Grand Canyon Drive By

From the westernmost corner of southern Utah the routes east are few and far between, mostly because there’s this gigantic canyon blocking almost all paths southward. So, it only makes sense to catch a glimpse of this famous canyon from its less famous North Rim.

The road from Hurricane, Utah to Jacob Lake, Arizona, is largely uninspired. Once at Jacob Lake however, the road turns to fun all the way into the National Park. Fun, that is, unless you’re stuck behind one of those Whales on Wheels rented from El Monte RV. But on a bike passing is far easier than in a car, so the Whales are easily slain and unfettered access to the curvy road regained.

The centerpiece of the North Rim Experience, aside from the big-ass hole in the ground, of course, is the Grand Canyon Lodge. This building is a testament to architect Gilbert Stanley Underwood and National Park style of the 1930s. It’s located right on the canyon edge, it’s big, it’s stone and logs, and what a view from every window.

The restaurant inside the great lodge is pure National Park institutional. The food is okay, but the lack of culinary inspiration is more than forgiven by the unparalleled view from each and every seat.

For the motorbike rider looking for a bit of dirt road, there is the Point Sublime road, 17 miles long and well maintained. If you’ve planned well in advance a day or two stay at the North Rim is available in the lodge, and a variety of cabins and campsites. Reservations are required and the place is booked months in advance.

The road east out of Jacob Lake is also tons of fun. A very curvy blacktop that drops in elevation down to the plateau that is home to the headwaters of the Grand Canyon, Navajo Bridge (the easternmost crossing of the Colorado River) and eventually Glen Canyon and Lake Powell. The road here is mind numbing – but, surprise, the scenery is great.

Glen Canyon Dam, dedicated by Lady Bird Johnson when she was First Lady, is an engineering marvel, but an environmentalist’s touchstone. Love Lake Powell, or hate it, it’s been a recreation Mecca since the early 1970s, and over a Memorial Day weekend it’s packed – even with $4 a gallon fuel prices.

The Lake Powell recreation area has a wide variety of sleepover options, from nicely maintained (if a bit sandy) campsites to a basic hotel, resort. A recent New York Times article talked a bit about a new American vacation phenomena called “luxury deprivation,” where people go out of their way, and spend money freely, for the illusion of “roughing it.” Okay, as a motorbike touring and camping enthusiast, the description fits. Here’s to riding all day and then roughing it by sipping a nice Robert Mondavi, enjoying a delicious salmon fettuccini, and then sleeping in a comfy goose down-filled sleeping bag inside a high-tech Eureka tent.