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 The ride started off exactly on time with everyone overflowing with anticipation. Excited chatter filled the air as men prepared their trusty steeds for the day. Oil levels checked, chrome polished, windshields cleaned and everyone fed and watered up for the long day ahead.
The first day of the ride, the riders headed to Zion National Park. Because the Visitors Center has limited parking and fills early in the morning the riders dismounted in Springdale, UT, which sits on the edge of the Park and hopped on a Canyon shuttle and rode the quarter mile to the Visitors Center.
Zion Canyon is a narrow canyon, sometimes only as wide as half a football field. The sandstone walls that rise up from the canyon floor raise straight up as much as 1,000 ft. Traffic is limited to shuttles that run twelve miles round trip; making frequent stops where one can get off and board the next shuttle that comes through every six to eight minutes. Some of the highlights included riding the specially designed busses through the canyon. T
 During a moment of respite under the cool shade of a beautiful tree near the Zion canyon, Basil and Arnie show Thai muscles to an approving audience.
The view was spectacular. Some of the riders took in some of the many galleries and gift shops that are available.  The galleries and shops specialize in local artisans works and memorabilia that has a local and regional flavor. Some of the Gang departed to eat lunch at the WatchMan Café.
From the canyon area the riders headed east up out of the canyon on the Zion-Mt. Carmel Highway. It is a serpentine road that climbs up off of the canyon floor at a remarkable rate of ascent, climbing toward and through a mile long tunnel cut out of the solid sandstone rock. Inside the tunnel the riders experienced something very unique and special. There are three large windows cut out of the rock, each opening onto a different scene of the canyon. Many riders took the opportunity to “rattle their pipes” inside the deep dark tunnel. The first window provides a view back down onto the canyon floor from 500 ft. The next window looks out onto a jagged cut in the canyon wall and the third shows some of the beautiful flora in the area. Upon reaching the top, the riders climbed nearly 1800 ft. in ten miles.
 Shortly after leaving the park, the riders turned north on highway 89 and headed for Bryce Canyon National Park. As they approached Bryce Canyon they rode through an area called Red Rock Canyon. It is a beautiful area of contrasting brilliant red rock cliffs, hills, mounds and vegetation. The road winds along a small canyon floor that follows a meandering stream and travels thru natural rock arches.
 Upon reaching Bryce Canyon the riders headed down the 18-mile long drive that takes visitors to such magnificent views such as Sunset, Sunrise and Bryce Point which rises 8,600 feet above sea level. Rainbow Canyon is really a collection of cliffs, escarpments and spire-like columns (called Hoodoos).
The canyon is shaped like an amphitheater cut out of the rock by thousands of years of wind and water that have left multicolored rows of spires. These Hoodoos look like hundreds of brightly colored soldiers standing in columns at attention ready to march down the valley floor. As the sun moves across them their colors change from tans and oranges to whites and brilliant burnt embers.
The day ended at one of the most spectacular sites that we may be seen on the trip, that is the Bryce Canyon hoodoo's. If you look closely you will see there is room for a few more Bad Boys on the rail.
 After we arrived at Bryce Canyon, the Hill Gang sat down to a buffet of steak, ribs, bbq chicken, ribs and buffalo meat loaf with all of the trimmings that go with a great buffet. Some of the boys, Instigator and Wingman decided that they could take a brief respite from their Health Pointe routines to have one of the “Best ice-cream sundaes they have ever had”.
That evening everyone settled down for the night at the Bryce Canyon Best Western Ruby’s Inn. While there were pools, hot tubs, basketball courts to enjoy the Gang congregated around their bikes and talked into the wee hours of the morning about life, success and happiness. It was a wonderful and relaxing evening in the fresh mountain desert air.
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