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This week I am going to pick up on our trip at Day #7 from Jackson Hole, WY to Richfield, UT. If you need to refresh from the last letter Click Here. When I left you last time we had ended up staying an extra day in Jackson Hole to take a float trip down the Snake River. We knew we had about 1000 miles of riding to get back home in 2 days so we decided to get an early start as we left Jackson to get as close to Bryce Canyon National Park as we could. We took Hwy. 89 out of Jackson and followed it through Montpelier, Idaho and eventually to the small town of Paris, Idaho. This is nothing like the Paris you have heard of in France but still had an interesting charm about it.

One of the great things about touring on a motorcycle is seeking out the back roads of the United States to really get a first hand look at Americana and try to imagine what life was like in these towns as many as 150 years ago. One of my favorite things to photograph is old barns and buildings that are still standing from this era. We see that from time to time as we travel, but this particular town seemed to save every old barn and building it ever had, including some extraordinary ones. As we rode through the main street of this town of 500 people, we could sense there was something special about this community, which led us to explore the entire 6 square blocks. We later learned that Paris is the second oldest town in Idaho. It was settled by Mormons in 1863 with 30 families and swelled the next year to a population of 700 people, never getting more than that. Paris now has over 60 homes, buildings and sites registered with the National Historical Society. One of the most significant is the Paris Tabernacle, completed in 1885 at a cost of $50,000. The Tabernacle can hold 4 times the population of Paris.

Once we finished our ride back in time, we continued on Hwy. 89 and crossed into Utah and past Bear Lake, one of the bluest lakes I have ever seen, and on through Logan Canyon on our way to Logan, UT. If you are making your way to Sturgis next year and have the opportunity to take this route through Logan Canyon, you won't be disappointed. The 36 miles of beautiful Canyon riding plus the riding by Bear Lake and going through the old town of Paris is very enjoyable. We then decided to get on the fast track in the form of I-15 and knock out some miles the quick way through Salt Lake City on to our next great motorcycle road surprise called the Nebo Loop Scenic Byway.

Every once in a while you will hear something about a particular road from someone and without knowing much about it will insert it into your itinerary. Sometimes they are good, sometimes not. This one was fantastic. Mount Nebo Loop, was designated a National Scenic Byway in 1998, but is not actually a loop at all. This 38-mile road crosses the Uinta National Forest between Payson and Nephi and climbs through aspens and flower filled meadows to over 9,000 ft. providing beautiful views of Utah Valley, the Wasatch Mountains and 11,877-foot Mount Nebo, the tallest mountain in the Wasatch Range. There are plenty of overlooks including the Utah Lake and Mt. Nebo overlook. It is said that the brilliant foliage in the fall is hard to match anywhere in the nation. As you head South from Mt. Nebo you will go through the Devil's Kitchen geologic area where you will see red tinted rock formations and spires similar to that of Bryce Canyon. If you are ever on your way to or from the Provo or Salt Lake City area, it would be well worth a detour to experience the Nebo Loop Scenic Byway. It will take you about 1.5 hours for this 38 miles and the route is closed in the winter.

After a short break and some fast food in Nephi Utah, we decided to knock out another 80 miles to Richfield, Utah before stopping for the night and ending our 469 mile day. Day 7 was supposed to be one of those travel days without much excitement that turned into an absolutely great riding day with a lot of variety to stimulate your senses. You will find 80 pictures from Day 7 of Glacier Trip 2005. Next week I will rap up the trip with Day 8, the awesome ride through Bryce Canyon National Park.

Click Here for photos of Day 7