Road Trip #2 (Day 1) Eagle Nest NM

June 15, 2012
Colorado, USA

Road trip! And it's about time, but we might have gotten into the vacation mode a bit prematurely for this trip. We did not roll out as early as we normally do when heading south. Let's blame it on night shift - yawn!

This morning Fort Collins was filled with the haze of smoke from the wildfire but the smell of smoke was not too bad yet. The plume of smoke from the High Park wildfire could be seen from I-25 and the wind was howling straight out of the west which means that smoke was on its way. Traffic was heavy on the interstate but did not bog down until about the halfway point across Denver. Then it was stop and go for a good stretch of road with the normal stupidity that goes along with metro-mess traffic. Friday traffic, distracted drivers, lost tourists does not make for a good commute. We were glad to finally put the city in the rear view mirror.

Traffic was heavy into the Springs as well. Delays in Denver put us in the Springs at the peak of rush hour. What a surprise it was to see so much smoke in Colorado Springs. Our smoke. There was not even a glimpse of Pikes Peak today. By the time we cleared the city limits of the Springs we had nothing but open roads, breakfast and coffee on the brain.

First stop was the Southwest Grill on Hwy 50 in Pueblo. This is our usual breakfast stop in that area. We've been eating breakfast at this restaurant for about four years now and it is always good. This is where the locals eat. We like the breakfast special (eggs, bacon, sausage, ham, hash browns, pancakes - yum!). It is clean, fast, friendly, no fuss, reasonably priced and the portions are generous. We have never had to wait for a table. Add to that a great cup of coffee and you can color us content. We tinkered with our new smarty-pants phones while we waited (a really short time) on our food.

Rolling south again we made good time, detouring through downtown Walsenberg for no particular reason other than we like the downtown area and the architecture of old buildings (the courthouse is quite striking). Back on the interstate, we continued south over scenic Raton pass into New Mexico.

Despite traffic delays in Denver and the Springs we were making good time. The day was warming fast so we looked forward to the cooler temperature of higher altitude. Eagle Nest, NM sits above 8000 in elevation. Rolling west on Highway 64 toward Cimarron we also enjoyed the slower pace and the wide open spaces. Cimarron is a sleepy little community trading on the legacy of old west outlaws and a handful of resident artists. The Philmont Scout Ranch is nearby as is the historic (and some say haunted) Saint James Hotel.

As many times as we have driven and ridden New Mexico we had yet to ride Hwy 64 past Cimarron so the lure of a new stretch of road kept us rolling. The road and the scenery improved a few miles outside of Cimarron. The prehistoric Palisades Sill rock formation (cathedral-like cliffs) in the Cimarron Canyon is amazing. This area dates back millions of years and is popular with geologists. The skies began to grab our attention as we neared our destination.

Before long we were rounding a bend that revealed our destination - Eagle Nest, NM. We rolled slowly into the tiny town all the way through (Main Street is about a mile long) and circled back to our lodging. We checked in at Laguna Vista Lodge and we are well pleased with our comfy accommodations. The lodge is owned and operated by an American Veteran and that's a plus in our books.

Tim gassed up the ride and bought a six pack of beer for the fridge in the room at a station just down the street while I unpacked. After freshening up, and taking a gander at the ever darkening skies we covered the ride for the night. We strolled the boardwalk, found the saloon and had a seat at a tiny table where we polished off a couple of beers.

Tim relaxing with a beer after a great ride to Eagle Nest NM

Vik relaxing with a beer after a great ride to Eagle Nest NM

It was still early afternoon, so we strolled Main Street before deciding on supper. Calamity Jane's next door to the saloon won the toss today. It is perhaps a bit pricey but the portions were generous and the food was excellent - every bite of it.

Chicken-fried steak dinner at Calamity Jane's Restaurant - Eagle Nest, NM

After dinner, we strolled to the other end of town and wandered out behind the lodge for a look at the lake. The skies still rumbled in the distance and eventually spit on us. We sat in the sheltered hall on a bench outside our room for a while, but before long we were perched on the comfy king size bed flipping through channels. We will turn in early tonight. Tomorrow we ride the Enchanted Circle for the first time in the Saint Jude's Run for Children sponsored by the lodge.

Today's ride = 360.4 miles

Slide show of today's ride (125 photos):

Alternative link to this slide show