Two days here mean two less there, when you have an appointment with the Canadian Border

In order to import his bike into the USA, Roel had to get an EPA clearance for the Africa Twin. The clearance is only good for one year from the date of import and there is a nice bond attached to the Africa Twin import, so we needed to make sure to get the bike out of the US within that year time-frame. So, while the opportunity to spend time on Lake Powell with The Ride of My Life crew was too good to pass by, we knew it meant we would have some seriously long days in the saddle to look forward to. Or dread, given that our bodies are not yet exactly back in “riding shape,” yet.

It also meant that we had to keep our throttle locks on as we passed by Bryce and Zion National Parks. Although we had toured both of these parks in November last year, riding on without stopping, was more painful than my rear end.
 
But we did get to stop and see my childhood best friend whom I have not seen in over 10 years. She is living in Park City, Utah and put us up at what is quite possibly the nicest hotel I have ever stayed in. This coming from a girl who used to plan executive level meetings in Ritz’s and Four Seasons. If you’re passing through Park City any time soon, I highly recommend resting your head at the Newpark Resort & Hotel. Cloud-like bedding, every amenity you could imagine and a private hot-tub overlooking the slopes where the 2002 Winter Olypics played out. 

 

Getting to see Jana, and meet her amazing family, was the best, though. To see a good friend in a truly happy place, raising wonderful children, with a wonderful man by her side, was good for my soul.

We continued on to Salt Lake where we were simply blown away by the kindness and generosity of people. While at a Patagonia Outlet replacing Roel’s hole-ridden rain jacket, a couple ran over to the bikes and asked if we needed showers or anything. While in down-town Salt Lake, a man who read our website while waiting for his wife to come out of a shop, invited us to have lunch with his family. Thank you so much Justin and Carol! And just as we were pulling out of Salt Lake, intent on riding a few hundred kilometers although it was nearly dark, another couple pushing their infant in a stroller asked if we needed a place to stay.

While we didn’t get to spend enough time in Utah this time around, it’s no wonder that their state slogan is “Life Elevated” - it’s not just about their amazing mountains. It’s about the amazing people.

Snake River Bros group shot

We made quick work of Idaho, camping at a rest stop on the side of the highway late that night and finding our way through Sun Valley and Sawtooth National Park the next afternoon, where we met an awesome group of Harley riders called Snake River Bros who raise money for children in need. At a gas station in Salmon, we met a wonderful family who invited us to join them for their Sunday night ritual: cake and ice cream. We explained that while we would love to, we needed to find a place to camp before dark and so we needed to carry on down the road. They wouldn’t hear of it, and said we could camp on their property which ran along the lake.
Easy decision… after dinner, desert and several rounds of cards, we were shown to a lovely room and hot showers. The next morning, Jim Bob helped Roel with changing his rear-tire and fixing a few spokes that they discovered were out of sorts. Jim Bob invited us to join the family at a nearby lake for a bbq and some swimming, but sadly we had to keep on our way… the border was calling.