Saturday, June 22, 2013 – day 9 – 2,800+ miles so far – past
the halfway point!
Today, in the spirit of changing things up to avoid boring
my audience, I’m using a storyboard format.
Same information, different look, with more web link interaction.
I had a change of plans and instead of going over to Utah to
see Arches National Monument, I decided to stay in Colorado. I made this last minute change because Utah
would have been another long “in the saddle” day (I’m starting to walk
bow-legged I’ve been riding so much) and I started thinking that Arches would
be another hugely crowded National Park because there is a cluster of them in
that area and summer is the peak season.
I started my day by riding a coupe of hours to “The Million
Dollar Highway”. But first, I passed a
place called Escalante Canyon that was accessible only via a gravel road. Now, I have an 800 pound cruiser that’s meant
to eat up the highways and byways, but I figured I may not get back this way
again, so what the hell. Adapt, improvise
and overcome, right? Well kinda … I got
my bike in and out of the canyon, but the effort it took qualified as my
exercise for the next two or three months.
Ouch! However, a truly beautiful
place that most tourists don’t see, so well worth the effort. Once again, my “Get Off The Interstate”
philosophy pays dividends. Here’s a few
pix and a web link that also has some pictures:
After taking quite a bit of time “working” Escalante, I
finally reached Montrose, CO and picked up CO Route 550. The section between Montrose and Durango
comprises the Million Dollar Highway and thanks to Chris T. for recommending
this ride. One word: SPECTACULAR.
I you travel to Colorado, don’t miss this (unless you have phobias about
heights, roads without guardrails, steep ravines, etc.). The road winds through the mountains and
runs past abandoned gold
mines. Click here for a quick overview
and history lesson:
About halfway between Montrose and Durango sits the charming
little town of Ouray. A bit of a tourist
trap, but still very neat. I took an
hour or so to walk around and to have lunch at a neat little restaurant with a
fabulous view. Relaxing and rewarding,
given the views!
My lunchtime view
After lunch, I moved on to finish up today's journey in
Durango. Don’t picture an old west town
with wooden sidewalks and saloons wit swinging doors. This is a clean, small, modern city that has
been able to retain the nuances from it’s history. By the way, Durango is HOT – as in 90+
today. But, it’s a dry heat … then again
so is my oven and it does a swell job cooking the turkey. There’s a lot to do here … check the website:
I’m still deciding on tomorrow’s agenda, but as always, I’ll
keep you posted.
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