Hurricane, Utah to Death Valley, California

Starting the morning with a scenic ride south on I-15 through the Virgin River Gorge, we exited on rural Nevada route 169 to make our way to Lake Mead and Hoover Dam. On the way Andy’s key fob dropped out of his pocket causing panic after we filled up with gas and he could not start his new GT. Luckily, he found his emergency key and we were able to proceed.

We all stood on the Hoover Dam Access Road Overlook, taking in the monumental engineering wonder of the whole scene. After leaving the Dam, we continued on to the Las Vegas Strip for Damian and Brendan to absorb some of the world-famous glitz and glitter. From there, we rode to Death Valley, where our first stop was Badwater Basin.

At 282’ below sea level, it’s an eerie salt water flat at the lowest elevation in North America and it was humbling to take it all in. Continuing to our hotel for the night (the Oasis at Death Valley) we took a detour on Artists Drive, which is a paved motorcycle rollercoaster that’s more fun than anyone should have. Damian and Brendan exercised their wrists to the max, while Andy and I took a more leisurely pace. Regardless of riding style, it’s a fan favorite.