All good things must come to an end. The lengthy trip report is below and at the end, there are some huge kudos I need to hand out.

The trip report: Day 1 on the way back - Issues give way to awestruck amazement, followed by close calls:

After some technical equipment issues, namely my helmet situation and camera gear, the call to return to Fargo could no longer be ignored. The journey up north had to begin. Leaving Las Vegas towards St.George, UT provided a distinct heat bubble, but hardly any crosswinds and even the cagers (drivers of the steel vehicles) behaved for the most part. The others were taught some lessons on the fly.

Note to all automobile owners - DO NOT drive close enough to a motorcycle that you can sniff its exhaust! Yes, it may be addictive, why else would we ride, but given the fact that we can (comparatively) stop at the drop of a dime, we really dislike the idea of our rear end, machine and man, being smashed in by a car. (Notification - End)
The ride to St. George was almost uneventful, hadn't it been for a short stop for fuel in Mesquite,NV again.
We ran into a rider group from Mexico! 2 Goldwings, 1 BMW GS Adventure and a brandspanking new 2010 Version of the Kawasaki Concours 14. The Connie owner came over to talk about bikes, the differences and his personal modifications. They just got done riding both sides of the Grand Canyon and are headed towards Canada.
For all the riders reading this; isn't it interesting how we talk to one another, not even knowing the others whereabouts, yet we are united by machine, tarmac, destination and endless stories that come through it?
The chat with our Mexican friend reinforced the plan to go through the scenic areas that we had planned to take down to Las Vegas, but got rained out of. (Read Las Vegas Calling Day 1,2,3)
The route from St.George was unnecessarily long winded, literally. Yet, worth it in every single detail.
Zion National Park - Bryce National Park - Highway 12.

Yes, I have found rider's heaven! While Zion and Bryce were spectacular once you get to the scenic lookout points that is, the most spectacular road, free of charge, was Highway 12. This stretch of road provides it all. ALL!
Red rocked canyons, mountains with sharp drop offs, mountain plateau riding, leading into dense forest areas where deer were counting the motorists breezing past. I wish I had had the opportunity for video, but alas, the camera gear is unresponsive - what a joy. I did manage to take a few images here and there, but they won't do any justice to the visuals of "Rider's Heaven". Being able to carve through this variety of terrain, was a good taste that it takes a ton of awareness to react and handle the road correctly. At many spots Highway 12 wouldn't allow a single mistake, as they'd easily be punished by either a wrecked bike or loss of something more valuable. In exchange, there were passages that defined exhilarating riding. Envision a 3 mile stretch on top of a mountain,
basically in the shape of a narrow plateau, falling off to the left and right, without guard rails and barely
enough room to have cut a 2 lane road onto it. Now sprinkle a few light curves into the mix and you have a good idea what this section of the ride was like. It ended at its summit at almost 8000 feet and then gently gave way to dense wodded areas with a plethora of curves, declines, inclines, deer and very few motorists.
The very obvious absence of other vehicles sprung the thought that they are either not liking this road in general, or that there's good reason why they're not driving there at nightfall. Alas, in cruising through Utah's very own Sherwood Forrest (Smokey Mountains) I've seen a massive, massive buck walking away from the road as I came past, just showing it's white arse. Probably to let me know what he thinks of my existence inside his forest.
Still lingering over the question why there are hardly any other vehicles on the road, the thought was answered not much later. While for the majority of deer encounters my inner radar worked,
I almost missed seeing one of the furry car bombs denying my right of way and wanting to cross, showing its ironic grin in my headlights. A hard hit on the brakes and the collision was avoided, but certainly got the adrenaline flowing a bit more than desired. 4hrs of riding in deer infested areas take a ton of concentration out of a rider, mental fatigue is almost inevitable.
Highway 12, which will be rated as my most favorite road to this day (at this time), gave way to Torrey, UT where a friendly gas station with unfriendly attendants welcomed us. Have you ever been kicked out of a gas station while eating your subway sandwich, purchased at the same gas station? Not that we caused any uproar, noise or other disturbance - No, they just wanted to go home within the next 30 seconds and we were informed, not asked, to leave.
Note to all travelers going through Torrey, UT - avoid the Route 66 gas station and subway joint on Main Street.

We now were faced with the decision to either go through another dense forest area to meet up with I70 leading to Grand Junction, UT or to take a 70 miles detour, practically backtracking, in exchange for not as much forest. After the hours spent on high alert, the decision to go 70 miles around was quickly made and we went onwards towards Salina, UT to get on I70. What should have been a deerless endeavor, turned into a near accident with a deer wanting to cross the highway, while a pickup truck attempted to pass us.
Honestly, my inner eye already saw the truck on top of the deer, which at that point was still in my lane. I had slowed down to about 45 mpH. Last second the deer decided that an encounter with a truck could be unhealthy, and it may be wise to wait for Obama's health care package to kick in, and remained in my lane. Thankfully, I was slow enough and the massive brakes of the Concours 14, w.ABS did the job and stopped me in time for the deer to jump away in joy.
Meeting I70 at Salina caused a deep sigh of relieve and we headed towards Grand Junction. Now, the downside of getting into seemingly safer areas? You turn your inner radar on low alert and in exchange, you become tired as your adrenaline subsides and gives way to the hours of high focused riding.
Instead of Grand Junction, we opted for the safe bet and stopped at Green River, UT, blindly checking into the first hotel/motel off the highway - a Budget Inn. Now, I've seen low end hotel rooms, I have avoided staying in them. But, the desire for a few hours of shuteye got the best of us and we checked into the motel.
At the registration desk, the unkept clerk that gave non existing customer service a new definition, returned questions with one word answers. Us;"Do you serve breakfast"? Clerk;"Nope". "Do you have wifi?" Clerk;"uhhhh...."
Although advertised on the motel's flashy sign, it quickly became clear that wifi was non existing, much like their customer service, cleanliness, upkeep and general ambiance of the joint.
The next morning I realized we had 3 cars with flat tires and stuffed to the brim with crap in the parking lot.
Junk yard or motel? Make up your mind! In the meantime, weary traveler, stay away from the Budget Inn in Green River, UT.

Onwards to Grand Junction today. Rocky Mountains, here we come! Hopefully with functional camera gear and the opportunity to upload images upon returning to Fargo.

Onwards with the kudos mentioned at the beginning. This trip was greatly assisted by some of the best people I know.

Bret & Bill; Thanks for hosting us, guys! It's much appreciated and even though I haven't seen you in years, it was like it's been yesterday and nothing has changed. As you once said Bret "It's family". And although not blood related, you guys are my brothers.

MaryAnn & Van; Thanks a ton for the time spent with us, the hosting, the Sushi experience, the Shooting range, the rides, the fun, laughter,...just...everything! There are many things that can be said, but the bottom line is: You guys rock! Give Brianna and Griffin a huge hug, it was great seeing them again as well and next time won't be that far out.

MJ