Weekend Road Trip #1 - Day 2

April 22, 2012
Colorado, USA
Sunday - Day 2 Mini Road Trip

It was a chilly morning in Salida, CO which sits at an elevation just shy of 7100. The temperature was about 45 degrees when we rolled down the street looking for breakfast. We thought to have breakfast at a pancake house but so did most of the rest of the people in town so we settled in at a small Mom and Pop establishment called The Eatery. The coffee was really good and biscuits and gravy made for a proper start to our day. I will add that it was cozy, clean and a favorite with the locals.

It was very tempting to take a different route home, over the mountains and through the woods so-to-speak but having just gotten the opportunity to ride warm, we decided to stay where we knew it would be warm. So we rolled east back-tracking on Hwy 50. The canyon was spectacular in mid-morning light. We followed an 18 wheeler most of the way which likely kept us from getting a speeding ticket at one point along the way - ha! And later, the trucker stopped to let a small mountain goat cross the road. As we rolled into Canon City we decided it was time for a caffeine fix so we stopped at a place called Mr Eds where a MC was also taking a break. We had a couple of cups of coffee and rode out again.

Stunning ride through the Arkansas River Canyon on a Sunday morning

We took a short detour through the tiny town of Florence, CO on the way back up Hwy 115. It looks like a fun place for junk-tiquing. Clouds were building fast over Pikes Peak. As we rode north out of Colorado Springs the traffic backed us as usual just before we got off on Interquest Parkway. It is our custom to avoid I-25 between the Springs and home, especially on a Sunday afternoon. We rode Hwy 83 to Franktown, stopped for a stretch and topped off with gas.

Traveling our customary route, we cut across on Lincoln Ave through the south end of Denver (Parker) and rode Hwy C470 following the foothills back to Golden, CO. It appeared clouds were building all along the front range. Back on Hwy 287 we decided it was time for supper so we rolled into one of our favorite watering holes in Longmont, CO - Aunt Alice's Restaurant. We ordered the house burger, fries and onion rings. YUM!

From Longmont we rode the back roads home, skirting a few clouds and generally prolonging the ride.

Clouds built and looked ominous but all they did was spit on the sidewalk.

We finally rolled in and watched the clouds spit on the sidewalk - that's it. I called the Folks to check in, then we settled on the patio with a beer and talked about our ride. It was a great trip! Now we are ready for a loooonnnnggg road trip.

Today's ride was 280 miles. The total mileage for Weekend Road Trip #1 - 2012 was 547.9 miles.

Slide show of Day 2 (60 photos):

Alternate link to this slide show