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Doc, yes we are planning to go across 12 and 24. I hear is is great! Did you open my Harley ride plan and see our route? What do you think of it? Are the evening stops close enough? Feel free to make any suggestions.
Is mid September a good time to make this trip? We don't want to be out there during the hottest time of the year and we don't want to be there when it is more likely to rain.
Is there a reason we should stay in Page? Anything special there? Would it be better to stay overnight in Marble Canyon?
Are motels usually booked up far in advance?
I took a similar trip this year...Early Sept to be exact. The heat didn't bother me in the least (but I'm a Texan and am pretty accustomed to it). We got a good bit of rain though, which, I hear is unusual for the month as August is their "monsoon" season. Basically, Sept should be a fine time to go.
We stayed in "marble Canyon" at Lee's Ferry Lodge. Check out their website. Nice people and good place to eat. I'd definitely recommend it...it's actually easier to find if you use the mile markers. The location is great for the area...another 1 hr 45 min ride down to the North Rim. I was going to stay in Page, but ended up picking Lees Ferry Lodge as it's simply closer to the North Rim and timing-wise...worked out better. There isn't much to do there, as it's just a stop off the hwy, but for a friendly, inexpensive place to lay your head and get a good bite to eat...it's fine. The surrounding "vermillion cliffs" are definitely picture-worthy.
If you look through this thread...I started and thread & posted some pictures from the trip. It was awesome! and I recommend it to anyone and everyone. Can't think of too many better places to ride...and more beautiful...plenty of eye-candy for sure. Hwy 12 is AMAZING! Unfortunately, we encountered heavy rain the entire length of it...no photos. Plenty of free-range cattle on the road as well.
If you happen to have reason to stay in or near St George and or need to get service done at Zion HD...the only dealer in the state, I recommend spending the night at the Holiday Inn Express in Washington. The Dealer is a walk across the parking lot. It's a new hotel and they have "bike lockers". For something like $5, you can park your bike inside a storage locker. No worries about taking all your stuff off it at night and it's safe from the rain/dust etc. I wish more hotels had those! The staff was very friendly too. From there, it's another 30 minutes to Zion NP.
Sounds to me like you have a great trip planned and aren't trying to do too much each day. It's just so pretty, if you like to stop and enjoy the sites, take pics, etc....this is not the area you want to fly through.
Just a word to say a buddy and I did almost the identical trip out of Los Angeles the last week of this past June -- I only wish we'd had the benefit of Doc_CJ's knowledge and advice. He's right when he says that you really can't go wrong anywhere in the area for scenery.
In June, other than a momentary light shower in Zion, we hit no rain whatsoever throughout the circuit. Monument Valley was interesting, but you can't ride through the valley itself -- you need to take one of their tours. Also, accommodations in the immediate area were the most expensive of our trip.
We stayed 2 nights in Kanab, at Aikens Lodge, which was cheap and clean. Next time it will be the Parry Lodge, which is very funky and has an interesting history.
My friend lost his rear brake in Zion NP, and we headed over to Zion Harley, in Washington, UT. They were great, had us in and out in a little over an hour. The service writer, Mike (I think) was a retired police chief of Vernal, UT. Turned out we'd all been in the Marine Corps in Vietnam at the same time (1968). Small world. Nice people all around, actually. You're going to love this trip.
Don't know your age, but if you're as ancient as we are you can buy a lifetime national park pass for $10 before you leave, or at your first stop.
One more thing. I don't know if you guys are animal lovers or not. But if you are, Best Friends Animal Sanctuary is a couple of miles outside Kanab, and offers 1.5-hour tours that must be booked in advance. There was a recent TV series about the place called Dogtown. They rescue all kinds of animals, but mostly dogs. They rescued the dogs in the Michael Vick case. If they can't adopt them out, they keep them for life. Warning: If you go there, leave room in your saddlebags for the two pups you'll be riding out with
What about the above questions? Which place in Mexican Hat - Mexican Hat Lodge, San Juan Inn, or Hat Rock Inn? Anyone done the Antelope Canyon tour?
I ate at the Mexican Hat Lodge this past August. EXCELLENT. I stayed at the Desert Rose Inn just "up the road" in Bluff. Was going to stay at the San Juan Inn but it was booked up. I don't know if it could have been any better than the Desert Rose Inn. Excellent place with very nice people. Gave me a chance to eat one night at the Cottonwood Steakhouse in Bluff and have breakfast two mornings at the Twin Rocks Cafe. Both were excellent too!
If you've never been in a slot canyon, Antelope Canyon is definitely one of the prettiest ones. $40 is a little steep, but they take you out to the canyon in these awesome 4x4s, provide drinks and a tour of the canyon. If you have the time, it is a neat place to see.
If you're planning on hiking around in Zion NP, you can get into the Narrows (slot canyon) or "the Subway," which is an extinct lava tube. You're gonna pay about $20 to get into Zion anyway, so you might as well make the most of it!
