Colorado, USA
Today we rolled out under warm, cloud-dappled, blue skies for a 230 mile picnic ride. We rode north on the side roads and country lanes until we reached Hwy 119 near Golden which we traveled through Clear Creek Canyon toward the gambling towns of Blackhawk and Central City. Lots of people were headed up to lose a little money in the slots so the canyon was busy. Road repairs are ongoing in the canyon. We jogged over to I-70 via Central City Parkway. We love riding this 8+ mile stretch of road. From Idaho Springs we traveled a couple of exits on I-70 to Hwy 103 also known as Squaw Pass Road. This is one of our favorite roads. We had no plans to travel to the top of Mount Evans over the highest paved road in America but from the looks of it, plenty of other people were doing that very thing. Echo Lake, the picnic grounds and Echo Lake Lodge (really just a gift shop and restaurant) were as crowded as we have ever seen them on a non-holiday weekend. 
We traveled on by the crowds, our destination, one of our all time favorite picnic spots. We were happy to find our table vacant. This particular picnic spot overlooks Mount Evans to the west and verdant wooded foothills and valleys to the east. There's a great overlook down a path that many people never find. We shared the secret with a friendly young biker couple from Lakewood who stopped by our table for a chat. From the sound of their laughter and the number of photos they shot, we assumed they were enjoying the spot. Ha! 
View of Mount Evans from our table - Squaw Pass, CO Spreading out our cold fried chicken, noodle salad, fruit bowl, cookies and ice tea, we enjoyed a leisurely lunch in the cool mountain air and bright sunshine.
Before riding out, we strolled the short path to the overlook and snapped a few pics.
Vik - Squaw Pass - Hwy 103 - CO 
Tim - Squaw Pass - Hwy 103 - CO FYI: I'm sorry to report that while a few repairs have been made, the east side of Squaw Pass Road (Denver side) is in really bad shape and in dire peril of reverting to a cow trail. What were chips, potholes, cracks and crevices are (after sloppy repairs) bumps, waves and buckles. Sigh! So much for our vehicle tax dollars... lots and lots of tax dollars. So, travel Hwy 103 cautiously especially on two wheels.
The trip home was uneventful. We traveled north through the western suburbs of Denver, stopping for ice cream of course and then peeled off of the main thoroughfares in favor of riding rural roads home. We rolled in about 7 pm and as is our custom, spent the rest of the evening on the patio with a fire in the chiminea and a brew in hand.
Here is a slide show of today's ride (46 photos):
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