Sat-August 20th-The Final Climb

Our last night on the road at a so-so Super 8 in Lynchburg, VA...at least George could do some more laundry. A pretty lousy breakie to start our day, so it's pack up , load up & head back to the Parkway. It's a 20 mile drive back to James River & the start of the ride. George & Don will start from here and I'll drive to the end (MM -0-) & head back south to meet up with them. They're at the lowest point of the Parkway, 630 feet and will have some good climbs today. They're off about 9:45 & I head north for Rock Fish Gap..62 miles away. I get there and the Ho-Jo's, gas stations & motel are all closed down, but people are parked all over the place, so I do too. Kind of eerie, but I talked to some bikers and it's pretty safe. Off I go and it's a climb to start for me too & lots of bikers, hikers & even some gals picnicking. I get in about 23 miles before running into the pair and I even took a short nap along the way. Back to the north we go & a short stop at Humpback Rocks Visitor Center & only 6 miles to go! YEA! We made it and no problems with the car or contents. Load up the bikes, dress for the trip back to Pitt and off we go. What about dinner!!!?? Some discussion & it's Chilli's in Staunton, VA, and it turns out to be a good choice. No waiting & a good meal. Oh, I road 40 miles today & climbed 3700', George & Don both had 64 miles & 7200' of climb. We all averaged over a mile of climb every day and Don had more miles than me or George, with over 500 miles. All-in-all, it was a good trip, with everyone getting the miles & climbs they wanted & some excellent planning by Don..THANKS!!!

The Peaks of Otter

Wow! My average per day for August has now gone up to 35 miles & climbing! Not too bad for an old guy. Anyway, we're up about 7:30 & start packing on a cool,cloudy day. We take most of the stuff down to the car & then go for a breakie at the Holiday Inn restaurant-not free this time-and it's a buffet, with a waffle & omelet bar. It's a good start to the day & lots of food. Load up the bikes & a short drive up to the BRP, where me & George will head north toward the James River center..about 62 miles & Don will drive up there & park the car & head south . Once again, he'll have as many miles as we do. Rain is in the forecast , but maybe we'll get lucky today. Off we go & a few stops for pics & views and snacks, before rolling into The Peaks of Otter store where I find a "Big Bopper" ice cream sandwich..FAB! (It's almost a meal!) We did get some sunshine by 1:00 & man, did it feel good! Then over to the Peaks of Otter lodge for lunch & is it great! I had a veal meatloaf sandwich & mackies & George had the fried green tomatoes & quiche, as we watched a family fish in the beautiful lake. Nice view from our table of the "Peak" too! Don shows up just after we ordered, but decides to go out and get more miles..go figure. Then we all meet up and head north & some tough climbing-one of six miles- and then the final descent to the James River-a 13 mile downhill at speeds of 30-40 mph! My average speed went from 10.0 to 11.5 on this portion! 63 miles for me today & 5900' of climb. Don had 62 miles & 7500'; George had the same as me. We load up the bikes for a 20 mile drive to our Super 8 motel in Lynchburg, VA. We made it, and now some showers & a walk next door to Macadoo's for supper. Really good burgers, sandwiches, nachos & brews..a good choice & no driving. Back to the room to journal, blog & discuss tomorrow's route. It's our last day & I will drive up to Waynesboro...MM -0-(Mile Marker zero) and ride back. The Skyline Drive starts here, but we're going to drive back to Pitt today. I have 386 miles for the week & 40,900' of climb. Don has 466 miles & 51,000', George 359 miles & 41,000'. Don will easily get his 500 miles for the week & then some. Don is out for the night at 9:30.

Thunder-ration

Once again, we slept in until 7:30 & good sleeps too! A very light breakie here at the Day's Inn, but we take fruit too, for the ride and after loading up, Don & I take off for the BRP. It's George's time to drive & he will head for Roanoke & our hotel for the eve..a Holiday INN! Will he park on the Blue Ridge or go to the hotel? Up to the Parkway at MM 200 & off we go, northbound for MM 121. It's a beautiful day, but storms are predicted for the afternoon-40% chance. (Sunny & 75 at the moment-9:15) We stop for a few pics, some historical markers & a pretty long break at the Mabry Mill, where we have a picnic by the mill pond & a few ducks. Be sure & get more water & back on the road, hoping to meet up with George about 55-60 miles up the BRP. But first, we stop at an overlook-of which there are many-and Don finds a woman in need of help. it's Juanita, from Floyd, VA & her car is dead & wants us to call, but we don't have any service. We go on to the next area, where Don finds some Park workers & calls the number she gave us & they will go up & check on her. OK, a good deed! Off we go and here comes George at about 64 miles & now we're together & the car is at the Hotel. It's been thundering a lot & we've apparently missed some rain, but it's getting darker & more thunder. As we approach the massive 11 mile downhill into Roanoke, it starts to rain, so we stop & put on our rain gear, but it gets much harder & we stop to try & get out of it, but the lightning is really bad. About 45 minutes later, it lets up & off we go downhill, with our brakes on, being very cautious, but finally ,shaking and all, we get into town & take the route over to the huge 5-story hotel. We get a few rags to clean the bikes, check in & hit the showers. Today's stats: 86 miles & 7400' for me & Kirkwood. George gets 44 miles & 4920' of climb & we're pretty wet after all that, and I think there was some hail too, but not while we were riding. Off to supper, after some good Ole' boys jump start our car-we left the lights on!- and we pick a great spot! Montano's International Restaurant, and talk about beer choices! let's have a local micro-brew! The food is FAB! Spaghetti, with clams(me), spaghetti with meatballs (Don), George had the shrimp Montano & a great waiter, Chip. Back to the room to blog, check the weather & plan for tomorrow. (Can't even get dem Stillers on TV.) It's 9:30 & we're still up! Kirkwood will be gone real soon.

Detour-King of The Road

YEA! Pay day for me & the Mrs! It's my turn to drive today so I may check out a bike shop for a look at my bad wheel. I discovered yesterday that my rear wheel was fractured, so it's probly a new one for me, so I can finish the trip. We do sleep in 'till 7:30 & slowly start getting around, packing, dressing & loading before strolling over to the Winner's Circle for our "free" breakie. We all pick the pancakes, sausage & coffee..George throws in a couple of poached eggs ($2 extra!). Back to the room to finish loading & up to the Parkway. There's a major detour due to construction 10 miles north of us, so they'll have to ride off of the BRP & back, and about 10 extra miles...Kirkwood loves that! (Plus, they see a FAB trailer for sale or rent. I saw it too and it was a cute very old & small camper.) I head out and stop a few times for pics, views & construction, before getting to the Days Inn in Fancy Gap, VA just before noon & the gals at the desk help me out with directions to the bike shop & off I go to Mt Airy, NC for the Foothills Cycling Center & what a neat shop & owner! He was great & even had two options for me..an older & better wheel -Titan Aluminum-or a Bontrager-new. I chose the Titan, so he fixed it up & even included the tire & tube for 82 bucks! UNBELIEVABLE! So I got a set of cleats too & was on my way back...THANKS A MILLION! I'm back at the hotel & check into the room & unload the stuff by 2:15 & on the bike by 2:30 & headed up to the BRP. (I even managed a Subway sand on the way back.) I don't even make it 9 miles when I run into the pair & they can't believe the wheel story. I'm going to stay out for a few more miles & Don decides to go with me..so what's new? George goes on to the motel & we ride south to Cumberland Knob, get water, restroom & head back to MM 200 & to the hotel by 6:00. I end up with 40 miles & 3500'; Don has 92 miles & 6750'; George 69 miles & 5260'. I clean my chain, while Don showers. And after my shower we're off to supper in Mt Airy, right down Andy Griffith Parkway at "13 Bones"a cute, and good restaurant. I have chops with JD seasoning, Don has BBQ chops & George has Baby back ribs..which he eats with a knife & fork. (I might add here that he also ate Buffalo chicken wings with a knife & fork!) We did pass some garden shops that had massive pink flamingos for sale, but a little too large for our car...sorry KK. Back to the room by 9:00 & some blogging, e-mails & movies. Rain tomorrow? 40% chance. Off to bed about 10:30.

Lin Cove Viaduct

A good sleep by all & a pretty good breakfast at the Spruce Pine Inn, run by a Christian Organization in the town, plus some extras we take for lunch. Load up the bikes and drive the 6 miles back up to the BRP by 9:30 & Don takes off to the north in the car. Our destination today is Mile Marker (MM) 257. George & I mount our bikes and away we go! We stop for a few pics, water, rest & some beautiful overlooks. Our first wild life! A deer bounds in front of us at one point, but we miss him. We do see a lot of cyclists today & most headed south. There's a lot of auto traffic today too and oops, George has a flat! And while he is fixing it, Don comes rolling by, so we all head north together & climb, climb, climb. We have mostly snacks & food we got at the Inn to nourish ourselves, as there are no restaurants on the Parkway & our lovely Park Service charges 2 bucks for a small bottle of water. It's another tough day of climbing, but also some huge downhills at 42 mph. I end up with 76 miles & 9100' of climb; Don has 78 miles (and he drove!) and 8560'; George ended up with 76 miles & the 9100'. Put the bikes on the car & a drive to West Jefferson, NC & our hotel- a Best Western Eldreth Inn. It's pretty nice & a big room, ground floor & a restaurant included. No phone service, but wifi is good. Check in, shower & go over to the Winner's Circle restaurant for a great meal..pasta, with chicken, salad bar & good service! Back to room to blog, check mileage, climbs & George goes off to do laundry. I do find a small fracture in my rear wheel..what to do? (sleep on it I suppose.)

Pisagh winds

Up at 7:15-much better than 6:30-and man, is it cool (53) and windy! The trees are bending over & the fog is going by at 30 mph, or so it looks. Start packing up our things before walking over for our "free" breakie at the Pisagh Inn restaurant. Once again, it is a great meal & partially offsets the high price (140)..pancakes, sausage, coffee. back to the room to finish packing, load up & head out north bound. I've got on tights, long sleeves & a jacket..Don only has a jacket & he's shivering. It's pretty nasty and really windy, but dry. George is driving today so off he goes, 70 or so miles up the Parkway. A massive downhill to start the day & lots of tunnels..turn on yinz'z lights! The Asheville Visitor center is 24 miles away and we get there with an average speed of 20.5 and not much climbing. Get some water, Parkway pins & off we go & it's warmer so off comes the stuff. Now a big climb to 5600' at a small visitor center where it's much cooler & windy. (Back on with the stuff!) Where will George meet up with us? After a short rest, it's back on the BRP & another tunnel, ups & downs before we find George at about 58 miles into our portion. (Oh, there are 26 tunnels on the Parkway in NC!) A few stops at overlooks & pics of the local flora & fona, before rolling into the spot where our auto is parked. The otehers ride down & it's very heavy traffic. No problems for the day & 80 miles for me & 10,800' of climb! Don had 88 miles & 11,050' of climb & George had 48 miles & 5900'. I get in the car and drive to our hotel for the night-The Spruce Pine Inn, in Spruce Pine, NC. It's an old school house that has been renovated & is very nice. It's kinda tough to find but we come thru & hit the showers, log into the net & prepare for supper. We finally end up, after driving 20 miles, at the Western Sizzlin'. Not a great place, but their buffet is super & plenty of it, plus cherry cobbler! Back to the hotel to blog, and it takes me a while to get caught up, while the others check e-mails, watch the weather channel and chat about tomorrow. Don will sag & meet us at some point & probly end up with as many miles as we get.

Up, Up, Up, down ,down. down

What the?!!! George set the alarm for 6:30--STOP THAT!- & we don't know why, but we're up and the weather in cool & wet The fog is thick, but we walk across the street to Hardee's for breakie..those tasty Cinnamon-raisin biscuits & fried bologna breakfast sandwich! The rain has stopped, so we get ready & head up to the BRP for the start of this adventure. I ride up with Don & George, take a few pics & head back to check out of the motel & drive to the ending point of today's ride-60 miles. I'm sagging as George hasn't ridden this road at all. Off they go! I get back, check out & start the drive and checking on the riders..they're having a ball climbing! Man, is it foggy! I get up to the 6000' level and you can't hardly see 20 feet. I get to the Pisagh Inn, where we will be this eve & park the car, have a great lunch ( chicken pot pie) & head out to meet the guys at some point on the Parkway. I stop a few times, take some pics, visit with some travellers & fiannly meet up with Don & George after about 22 miles. Now the three of us go notrtherly for the Pisagh Inn. Lots of climbing at 5-7 MPH & downhills at 40! There was no water for 60 miles except at a very small visitor center & they were 2 bucks a bottle. Into Pisagh after 63 miles for them and 40 for me. They climbed 10, 560' in their miles and I had 4200" . A goo dday & we go to the Inn restaurant for dinner & not only are the views fantastic but the food & service is FAB! I had the Country fried chicken & really great mackie's & cheese. George had the Rainbow Trout, baked potatoe & veggies. Don had the homemade meatloaf & fixin's. A couple of mirco-brews & a great evening!.

South to Cherokee

I'm up at 7:15 & I have my stuff all ready for the bike trip & Don comes by at 8:15 and we load up & off we go for Wash, pA to meet up with a new guy, George Liener. We arrive early & have some breakfast bisquits & coffee, until George shows up, driven by his wife, Jenny. Looks like a good guy & we hit it off. load up & off we go to I-79 and a long day's drive to Cherokee, NC. Alunch stop & fuel in Beckley, WV. Lunch at Rio Grande Mexican Restaurant & it's pretty damn' good with the lunch specials! (George could pass for Steven Spielburg, the cap & all.) back on the road & even a few miles in TN, before rolling into Cherokee about 7:15 & check into the Great Smokey Inn. We attempt to eat at their restaurant, but it was pretty sad..service & food..they were out of this & out of that. But we manage to eat supper, shower & get ready for tomorrow (and ride two miles before hitting the sack at about 10:30) Lots of climbing on Sunday, with the Blue Ridge-BRP-luming just down the road.

Hilly Westen Pa

YEA! we're in Pitt & a nice sunny & cool day as we get around . I call Marty but they'e shopping, so I go over to the Hennings & visit for a while, but I have a date with Kirkwood & friend for a tuneup ride for our Blue Ridge trip on Saturday. (It turns out to be 53 miles & 4500' of climb.)

Bike the Pike

we're up early, have breakie at the hotel-Super 8- and on the road by 9:00 and headed for Centerville, IN & a stop at Webb's Antique Mall. A quick stop for lunch in Greenfield, IN and some great subs at Penn Station-east coast subs. Lots of construction on I-70, but we roll in to Webb's & KK goes in to shop & I suit up for a bike ride on Old 40, the National Road.(18 miles & 500')

Off to Pitt

We barley got things washed & repacked before we head off toward Pittsburgh & some tennis, biking & visiting with old friends. I ride up to the nursing home to visit mom & KK joins me about 10:00. Mom's getting her hair done, so that should make her happy. We're on the road around11:00 & headed to the turnpike, after a Sonic toaster on the way out.

sat-august 6th

Yea! our overnight in La Junta ,Co at the KOA was fine, but way too many trains & barking dogs. A couple of cinnamon rolls & coffee. I suit up and get in a quick 10 mile ride & we start to pack up for our final day of driving back to Harrah.

Friday-aug 5th

The last day in the cabin in Almont & everyone is getting packed and ready to head out. We are going home over two days; Bryan & Ashely are heading home too, as they start school on Monday; The Haws, Bruce & Deb are staying in Colorado for awhile, going to Ouray, Durango & other spots before heading home by August 15th. Agood time in Almont by all!

Thursday-Aug 4th

I'm up at 7:30, and help with the coffee & it's a crsip 53 out on the porch & very wet from overnight rains, I put in KK's coke and hse's still asleep at 8:00--look out! What's going on today/ Ashely 7 Bryan are headed up to Crested Butte, Bruce & Deb are going hiking in The Black Canyon & me & KK are going to a couple of easy hiking spots.

Morrow Point

I'm up at 6:15 but Deb has screwed up the coffee, but we'll get it fixed..I should have got it ready last night. We have an early morning appointment for a boat (pontoon) trip on the Morrow Point lake, a dammed up lake on the Gunnison River, just into the Black Canyon of the Gunnison. we're on the road by 7:30 as it's a pretty good drive to the area, just west of Blue Mesa. And what else? It's our son's birthday! Happy birthday Geoff! (I'll call him later.)

FISH FRY

It's Tuesday, August 2nd & I am awakened by the Nance's, preparing for their guided fish tour out on the Blue Mesa, so I get up, visit the restroom & go back to bed..it's 5:15 am. I did sleep until 7:30 & it's cloudy & 53 out, but a few folks fishing in our river. Any bears? Yep, Fonda heard something on the porch very early & the "squatters" (ou fans, as the Haws call them) had apparently set a trap to get a picture of the animal, and did, but his cooler was trashed in the process. Terry & Bryan suit up to go tube fish at Spring Lake, a smaller lake above Taylor, about 20 miles up the canyon. Will we eat fish tonight? KK's feeling better today, but stays in while I suit up for a spin & I head up the canyon too about 14 miles & return. I did see a few Rocky Mountain Sheep as a small crowd had gathered to watch them graze. (31 miles & 1100' today.) I also saw some mule deer, the usual darting chipmunks, horseback riders, hikers, rapellers and rangers. Back to the cabin about 12:30 & let's have lunch! The Nance's have reported back and they had their limit of trout in 30 minutes & started on the salmon. Anyway, sandwiches, chips, a nice Fat Tire & sittin' by the river. Here come Lee & Sharon , back from Taylor Reservoir & they have 4 trout. And here come Deb & Bruce with a large catch: trout & lots of salmon, already cleaned and ready to cook. So into town for Fonda & Ashley to get the fixin's for the fry. Everybody off to shop! Three couples to Gunnison & we go to Crested Butte. It's a lovely ski resort at about 8800', with the slopes way above that and thousands of bicycles! It seems to be the major way to get around in the town-all kinds, shapes & sizes. And even Lance Armstrong was here on Sunday to win a mountain bike race! We buy a few things, have a really good ice cream cone before heading back down to Almont and I take the canyon road to see if the Sheep are still there, so KK can witness the critters. Sure enough, there they are, but a few more than this morning..about 15 in this herd, grazing in the meadows across the river..way cool. It's only about two miles from our cabin, but no-one else is interested as preparations have started for the BIG fry.It's raining a little of course, but stops long enough to get the charcoal started, and hopefully the fish cooked. The girls are prepping the fish & Sharon is cooking zucchini, making rice & cornbread. Potato salad, macaroni salad & coleslaw have been purchased, so this will be a feast! Ten of us to the tables & it could have fed 20! Plus Lee has picked up some good Colorado brews for us and THANKS neighbor! Just how lucky is that to meet some really great folks on a short week in Colorado! Of course we all exchange addresses, phone numbers & e-mails. There are tons of leftovers, so fish sandwiches tomorrow. What an evening! Everyone heads to bed by 10:00, with some star gazing and an early morning tomorrow.

The Pitkin Cabin

I'm up about 7:00 & start the coffee, and here comes Terry to take Poo out for a walk & it's chilly out..the usual 48-50 degrees, and only 62 inside. KK's up at 7:20 and hits the shower. Some leftovers for breakie, more coffee & discussion of today's trip up to Pitkin, where we will attempt to meet up with an old Stillwater friend, John Jobe. We're off about 9:30 & all separate cars of course, as everyone has their own agenda afterwards. It's good drive from Almont,east on 50 and up to Ohio City ( a bar & restaurant) & on up the road to Pitkin, an old mining & railroad town, pop 64. The Pitkin General Store is hoppin' an we're around 9200' now & a few miles up a gravel road to the Jobe's cabin. We find their driveway and man, is it steep, rocky & rutted. We all park on the road, but Fonda has to try out the new FJ's 4-wheel drive, so up they go! ( not me brother.) Both of the Joe's, John & Carol are up to meet us and introduce themselves and the cabin. It's very rustic, with no electricity, but they do have propane, an an outdoor toilet, but what a view! After John shows us around the place he gets us all inside & starts on his "Old Timer" stories..what a treat! A couple of songs too & especially Groucho's tune "Lidia, the tattooed Lady" from the movie "A day at the Circus". She was a lady from a bar in Pitkin, the story goes, but how id Groucho know her? OK, enough of that, and off we all go..it was fun & really neat to meet these Oklahoma folks, but we''l see them again on Wed. No Alpine tunnel for us..it's a 10 mile drive each way over an abandoned railroad bed & it's all caved in anyway. Us and Debbie & Bruce decide to go back to Gunnison & have lunch at Mario's Pizza. The Haws head off in the FJ for the pass and Crested Butte, the hard way, testing the four wheel drive. Bryan & Ashely go to Gold Creek & check out some old camping spots & get rained on! We find Mario's not too crowded & have the lunch specials, calzones & mini pizzas, with their great salads & ice tea. Then some shopping in town before heading back to the cabin & some reading, naps & the usual afternoon rain. When it stops, I go out for 18miles & 500' of climb, to come back & find Bryan & Ashely cooking supper: BBQ chicken, corn on the cob, and we even share it with our great neighbors from Texas, the Herrons. Now what? Up to the office to check e-mails, blog & do pics (we can't get the Internet down at the cabin). The Haws finally roll in about 8:20 & had a fun day of 4-wheelin'! Back to the cabin to lounge by a great fire & roasting marsh-mellows. KK isn't feeling too well, as the altitude has probly caused her to be a little queasy. Bruce & Deb hit the sack as they have a very early date with a fishing guide at Blue Mesa Lake at 6:00 tomorrow. Maybe we'll have a fish fry after all! Oh, and did I say a brown bear has been spotted on our porch? Some ou twit-on the far end of the cabin- left his cooler out with some meat smells and the bear torn into it about 5:15 this morning! see ya tomorrow.

The East River roars

OK, a great sleep! And we wake up to 50 degrees & clear skies. I had the coffee ready to go, so when I got up at 7:00 I started it & this old machine took a while & suddenly two cups disappear..must need cleaning. The Haws "have" to make one of their patented trips to Wally, so I started cooking "Mike's Dish" and we all enjoyed the first morning's breakfast. KK did the toast & Terry consumed his share. What will we all do today? Everyone but us, are fishermen, so they all go up to get their licenses and then prepare to fish the stream by us. Will we have a big fish fry before this week is over? (Hope so) Watching these folks get suited up for a fly fishing adventure was a hoot! Fonda looked like Darth Vader, so KK named her Darth Wader. And off they all went to the East River to try out their stuff, and it's pretty swift and Poo Dog kept a close watch on them too. KK stayed at the cabin to work on our grand-daughter's wedding scrapbook & I went off for a short spin. I rode up the Taylor Canyon about 9 miles and there were lots of fishermen, rafters, rapellers & traffic. I chatted with Dr Dan, a retired Dr at Crested Butte who also rides a Litespeed and was chopping firewood from a big tree fall. Lots of camping areas up the canyon, both primitive & with hookups. I turned around about the 8500' mark & headed back to the cabin, and find no fish but some still trying. How about lunch? Sandwiches are in order, with all kinds of lunchmeats & chips. YEA! I remember to clean the bike chains and KK's really needed it, and just as I finish a storm rolls in & the temp drops from 84 to 72 real quick. No rain yet, but lots of thunder & lightning..this turns out to be a daily routine for this area. I write some postcards to mom & pay a few bills. (38 miles today & 847 for the month.) A short ride up to the Almont post office to mail all of the stuff. KK is attempting to upload a few pics to Sam's club for printing, but the connection here at the resort is pretty slow. She finally gives up and does miss the group supper, but we saved her a plate-pork chops, mackies, & hominy. Now we're all out on the porch visiting & chatting about tomorrow & including our neighbors, Lee & Sharon.

Salida and beyond

Wow! What a sleep! Our blankets felt good & it's around 60 degrees, but sunny. Some good coffee & cookies & everyone but me goes down to Canon City & the craft fair. I stay up here on the ridge, rotate my bike tires & go for a short ride..12 miles..and back to camp by 10:15 to start getting things ready to roll west. Here they come, plus Byran & Ashely have also arrived & we start packing up, tearing down & we're out of the KOA by 11:30 & westbound on rt 50 -and oSU Caravan!-to Salida, where we find a lot of cyclists in the historic district, and crits going full blast! Terry & Fonda have a favorite sandwich shop here in town , so we park & try to find it & there it is: Momma "D's", right by the park & the sandwiches are FAB! And so is the park! The Arkansas river runs thru it and there are all kinds of kayakers, tubers, rafts..it's a happenin' place. About an hour here and then to Wally for the food shopping. It's apretty short drive to Gunnison from here, but we have to go over Monarch Pass at 12,000', but it's not easy. Into Gunnison and a quick stop for beer, wine & liquor, before rolling into Almont about 5:30 & into our cabin. We did unhook the campers up by the office, and secured them. It's a nice cabin and has four bedrooms, two baths & a nice kitchen, and right on the East River of the Taylor. Great view! Let's get unloaded and situated so we can have dinner. How about just snacks? KK & Fonda fix up a bunch & that's just fine, as we sit out by the east river and have a few brews & enjoy the evening. BIG stars tonight and chilly temps at this 8000' location. See ya tomorrow!

Rocky Mountain Pass

OK, it was a little chilly last night but good sleepin'. I slept in until 7:00 & put the coffee on & decided not to ride until we get to Canon City, but we do go to breakie at the All Seasons Restaurant & gift shop. A good meal & the pancakes were FAB! Back to the camper to tear down & head for Colorado. We're all packed up by 10:00 & out of the KOA by 10:15 headed for I-25 north-bound over Raton Pass at 7830'. (Our KOA in Raton was around 6300'.) On toward Puebelo, with a short stop at a Colorado rest area, and pick up Rt 50 westbound for Canon City. Traffic is pretty heavy around Pueblo, but thins out as we go west & pretty soon, we're in Canon City and guess what? A DQ! And also there's a craft fair going on in the park! back on the road and to our Royal Gorge KOA by 2:15 & set up by 3:00 & back to town for the fair. I take my bike and ride a few miles while KK hits the crafts, with pretty threatening weather around. meanwhile the Royal Gorge Train blasts it's horn & heads out for a trip to view the Gorge. I get in 10 miles & no rain and find KK downtown looking for the scrapin' store...alas,it is no more. KK is getting all kinds of texts from the girls on their where -abouts..the excitement begins! Deb & Bruce are at the camp site already, so we head up to shower & meet the others. By the time we get up there the Haws are pulling in, so I go to shower and we're all here. Supper anyone? Off we go for town & K-Bob's & their super salad wagon! It's a pretty good meal & good service. The Haws stayed with the salad bar only; I had the chicken fry; Bruce had a steak; Deb the salad, as well as KK. Now over to Wally for a few things and back to camp by 8:30 to blog, visit & discuss tomorrow's adventures. We can't check into the cabin until 4:00 (WHAT!) so we'll piddle around here , head to Salida to shop at Wally & food for the week & then to Almont. It's now 10:10 & starting to sprinkle so it should be good sleeping. I'll do the coffee & we'll have a light breakfast.

To the Rockies

I'm up at 6:30 & hear the ultra lite taking off, but he flies off to the SE again. No coffee today as we are going to have breakfast in Artesia. Start getting things ready, as KK gets up & we have it all down & ready by 8:00..our best ever! A turn onto 285 north & up to the Chaos Restaurant for some good breakfast..I got the Mexican mix, with chorizo & KK got an omelet, with cheese & onions. Now on the road toward northern NM & I drive first, with KK taking over as we approach I-40 and stop for gas. It's sill pretty hot out but we're gradually gaining altitude and there's lots of storms around, with spectacular lightning shows all around us. We do drive into some pretty heavy downpours, but as we roll into Raton, it stops for a while, so we hurriedly check in at the KOA & setup before any more rain. It's now 68 degrees out & we may need our heater! No problems & we're all set up, so off to eat our second meal of the day. To K-Bob's, with our 10% off coupon from the KOA, even tho we'll be eating at a K-Bob's in Canon City tomorrow. It's ok and the salad bar is fine..I get the ribs (BB) & KK a nice steak. back to camp & I suit up for a quick ride that the owner told me about: out to rt 555 & into the canyon & it is nice, but no varmints. KK goes shopping & looking around & I get back with 17 miles & we decide to go back to the canyon to look for critters. It's getting dark & we're told that the animals come down out of the mountains about that time & sure enough, there's 3 deer, and a small herd of 6, a few others as we drive about 7 miles..pretty cool. And don't forget the black cow (invisible?) feeding on the side of the road. Back to town & a short drive to the DQ for a nightcap...dip cones! This town has lots of "googie" signs & I take pics of most of them..mostly motels. Now we're in the camper, blogging, journaling, uploading pics & charging batteries. To the showers & get another cover! It's going down to 50 tonight! If it's not too cold, I'll ride before we leave for Canon City, as it's not too far from here.

A "La Fonda" Day

Holy cow! I wake up at 5:50, but back to sleep until 6:15..what is wrong with me? The sun is just coming up over the desert landscape & it's another clear & sunny day. A little coffee, cookies & off for a spin on 285. I head north for about 8 miles before coming back to Lake Brantley & to camp by 8:45 with 22 miles & I find KK out riding! grab some cereal, check e-mails & off we go for Artesia to see what we can find. It's about 20 miles up 285 & we're at Main Street & some very large sculptures of cowboys, oilfield workers, cattle & teachers. There's also a very large refinery just east of town & lots of oil referencess about the city..home of the champion Bulldogs! What a high school stadium! (The Bulldog Bowl) We shop a little and go thru an antique store & then decide on lunch right across the street at "The LaFonda Restaurant"..not again! It's a Mexican/American buffet & quite yummy-enchiladas, tacos, chili relenos,chicken blancos & we stuff ourselves for a total of 17.50 (senior discount!). Excellent choice! Back out on main to look at the sculptures, shop a little & to BIG K too, but it is very warm..104..so we head back to the KOA to swim, read & watch some SLC's move in. The Ft Worth girl scouts are back from their caving adventure & it was pretty nasty crawling thru water and taking in their own lights. One of them is bitchin' about the whole deal. Ok, enough,,,I go for some water & meet a guy who was born in Holdenville..small world. The approaching thunderstorms run us out of the pool & we go to the popup & I even take a nap..this early morning stuff is gettin' to me.It does rain a little & helps to cool the place & after it stops, KK cuts my hair..THANKS! Lots of new RV's coming in & a few tenters..oh no, "tent people". And while we were in Artesia, I confirmed our three weeks in Hawaii next Jan/Feb, so we'll meet our friends from Victorville, CA on Molokai. Ok, a very nice sunset this eve, with some lightning around, especially to the SW as we sit out at our table & have supper...bologna, cheese, bread & wine. I take off our reflectors to get ready for our early departure for Raton tomorrow..it's 380 miles up there, so we want to get out asap. Just a little before dusk I hear a loud noise & it's an ultralite, taking off from the KOA..COOL! He buzzes around the park & off to the SE. As we eat, we have a "family" of four rabbits just sittin' by our camper & now with teh dakness coming, a couple of bats (Mexican Free-tailed?) are feeding on insects around our street light, flying counter-clockwise of course.Check e-mails, the net & it's 9:20-when is bedtime?More lightning & thunder & about 10:30 it starts to rain-YEA!. Turn the a/c down & off to bed about midnight

The BIG Room

How hot will it be today? Actually, it is a pleasant morning & I wake up at 6 am& don't want the alarm to beep, so I just get ready and go out for a short ride (11 miles) on highway 285. Lots of pecan tree groves around here & big too. Highway 285 has a nice big shoulder & reasonably low traffic. Up to Brantley Lake & only primitive camping at this spot & a $8 per day use fee. Back to camp at 7:45 & put on the coffee & KK's up reading her Nook. Let's cook a nice breakie & head south to the Caverns. Great breakfast! Now we're set for a big hiking day in the cave, so off we go & take the bypass around most of the downtown construction & it's 44 miles to the visitor center at Carlsbad Caverns National Park. Go inside the Center to get our tickets for the day & yes, we get in free! (The senior pass!) I also get our tickets for the guided tour, which I paid for over the Internet, plus a $4 refund. We check out the gift shop & book store before heading off to the main entrance to the caverns & an hour long hike to the Big Room, 750 feet below the surface. We have to wait on a Ranger to give us the rules & off we go, down a long trail, with many switchbacks, wet areas, and steep trails, but we manage to arrive in about an hour & proceed to hike the BIG ROOM. And it is BIG! Over 600,000 sq ft and massive formations of all kinds: stalagmites, stalactites, helictites, columns, draperies, popcorn & many more forms of.....It is an amazing 1 1/2 hours of formations! Now to the rest area where we have some lunch & rest our legs for the 2:00 guided tour of the King's Palace. Our tour group has about 40-50 people and unfortunately, one kid is blowing a bubble with her gum & the "Ranger Nazi" goes bonkers. (But of course, she is not supposed to even have the gum down here-period.) He has only been here 14 months but wants everyone to understand that there are rules, easy rules to follow & please do it, or he will cite you! He will finally get over this & go to some bad jokes. So off we go to the Palace & no pics until we get there..GOT THAT! He opens a gate and we all go in and he gives some history of the cave & the local cowboy who discovered it back in 1898. His name was Jim White & he saw what he thought was smoke coming out of the mountains, but it was thousands of bats & he found the main entrance & started to explore the cave. Th e Palace is excellent & total darkness is witnessed by all & some water dripping onto a formation is awesome in the Ranger's flashlight light! One & one half hours later, we're done & back to the rest area, where we all take the elevator out of the caverns-it's too late to start the walk out to the surface. Oh, the Ranger was over adamant about protecting & caring for the cave- over & over-he must have been a sergeant in the Army. Anyway, it was a good tour & we were glad to see the palace & other rooms. By this time we are shivering, so when we finally get to the surface, it feels pretty good, even tho it's 102 out. A drive back to town, past White's City & it's gift shops & all of the road construction & a search for a DQ (none). So we opt for a "Lot A -burger"-no relation to our Ponca City original & it's ok, but not as good as the old one. A quick stop for gas & ice and back to the KOA for some e-mails & a dip in the pool! It's around 6:30 & the pool feels really good on our sore muscles & the hot tub feels even better! We probly hiked around 4-5 miles today& lots of ups & downs. There is some cloud cover, which helps, but there's so many kids and girl scouts in the pool that the escape to the spa is a relief. A nice shower & back to journal, blog & pop some corn for our supper. In bed at midnight. A great day!