In Western Colorado, Day 5

What a beautiful day for a motorcycle ride in the mountains! Twenty miles north of Montrose we stopped at The Stockyards for brunch. The place was a nice rustic decor; not many patrons at ten o'clock, of course. The breakfast special was really good--bacon and eggs scramble with hashbrowns and toast.

I am always amazed at the lay of the land when we ride this route. Once you leave Delta it seems that a line is drawn after which you are in a desert as illustrated below.

That's a house and shed on the barren hill!

Then you are soon into a green and fertile valley. Immediately comes the town of Hotchkiss with its crops of various fruits and vegetables and orchards.

Finally you come to Paonia. These railroad cars are loaded with coal. There must have been at least 100 of them. It's a coal-mining town.




Further along the way was a little one-street town called Redstone. Bill and I stopped here two or three years ago and thought it was such a quaint place. All we had time for then was a quick picnic lunch. This time John parked in front of a little cafe that happened to have a deck out back. The flowers, the rushing river, and the darting hummingbirds gave us the serenity and peace that helped us to just relax. Oh, and the coffee, cold water, and pie a-la-mode didn't hurt either!

Parked in front of the patio cafe

A lovely setting!

John, Bill, and Becky at our corner table

Flower boxes filled to overflowing and gorgeous!

It seemed like an hour getting through Carbondale because of bridge construction, but we were soon on to the 4-lane with only twelve miles to Glenwood Springs. The gas stop we made in G. S. just happened to be next door to a Harley shop! Coincidence? I think not.

Most of the motels in town were already full, had only one room, or were way over $100 a night. We found a 'reasonably priced' room at the Affordable Inn. It's old but clean and comfy. There is a hot tub and a laundry; we needed to wash jeans. In the laundry, not in the hot tub.

One unusual note: The owner and his wife recommended a particular steakhouse for supper. (It was really good, too.) We had asked about a place close enough to walk to so we wouldn't lose our parking spaces. However, there was nothing but Mexican; therefore, we rode. When we returned, there were two orange cones in our parking spots. We inquired and found that the owner's wife had placed them there to save them for us! Amazing and so sweet of her!