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Day 7 – June 20, 2013 – about 2,400 miles behind me.

Today was largely a repeat of yesterday … perfect.  As you read this, think of this advice:  if you decide to travel the country via car, stay off the Interstates.  These things get you there quickly (sometimes), but you wind up missing the best parts of America.  Better yet, stay off the Interstates AND do the trip on a motorcycle … like the billboard says, rolling down the windows ain’t even close!  But hey, that’s just my opinion.  It’s also my opinion that we live in a great country.

Departing the sleepy little burg of Hulett, WY I headed south and rode down more roads with “the good parts”.  I rode through more pine covered, rocky hills and then descended into vast plains of grass with herd after herd of grazing cattle.  After a couple of hours under the same blue sky that was there yesterday, the landscape turned into farmland as far as I could see and I began to make out the shadowy outline of the Rocky Mountains behind the thick haze in the distance.  The temperature climbed to nearly 90, but as I pulled into Fort Collins, I was much closer to the mountains and so the haze was considerably less.  I checked into my hotel and then hit the road again … I’m not here to relax in a hotel room.

This is what I call a "Sleepy Little Town" The only restaurant in town - but the steak was good

Fort Collins is a clean, growing, modern city.  It is the home of Colorado State University as well as to Sandy’s ex-wife.  Sorry Sandy … I tried to deliver your well wishes but couldn’t find her!  I’m very familiar with Fort Collins, having visited here multiple times during the period when Kodak had a plant in Windsor, CO.  I always like this town … a very nice place.

Another great place to visit is not seen by many tourists, but the locals sure know about it.  I first visited here when my Kodak friends told me about it and I promised myself I would visit it again on this trip.  If you ever get out here and don’t see this place, then shame on you because I feel it’s one of the most beautiful places in America.  It is Cache la Poudre River Canyon or as it is referred to by the locals, “Pooder Canyon”.  It’s a 40 mile ride up Colorado Route 14 through a rugged rocky canyon carved by the river.  I took movies of this ride with my “cycle cam” and as soon as I edit them (once I get back) I’ll be posting them to YouTube.  If you do get here, spend the day … it's free, it's not crowded and it is beautiful.  Go slow, take pictures, have a picnic next to the river and feel the place.  Another reason to stray from the beaten path.

 (Pictures don't even come close to doing justice to this place)

Tomorrow, I’m on to a truly beautiful small town, Estes Park Colorado and then I’m riding down the Continental Divide to Grand Junction, CO.  It's a huge ride ... over 7 hours, so I'll probably be too tired to blog when I get to the hotel.  I’ve been to Estes Park before but once I venture south, It’s new territory for me.