Touristy Tuesday Ride

April 21, 2009
Fort Collins, CO

After calling Dad with a birthday hello and dutifully completing our daily exercise walk, we rolled out of the neighborhood in light jackets headed south toward Loveland. We ambled our way across Loveland and back down a road we've never ridden before... which goes around the back side of the road we normally take into Masonville.

We usually stop at Masonville if we're in the area. I don't know much about the town although the old town site is listed in ghost town registers. A gold rush, that never really materialized, is the reason Masonville was founded in the early 1890's. The Masonville Mercantile is fun to look at as it is decorated with some great murals depicting movie stars. I've been in the mercantile once a good while back. it caters to people who love Victorian, especially Victorian wedding and turn of the century Old West clothing. Across from the mercantile on the west side is a curious collection of tractors, farm equipment, wagons, assorted miniature old west buildings and more. I'm sure it was a busy tourist stop at one time. Across the way on the north is Nostalgic West Leathers, owned and operated by the same family as the mercantile I believe. It is a favorite biker stop as it is at the crossroads of several really great rides including Buckhorn Canyon (which leads to the upper end of Rist Canyon or the Poudre Canyon). Great summer rides!

So, we were sort of tourists, even though we've visited Masonville many, many times. The rest of the ride took us up and over the south end of Horsetooth Reservoir and the 15 miles back into Fort Collins...