Overall I really enjoyed this trip. It is the first trip where I didn't feel like I had to rush through the itinerary.

At the same time, there were some really hard days. I think I got spoiled, riding in Europe the past two summers. Not because I was eating croissants in France and chocolate in Switzerland, which I was, but because everything is so close together, distance wise. I knew it would be like longer, here in the U.S., but I didn't think it would be as noticeable as it was.

It didn't help that the temperatures were 10 degrees higher than normal this summer, in a place where the normal temperatures can be excessive to begin with. That, sometimes, sucked the life right out of me, and it could have added to the impression that the distances were longer than they really were?

I really don't think I would recommend riding in Monument Valley area during July unless you area a very strong rider. The distances, along with the heat, were wearing. As I stated in my journal, on the day I had to hitch a ride to Page, I realized that it would have been extremely hard for me to ride those stretches. Near Page it was over 110 degrees. In a way, me having tire trouble was a blessing in disguise.

I stayed in more hotels than normal because of the heat. It was often best to be off the road by early afternoon. When I rolled into town at 1:00pm, after 6 or 7 hours on the road, the last thing that appealed was 100-plus degree heat in a campground with little or no shade. And having to always be on the road at sunrise took some getting used to, for a non-morning person like yours truly. This was especially noticeable on the coast portion of the trip. It felt like a luxury to get up at 7 or 8am, lounge around over coffee, and ride into the late afternoon or early evening.

Still, that's not to say I didn't enjoy the trip. It was fabulous to just change directions when circumstances dictated, or just on a whim. And even though it muddled things a bit, being able to tour Zion National Park, unexpectedly, was a highlight. The hiking was great in Zion, Grand Canyon and Arches National Parks, and had I not been "aimless", I would have not taken the time to do all that. Nor would I have stopped and spent the day at the animal sanctuary, which was also a highlight.

I still love that part of the country!

Winds

I rode east to west for most of the trip. That was not my original plan but because of my nephews wedding it just turned out that way. That being said, the idea that the winds can blow in any direction in that part of the country are just not true, and no one can convince me otherwise.

When I rode cross-country through there, from west to east, I had tailwinds 95% of the time. This summer, riding east to west, I had headwinds 95% of the time. And it wasn't just breezy, the winds were strong. Unless there is a compelling reason to go east to west, I would recommend that anyone riding the western express go west to east.

New Gear:

I had some fabulous new gear. My favorite was the camp chair. It was easy to set up and pack up, was relatively small, and comfortable. It made resting by the side of the road 100% better. It is well worth the pound and half (or so)! Still, it did have one problem, so stay tuned for a full review in the reviews section.

The Abus folding lock was also nice (and will also get a separate review). The main thing I don't like about touring alone is leaving my bike unattended, outside stores, for example. With the right tools, someone can get through a cable lock like a hot knife through butter. But I felt really confident in this new lock. I think that the likelihood of that average thief having the tools to get through this lock on a whim would be extremely low. The only drawback is the weight. At around a pound, it is heavy. Still, the the peace of mind if gave while I was separated from The Trucker was worth it.

I had a small solar panel to charge my phone and ipad but I sent it home halfway through the trip. Not because it didn't work great, which it did, but I just didn't need it. It was never difficult to find places to charge things. Still, it would be great on a more remote tour and a review is pending...

The Keen sandals, also great. They were the only pair of shoes I had in the desert. And though sturdy hiking shoes might have been better on some of the hikes, the sandals were good enough, for the few times when I needed that.

Reviews on the ipad are mixed. I liked that I could store several books, and things to read. I also like Photomatrix, the photo editor a lot. Still, I really don't like not having a mouse to make entries in the journal. I got used to the screen keyboard, that wasn't so bad, but making edits and things, using my fingers on the screen was awkward. I may use it again on a trip, but it is not a slam dunk. I also have a netbook. Time will tell which device I use on my next trip.

Thanks!

Once again the people I met on the road were fabulous! From strangers who were kind enough to give me a lift, to people who invited me to dinner or offered me a cold drink, and everyone else who took an interested in my tour. I keep telling everyone that the world is not as scary as the news media makes it out to be. And once again this trip proved it.

I appreciate everyone's guestbook comments! Especially the ones about my photos. You might be interested to know that I didn't just poof myself into taking good photos. If you look at my earlier journals you can see the difference in the quality. But I have the good fortune of having an office across the hall from a photography instructor. He gave me a few tips on cropping, and how to keep a focus on the subject of the photo. That lesson lasted only a few minutes, as he cropped a few of my photos differently, so I could see the difference. That's what set off the light-bulb in my head to make my photos better. Now I look at photos I like, in magazines, online, etc, and study the techniques.

My point is, anyone can become better at photography, even without a class or any kind of special training. Just look at photos you like and try and copy what they did, within the context of your bike trip.

But back to the guestbook. It really makes it fun to see people following along. I really appreciate all the comments!

And, as requested, I will continue to add things like maps for each day, and an overall map of the trip...

Sometimes I feel depressed when a trip is over but this time I don't quite as much. I'm not sure why? Except maybe I am already thinking about new trips, and new places to see. I have some ideas in mind but nothing is for sure at this point. It's fun to dream, don't you think?

Thanks again for reading!

See you next trip!