Another 1,000 miles down

I’m over the 6,000 mile mark total, over 4,000 for this trip. It’s funny to think that the shortest distance across the US is is 2,200 miles (Jacksonville to LA on I10). With the same end points, I will have at least twice that when I get to LA. To understand this phenomenon better look at this track:
The last few days
(You can close the titles on the left by clicking the very small triangle in between the map and the list)
As you can see, I’m taking neither the fastest nor the shortest route; the extra time is totally worth it.

This thousand mile section took me from Santa Fe to the middle of Utah. These western mountain roads have been great. The scenery has been excellent and because it’s not the season, the traffic has been low. Since I left Santa Fe I’ve only ridden about 100 miles on the Interstate, the rest has been on the “scenic” routes from my atlas. Each color on the map shows a different segment of my ride (different days or gas breaks change the color). If you switch to hybrid view, you can get a small taste of some of the great formations. Look closely at the National Parks. You can even see the dirt road I rode in Capitol Reef National Park into a narrow canyon.