Colorado Dreamin – Red River and then back to Raton to load up and hit the road home.

I think it hit us while we were loading up the bike this morning to head back to Raton. the trip was ending and we were not ready to give it up. We decided to head over to red river for Breakfast, to get our last minute mountain fix. It was the right choice. As we made our way up the hill, we could not help but talk about the trip. It had been awesome, one that we will remember for years to come.

Jamie and I joke that in the last days of our lives, when we are sitting on the porch, reminiscing about our younger days, no one will be able to say that we did not have fun, did not have great adventures and did not have amazing friends! I truly love my life!

We got into Raton around 11am so we had plenty of time to load up and then get some miles in so that Sunday would not be a long day. Jamie and I loaded up the Versys and then went over to get Bill & Linda’s bike loaded in the back of the truck. This was easier than anticipated as bill found an abandon loading dock and we were able to back the truck in and just ride onto the truck – easy as pie.

People always give me a hard time about loading and using the trailer to certain destinations. I used to be of the mind set that you ride all of the time. This sounds great and if I were retired and time was not a limiting factor I might not trailer… Who am I kidding,
I will never ride across the boring, HOT plains again on a motorcycle if I can avoid it. I have rode many many times across the great state of Texas. I never have to do it again. This trip was across Oklahoma and I have to say I did not miss anything by taking the jeep and the trailer. Here is my advice for those that will jump on the trailer trashing bandwagon..

Just do you! whatever works best for you, may not work for all of us! lets just enjoy this great hobby and do it the way we want to!

The entire loading process for all of the group was less than 3 hours. Not bad at all.

We all did the caravan thing until we got to Claytin NM. We had lunch at the Eklund Hotel. Kris & Linda had eaten here in the past and it was a great find. The bar was amazing and the history emanated from the hallways. It was a very cool place.

It was hard saying goodbye to Kris, Linda and Lisa but we will ride again soon. It was amazing having them on the trip. The rest of us made it to Enid Oklahoma for the evening.

We woke up to a driving rain storm (another great thing about utilizing our trailer) and drove for 3 hours in sub par weather. We broke free of the rain just outside of Tulsa. Jamie and I made it home and unloaded the bike without issue by 3pm. We got to enjoy some down time before heading back to our regular lives. It was a fantastic trip.

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Colorado Dreamin – Back to the land of Enchantment, Taos and more!

We got up to a beautiful morning in Pagosa Springs. The air was cool and the sky was clear and blue. It has all of the makings of a fantastic day! We went down the street hoping they had water so we could have some morning coffee.

We went to the Colorado cafe and the coffee was amazing! Our friends have laughed at us this entire trip as jamie and I have been taking advantage of the local fare as much as possible. You can never eat too much green or red can you??

As we walked into the cafe we noticed a balloon getting ready to explore the day. Not a bad view to start the day.

We took off and headed down into New Mexico. Our first stop would be the little town of Chama NM. Their claim to fame is the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad. On our way we ran across a real life cattle drive. We just pulled over and let them go by. It was very cool.

We got there in time to see the train load up and take off. We enjoyed a easy morning walking around the town, enjoying the backdrop and playing tourist.

After Chama we jumped on NM 64 and headed over to Tres Piedras. This has always been one of my favorite rides in NM. The road was not in the best shape, but the beauty and smells more than made up for that. Still one of my favorites.

Our next stop was the Rio Grande Gorge bridge. We have done this a number of times, but it is always a nice stop. The weather could not have been better. it was beautiful and not too warm.

We have always passed by the earthships as we ride by, so we decided it would be a great time to stop and check things out. It is very fascinating! You can read and learn more about the Earthship Biotecture Project here.

We finished the day by running into Taos and playing tourist the rest of the afternoon. We walked around the square, had a few adult beverages and just enjoyed being together.

I am truly blessed to have Jamie in my life. She enjoys our adventures and makes every trip so much fun. I love that girl!

We were starting to have post motorcycle trip depression. Yes it is a real thing. That feeling you have when you know you are headed back to reality. No more open road, no more enjoying time with good friends. There will be many more trips, but this trip was almost over and it always makes us sad. Until the next one that is..

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Colorado Dreamin’ – Silverton, Durango and more.

The Million Dollar Highway stretches for about 25 miles (40 km) in western Colorado and follows the route of U.S. 550 between Silverton and Ouray, Colorado. It is part of the San Juan Skyway. Between Durangoand Silverton the Skyway loosely parallels the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad. The road climbs up to 3 very high mountain passes. Coal Bank Pass (10,640 ft /3,240 m); Molas Pass (10,970 ft /3,340 m) and Red Mountain Pass (11,018 ft /3,358 m).
The road is fine as long as you don’t drive too fast for conditions. But if you do, the consequences are severe. (Taken from Dangerousroads.org)

We started the day off in heated gear as the temps hovered around 50, but we knew that we would be doing some serious elevation changes. Our first stop was Silverton Co. We enjoyed a great breakfast and then walked around town for a little while.

Breakfast was very good at the Brown Bear Cafe. I would have linked to them, but could not find a website for them. We did some shopping before hitting the road again.

I love these little places, where you can walk up and down the street, shop at local shops and just enjoy a nice little jaunt after a good meal. The temps were perfect. It was a beautiful day. Sure beats working.

Our next stop would be around Durango. The plan was not to stop in downtown as the traffic can be very bad. We did have some miscommunication on this leg of the trip. Some of the group stopped to take pictures, others went back to look for them and before we knew it, everyone was a little discombobulated. Things like this happen from time to time. Looking back on it there were some things we could have done to avoid some of this frustration. Part of that is the old adage

“Ride your own ride”

If you want to stop, then stop. If you don’t feel comfortable stopping then don’t. We all knew the final destination.

I also look at things this way. Anytime you have a group of friends together for this long of time, something is bound to happen. Its like family. You have words, then you get over it. I would not have changed a thing about traveling with this great group of friends. It will be a trip I remember for a long time. Now back to the cool scenery.

I have never ridden this pass when there was so much snow present. I have done this pass 10-15 times on a bike and today, it was the most beautiful I have ever seen it. The blue skies, the snow on the ground and just the over all magnificence of it all. I was so glad, we were here and we were able to experience this in all of its wonder.

We stopped in Durango and we were correct. the traffic was crazy and we did not spend any time there. Bob broke off to visit a friend in Farmington NM, while Jamie and I headed to Pagosa Springs. The rest of the gang went on to Mesa Verde State Park. Jamie and I have visited the park a number of times. I will try and get some pictures from the rest of the gang to add to the blog.

We enjoyed a little snack and then decided to run up Wolf Creek pass and see how much snow was up at the Continental Divide. What a nice little ride.

We stayed at the Alpine Inn in Pagosa Springs and lets just say our stay was very disappointing. We did not have water the entire stay and what made it worse was the management NEVER even came to check on anyone. They did however take the FULL payment for the room without question. I thought we might have heard from them, when we returned home, but have not heard a word. I would not recommend the Alpine Inn in Pagosa Springs for anyone’s stay.

We did have dinner at the Coyote Moon Bar & Grill and it was a great experience.

They were dealing with the lack of water, like the Alpine Inn, but they went above and beyond to take care of us, They even left the kitchen open later than usual to take care of our group.

I would eat here again and would recommend you stop by and give it a try if in the area.

Just another day on our adventure. Tomorrow we will be heading back into New Mexico. Until then stay tuned.

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Colorado Dreamin; Tour – A day of riding, relaxation and good friends.

We decided that today was going to be a free day so that everyone could catch their breath and get a chance to enjoy the area. The guys decided to ride and the girls were going to stay in town and enjoy the local shopping experience. We all met at Breakfast on Main to start our morning. The food was decent and we were ready to tackle the day.

Telluride was the destination for the ride, however road construction and traffic altered our plans. Believe me no one was upset. Today was the most spirited of riding pace for the trip. It was a great morning. We enjoyed the roads and thanks to Kris, we took our turn on his green beast. That Kawasaki H2 SE is a sweet machine that is faster than hell. Keep an eye out for the video of me riding the Beast! We enjoyed the riding and made it back by 3PM to spend some time with the girls and relax some.

We had a great afternoon, walking around the shops and enjoying the fresh cool mountain air. We actually got to knock out some laundry as well. It was a very enjoyable afternoon.

We finished the day by eating dinner at Maggies Cafe with a night cap at the Ouray Brewery.

I think we were all tired and we all took advantage of the free day. I have to say that I could spend a week just chillin in Ouray. Tomorrow would be another day of great riding and memory making.

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Colorado Dreamin’ – Co 141, Gateway Resort ending in Ouray.

I know I have said it in every post, but today was one of my favorite days for the tour. Colorado 141 has always been a great ride. We found out about it years ago from our friend Tom Oliver. One of the best things he has ever done for us… I kid.. I kid.. haha

We stayed at the Alpine Inn in Gunnison and I have to say the motel was very nice, well priced and very clean. It is the third time we have stayed there and they never disappoint,.

We took off down Highway 50 towards Montrose. This is a great stretch of road with many highspeed sweepers and great views.

It gets a little boring as you wind your way through the valley. However once you get to the turn off for 141 it gets all better and you are reminded why you rode so far out of the way.

We followed 141 into Gateway. We filled up with fuel and decided to spend some time in the resort. Some of the group went to the auto museum while the others had a little ice cream break. It was a nice break.

We took some pictures of the group while getting gas and relaxing. Here is the gang!

After a short break at the resort we were back on the road. CO 141 goes from desert to mountains and back all on the same journey. The resort is such a nice place. I have never been there when it has been busy and the service is always good.

You could take hours just riding and stopping to admire the scenery. the views are breath taking and the riding is phenomenal. We truly enjoyed our day of riding on CO 141.

We rolled into Ouray around 4:30PM. We all just wanted to get checked in and take a shower as we saw temps in the upper 80’s earlier in the day. We stopped by the Ouray Brewery for a couple of drinks before having a wonderful steak dinner at Outlaws to end the evening. This was a fantastic day of riding. We dodged rain again today. Hoping that trend continues tomorrow.

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Colorado Dreamin’ Tour – Great roads, high climbs and some over heating!

The gang all woke up and had a quick breakfast before heading out for a short days exploration. Today we had planned to do a longer ride, but some of the group preferred to make it an easier day. It all turned out for the best as we had a little event take place that altered some plans. No one got hurt so all was good, we just had to adjust.

We all headed out to Ride the Black Canyon. Rains were in the forcast and some of the skies were very dark. We had avoided bad weather so far. Would today be the day that mother nature caught up with us? Stay tuned.

The group spread out some on the ride up the canyon. As we reached the summit we decided to take a break and wait for the rest of the group. The view was spectacular and the air was crisp. Rain showers threatened from afar. It has been a fun spirited run up the mountain.

The event was not that big of a deal, as it played out in the groups favor. The VFR just got a tad overheated coming up the hill and decided to puke out fluids all over the ground. It looked a lot worse that it was.

The decision was made that some of us would continue the ride, while the others would make thier way down the hill, grab some fluids and come up and rescue the VFR. It was a good plan. Unfortunately for the group that ventured back to Gunnsion, the rains came and so did the hail. They got soaked and had to ride in some pea sized hail for 6-7 miles.

Jamie and I, Bob and Bill continued our ride. We ran into 45 seconds of hard rain and hail, but nothing more than that. Bill stayed at the top of the hill on our return as Bob, Jamie and I returned to Gunnison. On the way down we stopped at the Blue Mesa Dam. The water was raging and made for some cool pictures.

We finished up the evening eating at the Dive in Gunnison and folks the food was AMAZING! It was the biggest surprise of the trip. Great food and beer and the atmosphere was awesome. Not a bad way to end the day.

I would say that if you are anywhere close to the Dive you have to give it a try. Check out the website and don’t miss out! What a hidden gem in Gunnison.

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Colorado Dreamin’ Tour – Gunnison Colorado here we come!

The air was cool and our spirits were high. It was 46 degrees when we loaded up and headed for the Southern Colorado mountain range.

We would be hitting the famous Highway of Legends to start off the morning. This is a great stretch of road that meanders through some of the best little towns in southern Colorado, including Stonewall and la Veta. We would stop in La Veta and have breakfast at a little hole in the wall, named the Corners Diner. Kris & Linda had eaten here in a prior visit. It does not look like much, but the food was great and the coffee was warm. What else could we ask for?

The critters were out in force and made us slow down a little. It was a tad scary running up to a group of deer and then a bunch of elk ran across the road. That was our queue to slow down and enjoy the sights.

One thing that I learned from the trip is that when we are riding with others, I need to pay more attention to the places that I pull over into. I am long legged and it really does not matter where I pull in as I can usually touch the ground. I must understand that this is not always the case.

We took our time, enjoyed the countryside and then rolled into La Veta for breakfast.

We were stuffed from breakfast, however we had visions of mountain roads in our heads. We would do some dull two lane until we ran into Creede Colorado. The scenery is still amazing and well worth the ride.

This is a great place for a stop and we have always loved Kips Bar & Grill.

From there we would take Co 149 over Slumgullion Pass.

Slumgullion Pass is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 11,530ft (3.514m) above the sea level, located in San Juan Mountains, in Colorado, USA. It claims the steepest grades of any fully paved and maintained road in Colorado.

The road over the pass is asphalted. It’s called Colorado State Highway 149, also known as Silver Thread Scenic Byway. The north side has the steepest grade of any continuously paved road in Colorado (9%). It has a few switchbacks and tight spots, but other than that, most travelers will find it an easy, scenic route. It’s one of the highest mountain roads of Colorado.
This narrow two lane road road is usually open all year because snowplows clear the route regularly during this season. To reach the summit, starting from Lake City, the ascent is 11.3 km long. Over this distance, the elevation gain is 783 meters. The average percentage is 6.9 %. The climb starts out immediately with near 10% grades and other than false flat in the middle for around 1K the grade never really lets up. (taken from Dangerousroads.org)

I have been over this a number of times and I have never seen it snow packed and beautiful. It was a cool ride going over the pass. I was glad we did it as I was mesmerized by the views. Fun times.

We rode up into Lake City, before heading into Gunnison for the evening. I love the ride between lake City and Gunnison. It is a nice smooth surface and has some amazing views. Jamie and I love this part of the trip.

It was a great day of riding. Jamie and I never get tired of this part of the world. We have always thought that the Gunnison area would be a great place to have a summer getaway.

We had a nice dinner and then went to bed to recharge for tomorrows adventure. I love moto vacations..

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