Four Corners Roadtrip Pt. 2 – Off-roading and Arches National Park – Moab, Utah

Written by Kyle

We’ve spent a little bit of time through Moab before, including a visit to Arches National Park. This four corners trip allowed us to plan on spending a couple days here, revisiting the park, and doing a bit of off roading and exploring as well!

Day one of our trip we visited Hovenweep National Monument, and made our way to Moab. We booked a room in the famous Apache Motel, one of the oldest operating motels in town and a frequent stay for John Wayne and his family! We arrived about a week before Easter and also the National Jeep meet, expecting it to be quiet, but town was hopping. After a delicious Italian dinner, we called it a night.

The next morning, we got up before sunrise and headed to Willow Springs 4 x 4 Route. This route starts in Utahraptor State Park, and allows you to enter BLM land and head directly into Arches National Park, bypassing the main entrance. On the way in, you can also stop and see the  Willow Springs petrified dinosaur tracks!

Beyond the tracks in BLM land, the road gets a little more technical, nothing overly difficult in dry conditions with some sand and slick rock, but a high clearance vehicle is definitely required!

The off-road trail arrives in the park at standing rock, which brought us in a little past sunrise and ahead of a lot of the incoming park traffic. We were able to stop at a couple of the normally busier landmarks, and proceeded to the end of the line at the Garden of the Gods.

We decided to hit the trail, when we arrived, there were probably only about 20 cars or so in one of the largest parking lots in the park. We decided to hike in a few miles to see all of the rock formations before turning around and heading back to the truck. As we were heading out, there was a huge influx of incoming hikers, The shortcut into the park definitely allowed us to take advantage of these sites without the normal large crowds. 

We headed back to town to grab a little lunch and rest. Our plan was to pick up some Mediterranean food takeout and head back into the park at dusk. We decided to have our dinner at the Panorama Point Viewing Area, which allows a gorgeous 360° view of the park. It was a new moon as well so we decided to stay for sunset and to watch the stars come out. Quite a few people actually showed up with the same late dinner/stargazing plan as us!

The next morning, we decided to hit a bit more offloading in the area. We headed out of town to Dead Horse Point State Park for some light offloading. We saw signs for bighorn sheep, but unfortunately, never saw any!

We headed back towards town and hung a right and headed to the Long Canyon OHV Route trailhead. This 15 mile route takes you down through a canyon, with over 2000 feet of elevation drop. One of the more notable sites is passing passing through a fallen rock tunnel! This is considered a moderate trail, with our tires aired down the 4runner handled this with ease. We decided to have a picnic on the Colorado River near Jughead Arch, then headed back to town to enjoy another dip in the pool before some dinner and shopping in town. This was a fantastic couple nights in Moab! Stay tuned for part three.

Four Corners Roadtrip Pt. 1 – Hovenweep National Monument – Montezuma Creek, Utah

Written by Kyle

Bee and I decided to do a road trip around the Four Corners region. We figured we’d be able to see a bunch of new spots we had not yet been to and revisit a couple we had – but spend a bit more time. We cleared ourselves a four-day weekend (which happened to coincide with a bit of a heat wave for the area), and hit the road.

We left Creede and headed through Durango, CO and made our way across the Utah border to see Hovenweep National Monument.

Hovenweep National Monument preserves “six prehistoric sites built between 1200 and 1300 CE which may have served as ceremonial centers” and includes “a variety of structures, including multistory towers perched on canyon rims and balanced on boulders.

 

I’d been here before years ago, but Bee never had, so we decided to do the full 2 mile rim hike. From the visitor center this takes you around the end of the box Cannon, across the other rim, and down into the canyon before heading back up to the visitor center. The hike down and back out of the canyon could be a bit challenging depending on your knees, but is also completely optional. You could stay on the upper rim and still see everything, however, seeing all of the sites from the bottom of the canyon definitely offers a unique perspective!

We took our time reading through the guidebook for each of the stops, and were lucky enough to come across one of the park workers who was actually doing some restoration of mortar work on one of the buildings which was in danger of an eventual collapse. She was extremely informative and explained the whole process of preservation and their goal of just maintaining the structures, not trying to actually rebuild or add to them.

We spent about two hours at the monument which was a pretty amazing site. Is definitely hard to imagine this at the peak of its time when there were water, catchment systems, and large areas of agriculture. After a little picnic, we hit the back roads and headed off towards Moab! Stay tuned for part two of our Four Corners journey.

MOTORCYCLE DIARIES 03.36.2026

By Beulah Mae

Wind blown and happy. Bloodshot eyes, the tip of my nose is sunburnt, my mouth is dry and I couldn’t be happier. Herds of big horn sheep, bighorn sheep mingling with deer. A bald eagle doing lazy circles in the sky over the Rio Grande. A daytime moonrise, watching a big quarter moon peek in and out between the mountains. Speed goats and open roads. Apocalypse moments with no one in front of me or behind me for miles and miles. 

I’m much more concerned about the weather out here than I ever was when I lived in CA. Today looks like it will be the last day up near 70 for a while. Next week it’s gonna get back down to the 30’s. Maybe some moisture, we need it so I’m not too bummed, but I knew I’d better get on my bike before I missed my shot. I have projects up in the fortress of solitude that is my craft room and guest quarters. Those can wait, this opportunity couldn’t.

I traveled some familiar roads and unlocked a new road, hwy 114 from Gunnison to Sagauche (suh-waach). Nice open roads, it felt good to get to kick it up in to sixth gear for some long stretches. Ever cautious, scanning the sides of the road for danger deer, because if there’s one you can see there are at least 2 or 3 you can’t see. No danger deer until I made it back home. I did see a small herd of antelope (aka speed goats). They were out in a field and I slowed to watch them and watch the road for more on the other side. Better safe than sorry. I wasn’t paying too much attention to the speed limits out there, just doing whatever made the bike feel best, I wasn’t in any real hurry.

When I Ieave my house I’m riding next to the Rio Grande for about a mile before I hit pavement. That road is The Silver Thread Scenic Byway. It’s a 117 mile journey that starts in South Fork, passes through Creede, over the continental divide, past Lake City, and ends at the Blue Mesa Reservoir. People travel from states away just to pass through and I’m already here! Once I leave my neighborhood I can go either left or right and the route I chose today was left. The shortest round trip route is 250 miles. I’m not gonna see a stoplight for at least 2 hours.

The Silver Thread Scenic Byway dead ends at the West Elk Scenic Byway. I was not on the scenic part for long as I headed in to Gunnison and my first stop light. I topped off my tank, stopped at a Napa auto parts store to get a new battery for my fob and found a pizza joint for a quick lunch.

Next up I unlocked HWY 114. 61 miles of easy going mountain passes, open valleys and big sweepers with nearly zero traffic. I had to pass one Texan. They were doing pretty good for the most part, but they brake weird in turns (IYKYK) and I didn’t want to stare at this guys butt all afternoon. I made a safe pass and had the road in front of me to myself for the next hour. I pulled over once to watch the antelope but I didn’t want stay too long and have Texas catch up with me.

I hit Saguache for a pit stop and then back on the road. At this point I can go on auto pilot. Just a bunch of straight roads til I hit Del Norte for the last leg home. I put it in cruise control and just took it easy. This time of year the cops are like hawks when you get near the towns, I saw one guy pulled over just out of town and saw at least 5 more sheriffs trucks patrolling between Saguache and South Fork. 

I made my right turn at South Fork and that means today I will have ridden all 117 miles of the Silver Thread Scenic Byway by the time I get home. Side note: One time my friend Matt, who is a pilot, flew in to Creede and took Kyle and I on a flight to Salida to have lunch. When we flew back we came up the canyon from South Fork to Creede, and as we were nearing the bend at the Blue Creek Lodge we felt like we were in Star Wars flying through canyons like the Millennium Falcon. 

Just past Star Wars canyon there was a herd of bighorn sheep mingling with deer in the fields behind the Cottonwood Cove Guest Ranch. (my fifth element* for the day) I top off my tank in town so I’m ready for the next adventure when I park my bike. A friendly flash of the brights from a truck just before the turn by the airport, alerting me to some danger deer, thanks neighbor! 

I’m back on my dusty road home, sun shining straight in to my eyes like laser beams. As I round the last corner towards the cabin I see the garage door is already open, my husband to be (he’ll do) is down in the garage after finishing his time in the fortress of solitude, waiting for me to rumble in and settle down with him for the evening.

*Fifth element: The element of surprise. Unplanned, inimitable.

“Everything that happens once can never happen again. But everything that happens twice will surely happen a third time.”

Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist

Gogol Bordello Live in Albuquerque NM

Written by Kyle

I’ve loved Gogol Bordello since I first heard them in 1999, but I’ve never had the chance to see them live. Bee has seen them a couple of times, but it’s been years., so when we saw they were playing a short drive away in Albuquerque, New Mexico we grabbed tickets right away!

We left Creede on a Tuesday morning, stopping in Monte Vista, Colorado to see the Crane migration. Every year about 20,000 Sandhill Cranes migrate and stop in the area. As we were passing by, we figured we would take a gander. There was an absolute massive amount of them both in the air and on the ground, unfortunately with my phone I was unable to get good aerial shots.

We had an uneventful drive down, and checked into our mid-century hotel in downtown Albuquerque, within walking distance of the theater. After a quick dip in the pool, we cleaned up and headed out for a sushi dinner (no sushi in Creede!), then made our way to the venue.

I couldn’t think of a better venue to see this band, the historic El Rey Theatre, once a movie theatre and now a concert venue. And the best part? A capacity of around 700 people…that is the population of our whole county! I’m not sure if the show ended up selling out, but it was definitely packed. We started the evening up on the balcony watching the opening bands and the beginning of Gogol Bordello’s set. The sound up top was decent, but our view was a bit obstructed so we decided to make our way down to the floor.

It was a great move, we were able to get right up front where we could really see the band and the sound was amazing. The crowd was energetic, singing along and dancing. I can honestly say it’s been years since I felt that kind of energy in a crowd. I took a handful of photos and one short video, but honestly, I was too engrossed in the show!

I loved seeing these guys, it was one of the most high-octane, eclectic shows I’ve ever seen. I’m hoping to see them again down the road someday!

Chaco Culture National Historical Park – Nageezi, NM

Written by Kyle

We took a drive down to the remote area of Negeezi, New Mexico to visit Chaco Culture National Historical Park. We knew the area had no cell signal, no restaurants, or places to stay within hours of the park except the camp sites on location… so why go? To put it simply it is one of the largest concentrations of pre-Columbian indigenous pueblo ruins anywhere and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

From Creede it was about a four-hour drive through the gorgeous Southern Colorado mountains and the Jicarilla Apache Nation Reservation. After the last 7 miles of gravel road we arrived at the park. (We had read it was a much more treacherous road…..but maybe the people writing that had never driven forest roads before?)

We stopped at the visitor center to get our vehicle pass ($25 per vehicle or no charge with a National Park Pass!) and talked to the ranger to see where our time would be best spent. It turns out the five major sites are easily accessible from the 9 mile loop access road running through the park. We chose to purchase some additional guidebooks and do a self guided tour rather than wait for a ranger-led program.

This weather this time of year was perfect, about 68 degrees out, sunny, and barely any other visitors at the park. We drove in, said hi to a couple coyotes, and parked at the lot for the Chetro Ketl and Pueblo Bonito sites.

Immediately we were surprised at how large and tall the ruins were. After seeing Pueblos at nearby Mesa Verde National Park and Chimney Rock National Monument we did not expect to see such a large complex. These ruins were constructed between 850 and 1250 CE, so it is amazing how much is still standing.

We started at the smaller site Chetro Ketl and examined the ruins and the masonry techniques outlined in the guidebooks, then made our way to the largest complex in the park, Pueblo Bonito via the petroglyph trail.

The Pueblo was stunning, walls remain over 2 stories tall, and the Great Kiva (a large, typically circular, subterranean or semi-subterranean structure used by Ancestral Puebloans for major community ceremonies, political meetings, and social gatherings) was the largest and best preserved we have ever seen. The guidebook was easily worth the $3.00 as it took you through the complex, pointing out the different sections and techniques used through hundreds of years of planned building, and highlighting features unique to this park.

Chaco Culture National Historical Park was one of the largest pueblo complexes we have visited, allowing the most access through the buildings themselves. We would absolutely recommend a detour to this park in you are in Northern New Mexico, it is worth the detour for sure! 

The Elklund Hotel – Clayton, NM

Written by Kyle

I’m a huge fan of Western history, so anytime I get a chance to stay in an 1800s hotel I take it. While passing through New Mexico, decided to stop for the night in Clayton, a New Mexico town near the border of the Texas panhandle. After reading this on the hotel website, I decided to stay at the Elklund Hotel: “The original part of the structure, now serving as our saloon, was built in 1892 and operated as a saloon and gambling hall; the property was purchased by Carl Eklund in 1894 and during the following years was expanded in phases to its present configuration. The historic Hotel Eklund currently has 24 guest rooms, as well as 2 dining rooms and one of New Mexico’s most iconic bars. We serve delicious steaks, authentic New Mexican dishes, and classic comfort foods, along with an excellent selection of regional beers and wines. For over 100 years The Eklund has been Clayton’s premier boutique hotel, dedicated to preserving the Wild West Experience for the modern traveler.”

Walking into the gorgeous Gorgeous lobby did feel like a step back in time. I admired the original switchboard while waiting for my key (an actual physical key, of course), then went up to my room to clean up.

The rooms have been updated, personally I like it when they feel more untouched, but I do appreciate having a bathroom (they were not originally part of the standard rooms, and you shared a bathroom down the hallway).

I headed down to the restaurant and asked for a table, while waiting I walked over to the bar to admire the gorgeous antique bar back. The barkeep let me know that unfortunately there was no music tonight, but recommended a few local whiskeys to try.

I was seated and ordered the NY strip steak ($26!?!?) and enjoyed the atmosphere (pretty sure there are a few bullet holes in the ceiling), then enjoyed my meal! I asked about the pie I saw other tables feasting on, but unfortunately they had just run out so I ordered the Texas sheet cake instead. So I have never had this before…and I do not know if this was a standard example or something special…but Wow! I retreated back to my room with a full belly and hit the hay, back on the road in the morning!

American Basin – Lake City, CO

Written by Kyle

You have probably seen photos of American Basin in a calendar, on instagram, or a magazine at some point before. Located near Lake City, Colorado in the Gunnison National Forest this high alpine basin is surrounded by cliffs up to 14,000 feet in elevation, and is absolutely stunning.

You can get to the American Basin from the Alpine Loop Scenic Byway which starts in Lake City. Since that is only an hour away from our cabin we decided to make the drive over Slumgullion Pass early on the weekend. This winter has been remarkably dry so far and because of the time of the year there was almost no other traffic…..very different from the summer months! Bee’s son was visiting and came along as well, so we had an excuse to show him the sights and of course grab some lunch at the Sportsman’s BBQ Station in Lake City. We made our way up the loop, enjoying the sights along the way – mountains, waterfalls, and a bit of wildlife. Most people aim for the wildflower season in the summer, which is beautiful, but the fall and winter seasons here offer beauty and quiet most people never get to enjoy. The loop itself is a fun all day adventure (this is just one stop on the trip), but 4WD is required.

We made our way to the American basin trailhead (only the last mile is really bumpy, but if you do not feel up to the off roading, or your vehicle is not high clearance, you can always park at one of the earlier turnouts and walk to the trailhead), took a few minutes to stretch after the long drive, and enjoyed the views.

We were greeted by a dusting of snow on the mountains, and the view from the trailhead was perfect. We started to hike up the basin and were able to see several waterfalls, as well as one we stopped at for a quick cool down. 

If you are in the area, the Alpine Loop is absolutely worth the trip, and seeing the American Basin is an experience to remember, whether in the summer months or shoulder seasons!

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Museum – Cleveland, Ohio

Written by Kyle

Last time I was back home visiting family in Cleveland, Ohio, I took Beulah to some of the local sites, including the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Museum. I had actually not been to the museum since it opened back in 1995, so I was looking forward to going back and seeing how it had changed. It was, of course, a beautiful grey day on the lake in Cleveland, Ohio when we arrived, but we took a couple minutes to admire the rock hall architecture, and of course, took a couple pictures at the Long Live Rock sign.


We entered the museum and were immediately greeted by an overwhelming amount of rock ‘n’ roll memorabilia. We decided to start on the lower level and make our way through rock ‘n’ roll history. Many of the exhibits had been there since the museum opened, but this was not a disappointment at all, especially for B who had not ever been there before.


It’s pretty amazing to be able to see the guitars and apparel worn by classic artists like Elvis, Buddy Holly, and instruments played by Prince, Johnny Cash, and Jimmy Page. There was also a really neat Cleveland rocks exhibit with local music history – something that definitely has extra meaning to somebody from the mistake on the lake.


The current special exhibit was revolutionary women in music. Bee was excited to check out some of the costumes and equipment from many of the women from the 70s to today.


We also took a minute to go into one of the jam rooms where Beulah practiced her best bass face while slapping the strings. Check out those snakeskin boots.

We absolutely recommend going to the museum if you’re ever in town, or if you’re lucky enough catch one of the live concerts often held there or even the induction ceremony for the next year‘s class!

The Big Texan Steak Ranch – Amarillo, Texas

Written by Kyle

I have been to The Big Texan Steak Ranch in Amarillo, Texas a few times over the years, but recently on the way back from South Carolina the timing lined up and I was able to stop not only for a steak dinner, but to stay the night!

I was planning my stop for the night and looked for a hotel near the restaurant, and to my suprise the Big Texan Motel came up! It was very reasonable, and only a walk across the parking lot from the rooms to the steakhouse. I arrived in Amarillo and checked in and headed to my digs for the night. The room was clean and decorated in what I can only assume was “Big Texan” style. 

I decided to clean up and head over to grab some dinner, with a quick stop to pet the goats who were hanging out at the Horse Hotel!

I was seated near two sisters on their way cross country via Route 66. I did not feel prepared so I skipped the 72oz “Free” steak and decided to just get a 12oz steak and some fried pickles.

Dinner was good and fast, and I took a spin around the gift shop, past the shooting galleys, had my fortune read, and headed to the bar for a nightcap.

It had been a long day of driving so I decided to call it a night. The bed was comfortable, and once I tuned out the I-40 freeway noise I fell right asleep. This was a reasonable and convenient stop, but I suppose if I ever stay again I may need to try the 72oz steak challenge!

Mesa Verde National Park – Montezuma County, CO

Written by Kyle

A couple weeks ago we had planned to go to visit Mesa Verde National Park in Southwest Colorado. At that time we were hoping the government shutdown would be over, but at the time I am writing this it is still dragging on. We were not sure what to expect but as we already made arrangements for the trip and booked a hotel, we hit the road as planned.

The drive from Creede, CO to the park was beautiful weather and the Pagosa Springs side of Wolf Creek Pass was still showing fall colors. We even spotted a few of our bighorn neighbors on the drive out.

We grabbed some lunch in Cortez (Delicious, but insane portion sizes Loungin’ Lizard!) and headed to the park entrance. We were surprised to find there was a park ranger manning the gate, they were not collecting entrance fees or checking park passes, and he informed us most of the roads in the park were closed except the main route. All the museums, visitor centers, and guided tours of the cliff dwellings were shut down, however you could still visit the Spruce Tree House.

We headed into the park and enjoyed the beautiful, traffic free drive, and made our way to the Spruce Tree House. We arrived and were happy to find the restrooms were still open and clean, and there was a park ranger present. Mesa Verde is full of petroglyphs and archeological sites, so it was good to see there was someone watching over them. We have definitely seen horror stories of people causing damage or running free at other national parks during the shutdown.

The view of Spruce Tree House was pretty amazing, especially knowing this is one of the smaller existing cliff dwellings in the park. We headed out of the park, glad to have seen what we could, and we definitely want to visit again when the full park is open and guided tours to the dwellings are available. We thanked the lone ranger for looking over the park and headed home.