Az,Tx,NM National Parks

 Beverly and I take 2 weeks to motor down through Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas to get some more National Park stamps. Bev drives the Subaru and I'm on the Tenere                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      At a fuel stop just after Price Utah I see this car, it is a "Trebani" 

They were made in East Germany and were the only cars available while the wall was up..... If I understood the owner correctly.

The owner is a young man named Max he and his girlfriend and another friend are touring through the US. Max is from Holland and rebuilt the 600cc engine before they came over to America. Max is also a motorcycle enthusiast.

All three of them seem like real adventurers, I truly hope they have a great visit in the United States. I really enjoyed talking to Max and learning about his awesome car. 

A little while later we arrived in Green River and stop to have lunch in one of my favorite places, Ray's tavern.

(Trust me the sign actually does say Ray's tavern, but the Sun was shining bright and I couldn't see the picture on my screen to check it.)

Sufficiently fed we then proceed to Moab where we will spend two days before we go farther south to Pagosa Springs, Co 

Wednesday morning I depart for Pagosa springs, and before I leave the Moab area I stopped at a gas station to get a drink. While there I meet this young man and we had a very enjoyable and lengthy conversation and solved all the problems of the world.

Shayan is a motorcyclist also. Maybe someday we will get together and eat up some miles.

Looking off the deck of our lodging in Pagosa springs. 

 I'm not sure if this is a miniature submarine or a fish swimming past or deck.

Next we motor through beautiful New Mexico on our way to Roswell.

We have a photo op at a alien display outside of Roswell.

From Roswell it was a pleasant drive (via Subaru) to bag the Carlsbad caverns and Guadalupe Nat Pks stamps. 

Now that we are on our trip, we changed our carefully made plans on the fly. I'll ride South to get White Sands and Big Bend parks. Bev will wander over to Pinetop... then we will meet up either in Pinetop or Flagstaff. So we will end up getting two more stamps than we had planned on.

These next two pix are somewhere in New Mexico miles apart.

On my way I run into this guy....or rather he runs into me, we ended up riding together for a number of miles because it was a two lane road and Gabriel (sp?) was patient enough not to pass me.

We both finally stopped at this gas station and gushed about how great a bike the Tenere is....no matter what version.

While we were talking 3 couples from the Netherlands approached us and explained they had gotten lost and asked us for directions, They were trying to get to Route 66. I happened to have a New Mexico road map which I gave to them and Gabriel was able to orient them enough to help them get back on track.

After we chatted and helped the visitors we parted ways and I continued to  Pinetop, Az to meet up with Beverly. Next day we rode to Flagstaff to have dinner with biker buddy Howard. After a great dinner and conversation we went our ways and the next morning departed from Flagstaff to get Grand canyon national Park and Glen canyon national recreation area stamps 

On our way to Flagstaff we made the stop in Winslow Arizona to stand on the corner and more importantly, to get a Almond Joy Sundae. 

A friendly local LEO

Rest and shopping stop at Cameron, Az.

And the next day we ride through the Grand Canyon.

The seemingly docile cow elk lying in the shade at the edge of a huge parking lot was a  photographic hit!

Then after 12 days and 2800 miles the day comes that we have to return home.

The dam from the front yard of our hotel.

On the way, shortly after I had entered Utah I see the sign for the "Dragons Belly".

I flip a Uey and go down a short road.

Hiking through the Dragons Belly was treacheous but I was able to make it without sprainging an ankle or falling.

After tickling the dragons belly, I was soon back on the road again.  Arriving home around 4 pm.

Life is absolutely GRAND!