnosis in SLC, I called ahead to Santa Fe BMW and had them order the part. So this morning on my way down to Socorro, I stopped in to pick it up. $200!! (I heard from someone that a fan kit for a KTM only costs about $80....oh well). Guess I should be used to the Beemer sticker shock by now.

Unfortunately, they didn't have time to put it in for me. So I pulled off in the shade to install it myself. It seems to be a pretty easy operation, but I couldn't see how to get the fan off without breaking the plastic(?!) tab holding it on. Since it wasn't a critical situation and I now at least had the hard-to-come-by part with me, I decided to wait until I was somewhere where a mechanic could do it in case something went wrong.

Besides, I watched the weather channel this morning, and they were expecting 40 to 50 mph winds in the area I was going through. And it was supposed to be worse traveling from north to south rather than east to west. Cross winds....great. So I wanted to get going before the wind picked up anymore than it did.

Another view of Cliff Palace.

Left Moab this morning for Santa Fe, NM. Stopped at Mesa Verde National Park to see the Ancestral Pueblo cliff dwellings. Amazing. Had lunch in Durango, CO before heading into New Mexico. Watching lightening storms in the distance tonight from Santa Fe while typing this. Very cool.

A happy Beemer. My last night in Moab tonight, on to Durango, CO tomorrow after Canyonlands National Park.

Ute Indian petroglyphs, Arches National Park

Delicate arch

Balanced Rock...

A view of the morning sun on the cliffs at Arches National Park.

Since I would be passing through Salt Lake City, I called ahead to the BMW dealership here for a spare key for my F650GS. As I am driving around in traffic looking for the dealership, my coolent light comes on. So I pull over and let it sit until it goes off. Lucky for me I'm minutes from a BMW shop.

The guys there were great, and despite how busy they were, looked at it for free (and fed me a decent burger) and determined that my fan seized up. Apparently this isn't uncommon. As they didn't have the part in, and is only a problem when I'm not moving fast and there isn't enough air flow to cool it down, they told me not to worry about. Just get it fixed at my earliest convenience. So on I go...

And a lovely stay the second night at Tracie's in SLC.

A lovely stay the first night at Linda and Kendrick's house in Jerome, ID. Put almost 600 miles on the bike today. Felt good...

This is my first road trip on the F650GS. It will take me through 8 states in about 14 days, roughly 4500 miles. Oregon, Idaho, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, California.