In 14,000 miles, I had yet to encounter the elusive pink donut. That is, until Flagstaff.I have always loved doughnuts. LOVED 'em. My routine on weekends in SF was to go down to Chestnut street and get a doughnut from the local donuttery, then off to Peet's for the Sunday paper and a thick cup of coffee. Every time I'm in the donut shoppe I ask if they have strawberry/cherry (pink) icing. Every time they say more people asked for it, but they don't have any yet. (Yet? Is it that hard to get?) In 14,300 miles through two nations I have looked but not found a single cherry iced donut. This is remarkable considering you can buy fudge and cinnamon rolls in more places than you can buy gas on the Alcan Highway. I always thought that some day I would make tons of cherry icing and become the North American distributor and make a fortune. The demand is there, I'm telling you.

So it was with great surprise that I pulled into Safeway in Flagstaff AZ, and low and behold--pink donuts! Sadly, it was flavorless; just sweet. It may as well have been red dye in white icing. (What flavor is white?) The search continues...

Anyway, here is the route since Monday: Arches and Canyonlands; Natural Bridges and Capitol Reef; Glen Canyon and Grand Staircase/Escalante; Bryce and Zion (including Kolob reservoir); Grand Canyon (North Rim), Vermillion Cliffs and Sedona today.

A real geography lesson, let me tell you. Also a lesson in hydration: did you ever get a refill on a 44oz super big gulp--before you paid for the first cup?

Most of my time was spent between 5,000' and 8,000' elevation. Peaked at 9118 at the top of Bryce. Wow. Down in Zion it was 3800', yet the bottom layer of Bryce represents the top layer at Zion. Or maybe that's vice versa. Kooky either way. Someday I must return and hike The Narrows--the river that flows through the Zion canyon floor. Imagine 2000' cliffs straight up--and only 10 feet wide. Sometimes you wade chest deep in the river through the narrow gap. Oh and flash floods can happen at any time.

Above 7000' the air is cool, the trees grow, and the views are fantastic. The meadows at the North Rim of the Grand Canyon were spectacular all by themselves. The rock formations are incredible and no way do the photos do them justice. You just have to go there. The twisties in each of the parks was great for leaning out like Valentino Rossi and dragging a knee--especially early or late in the day. I nearly wore out the sides of my new tire in the last week!

Canyonlands is like riding on a giant puzzle piece, only the puzzle piece is 2000' high, and you twist around and around the rim looking down on views as spectacular as the Grand Canyon. Each park was unique in geography, but they all lead up to the Grand Canyon. It ain't called Grand for nothin'!

I was getting upset by the fact that it was getting dark at 9 pm in Utah--until I crossed into Arizona and lost another hour. It gets dark at 8!! I really miss Alaska and the Midnight Sun.

Pics galore in the Flagstaff Set, though I'm sorry I don't have time to organize them better for you. Just know that the Mighty Beagle rolls on without hesitation, though it has trouble keeping up with the "Bush/Cheney '04" Chevy trucks, and the "Christian Hunters and Anglers Association" Fords, the "God Bless our Troops" Dodge's, and the Jesus Fish Hummers on the highways. Despite Devil's Tower, Devil's Backbone, Devil's postpile, and Devil's Kitchen, etc., according to the bumper stickers this is God's country--and don't you forget it! Yet the Beagle continues in humble exploration through millions of years of geographic strata open like a book, surrounded by obvious wildlife adaptations and evolutionary changes--even dinosaur footprints. It's a curious country we live in.

John the Paramedic informs me he just got a used BMW 1150 GS to make Carmen the Wonder Bike jealous. I couldn't keep up with him when he had the 650. I want a faster bike too, otherwise riding with John in the future will consist of coffee at Peet's in the a.m., followed by a beer 8 hours later at some bar. Oh, by the way, best non-Peet's coffee on the trip was just outside Northern Arizona University at a place called Macy's. Some of my readers are familiar with this establishment.

I'm off to Sedona, where I once thought I should open a donut store called "Sedonut" where I would sell donuts with only pink icing. (The heat makes you do funny things, I'm telling you.) After Sedona, I'll be in San Diego for a couple days, then up to SF for the weekend. Then probably back to San Diego for a week or so. What does the future hold beyond that? A new apartment in SF. Or perhaps ... Hoboken?! If I've learned anything on this trip it is that the journey will continue whether the bike comes with me or not.