We started the day with temperatures in Flagstaff at about 33 degrees. The day was very dry, no moisture had collected on the bikes during the night, which is unusual. You know how your car looks early in the morning if you leave it out side. The bike seats, generally being black, radiate well and cool down, moisture condense on the cool surface.
We started out on I-40 out of Flagstaff for about 140 miles. Flagstaff is at about 5,000 feet above sea level. As we left flagstaff we climbed to about 7,000 feet and then came back to 5,000 feet for most of the trip on I-40.
Our goal today was to visit Nevada and make a quick side trip into California. Since we were in Nevada anyway, we decided to see the Hoover Dam and take a tour up along the western shore of Lake Meade.
The ride looked something like this (and I still have not mastered the camera).
We then left the interstate and continued on Arizona 68. That was a really great road. You travel through towering spires of rock all the while have well defined turns, nothing major but you are still leaning with the bike into the turns and the road was smooth. But the real treat were the rock formations as we traveled down from 5,000 feet to some where around 1,000 feet above sea level and though the Lake Meade Recreation Area (which might be a misnomer now since the lake is about 30% below full and has not been this low since they built the Hoover Dam
Before taking US 95 up to Boulder City, NV we visited California.
After we took the photos, we got back on the bikes and road them across the border as well. And yes it is a dry heat, really. I could never wear that jacket (even though it is a textile mesh) in South Caroline in 95+ temps.
We had lunch in Boulder City, NV. We looked on line for a place to eat and found a BBQ place in Boulder City that was well rated. I forgot to right down the address so when we entered Bolder City, we figured we would have to stop and look it up again. However, we did not have to because there were these little yard sale signs pointing us to Fox Smokehouse BBQ. It was very good.
Out of Boulder City to Hoover Dam next. Not a difficult trip. There is a new bridge on US 93 that costs about 300 million dollars.
The bridge has an observation area next to the roadway accessible from the right hand side as seen in the photo. I suspect it gives a "premium view" of the dam. It was built to connect Phoenix and Las Vegas a few years ago (US 93).
For those of you who have not seen Hoover Dam here is a picture.
Nest we took Lake Shore Road up around the western part of Lake Meade. Its about a 60 mile trip up that way to Mesquite, NV using I-15 for ht last 30 miles or so.
Photos of Lake Meade will have to be added later.
The road up around Lake Meade is very well maintained. Compared to other National Parks it is very very good. And there is no traffic. The only bad thing is that the speed limit is 50 MPH.
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