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- #21
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OFF Topic Not technical: my 21 day road trip In Colorado, Utah and Wayoming.
- Thread starter Desert Dino
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My wife and I were headed up to northern Colorado/southern Wyoming last summer but had trouble with our Silverado in Broomfield, Colorado. Delayed there for a couple of days so we took the loaner car over to Eldorado Canyon just south of Boulder one day. Scenic canyon with some short hikes above the canyon bottom.
When we went to Central City/Black Hawk a few years ago all there was were multi-story casinos, no sign of the ghost town except for a few houses up the road. And a lot of tour buses on the highway up from Denver.
Marshall Pass, an old narrow gauge railroad route, is a nice drive west of Salida and Poncha Springs (where Classic Cruisers is located). It's a much better option if you're heading west towards Gunnison and Montrose - gets you off the pavement for a while. If you get a chance, there are nice campsites right near the rim of the Black Canyon of the Gunnison (on the south rim) - spectacular canyon.
When we went to Central City/Black Hawk a few years ago all there was were multi-story casinos, no sign of the ghost town except for a few houses up the road. And a lot of tour buses on the highway up from Denver.
Marshall Pass, an old narrow gauge railroad route, is a nice drive west of Salida and Poncha Springs (where Classic Cruisers is located). It's a much better option if you're heading west towards Gunnison and Montrose - gets you off the pavement for a while. If you get a chance, there are nice campsites right near the rim of the Black Canyon of the Gunnison (on the south rim) - spectacular canyon.
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- #23
@4Cruisers thank you Eldorado Canyon is already planned for the first day.
first stop will be Walrmat I hate Walmart and love it at the same time. We will need a cooler, gas stove, bear repellent and 2 folding chairs.
We are not going to camp on this trip. the only camping setup that is acceptable for us is my 80. So hotels it is.
After that I will go to Slee and Eldorado Canyon.
There's better stores for stuff like that you need at Walmart. They may or may not have the stove and bear repellent depending on which one you stop at.
They will for sure have the propane for the camping stove and chairs
They will for sure have the propane for the camping stove and chairs
"We will need a cooler, gas stove, bear repellent and 2 folding chairs."
You can borrow my cooler, propane stove, and chairs. If I'm not home one of the other 100 mud members in the Denver vicinity will get you. No need to waste money on stuff you'll barely use. You probably aren't going to find bear spray in Colorado. We don't need it here, we just have timid black bears. First place you'll find it on the road is up by Yellowstone where there are actual grizzlies. We sell oxygen cans to tourists, lots of marijuana in many forms as well as mushrooms. Geez I love it here. Utah is more beautiful but they can't even get a real buzz there.
You can borrow my cooler, propane stove, and chairs. If I'm not home one of the other 100 mud members in the Denver vicinity will get you. No need to waste money on stuff you'll barely use. You probably aren't going to find bear spray in Colorado. We don't need it here, we just have timid black bears. First place you'll find it on the road is up by Yellowstone where there are actual grizzlies. We sell oxygen cans to tourists, lots of marijuana in many forms as well as mushrooms. Geez I love it here. Utah is more beautiful but they can't even get a real buzz there.
Haha. That’s hilarious…true, but hilarious
@JoeCova The place I want to visit was called Navadaville near Black Hawk and near it Bald Mountain Cemetery, I visited there many years ago.
I will love to hear about your favorite spots as long as there are no tourists there
Did you know that there is a place in Colorado called Yampa?
Ya and there is a sandwich shop called Yampa that was formerly called Back Country Delicatessen and I liked it better when it was back country.
Some cultures and countries aren't tolerant of what Colorado has unfortunately become (in)famous for. It's a beautiful place regardless and again I hope you have a wonderful visit.
Drive peak to peak highway., at least from north Boulder, say Lefthand Creek road to 72 and then on to Estes park (left on hwy 7). Drive from Estes to Fort Collins on 34. Stunning views for miles. Doing it at sunrise is even better.
Yeah, fly into Denver, hit up Slee. Been there a couple times. It is "just a shop" yet still I came away wishing I had deeper pockets.
From Slee, Red Cone trail is good for a run. All you after that.
Good luck and happy trails!
edit:I'm at Wyotech if you wanna swing thru while in Wyoming. Laramie to be exact. We're actually headed out this weekend for trail runs and camping over the weekend.
From Slee, Red Cone trail is good for a run. All you after that.
Good luck and happy trails!
edit:I'm at Wyotech if you wanna swing thru while in Wyoming. Laramie to be exact. We're actually headed out this weekend for trail runs and camping over the weekend.
Freedom comes in many forms. We can give our foreign friend some guns, bullets, fireworks, books, food, culture, words, and so much more that are available here and in few other places. The western US is a lot more than pretty landscape to drive around and look at. Most foreigner's feedback I hear is how friendly and open we are here. We try not to talk about religion, politics, and other topics that used to be impolite before the world changed and a-holes lost their common sense and dignity.
I love traveling abroad and finding connections to culture both familiar and foreign. It's all a part of being a better human. I hope Desert Dino is the same, but hey maybe not?
Heck the most American thing we can do for Desert Dino is get them a credit card and load it up with $5,000 in debt with a 22.5% interest rate. Welcome!
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If you find yourself rolling down highway 285, I love Poncha Springs, Buena Vista, Salida, Twin Lakes, Leadville and others. Salida has a great place to eat right on the Arkansas called the Boathouse and some good hiking trails right across the river. Buena Vista has DeerHammer distillery which was really cool to visit and tour, and a few other bars. The Lariat is an awesome dinner place and they’ll have live music. Eddy Line brewery and Soulcraft Brewing are around there, they’ve got a 60 themed beer and t-shirt with a sweet 60 on it. Of course Cruiser Outfitters. Every time I go they’re closed. 
.
There’s tons of hiking and camping all around there. Great spot to camp is by Turtle Rock outside BV. You can scramble to the top, or there’s rock routes, I can’t remember what the grades were. Or you can take a short walk over to the cliffs above the Arkansas and see the entire valley and a bunch of the Collegiate peaks.
Probably my absolute favorite part of CO aside from Crested Butte.
If you go over and down, Cripple Creek/Victor is cool to see for the old mining. Shame about the casinos there. But you can take Phantom Canyon Road from Cripple Creek to Canon City. It’s not a hard road at all, it’s super easy and you can camp all along there.
I’m sure there’s a ton I’m forgetting, but that drive is worth it.
.There’s tons of hiking and camping all around there. Great spot to camp is by Turtle Rock outside BV. You can scramble to the top, or there’s rock routes, I can’t remember what the grades were. Or you can take a short walk over to the cliffs above the Arkansas and see the entire valley and a bunch of the Collegiate peaks.
Probably my absolute favorite part of CO aside from Crested Butte.
If you go over and down, Cripple Creek/Victor is cool to see for the old mining. Shame about the casinos there. But you can take Phantom Canyon Road from Cripple Creek to Canon City. It’s not a hard road at all, it’s super easy and you can camp all along there.
I’m sure there’s a ton I’m forgetting, but that drive is worth it.
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- #34
@simple Thank you for your interesting post. Irit an me we are not your average Israelis, I am a "Sfradic" Jew that means that the origin of my family is Spain, Irit is "Ascenazy"jew means that her family is from central Europe. We are both well educated, Irit as an academic degree in the history of the holy land and Bible and she is a Messianic Jew by belief. Irit is a tour leader specializing in the pilgrimage of Christians from all over the world. I have 5 academic degrees, one of them is a PH. D. In chemistry and I worked in the oil and petrochemical industry most of my career. I worked all over the world, Russia, Japan, Korea and the USA in 4 different places. Texas, Kankaki Illinois, Tri cities and South Carolina, each of the totally different culture and vibe. For me connecting with native people is the highlight of every trip.
I would say that most Americans are polite occasionally friendly, sometime suspicious, but from what I remember from my one time visit to small towns of Colorado people were very friendly sometimes it surprises me. Today with all this progressive politically correct B S, really connecting with people become almost impossible. I do not mind talking everything as long as it is done with open hart clean hands with sensitivity and without any foreign interest.
But walking in the world free spirit and open hart as its price. I was driving on a mountain road near Nederland, CO and encountered a big wooden cabin bar in the middle of now where. With a lot of Harley Devidson bikes. I said to myself this will be interesting.When I wet inside I told myself, maybe this was a mistake. Every man and women in the bar where we ring this black leather jacket and everyone were looking at me. And suddenly there was quiet, I walk to the bar and make my first mistake I ask the barmen if he has an import beer and he said NO asked me what's wrong with American beer? I could have run for my life at that point, but instead of that I made the second mistake, I said I am a Jaw and Jaws answer a Question with a Question " What's between making love in a canoe and drinking American beer?"
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- #35
If you find yourself rolling down highway 285, I love Poncha Springs, Buena Vista, Salida, Twin Lakes, Leadville and others. Salida has a great place to eat right on the Arkansas called the Boathouse and some good hiking trails right across the river. Buena Vista has DeerHammer distillery which was really cool to visit and tour, and a few other bars. The Lariat is an awesome dinner place and they’ll have live music. Eddy Line brewery and Soulcraft Brewing are around there, they’ve got a 60 themed beer and t-shirt with a sweet 60 on it. Of course Cruiser Outfitters. Every time I go they’re closed.
There’s tons of hiking and camping all around there. Great spot to camp is by Turtle Rock outside BV. You can scramble to the top, or there’s rock routes, I can’t remember what the grades were. Or you can take a short walk over to the cliffs above the Arkansas and see the entire valley and a bunch of the Collegiate peaks.
Probably my absolute favorite part of CO aside from Crested Butte.
If you go over and down, Cripple Creek/Victor is cool to see for the old mining. Shame about the casinos there. But you can take Phantom Canyon Road from Cripple Creek to Canon City. It’s not a hard road at all, it’s super easy and you can camp all along there.
I’m sure there’s a ton I’m forgetting, but that drive is worth it.
Thank you for your suggestions I will put them on the map and we will see.
Balls
Well… I for one 110% need to hear the end of this story!
. I feel like you can’t go wrong in CO, except in the highly populated areas. Usually thick with Texans and Californians.
Slee is in Golden, as stated above. I'd budget an hour or longer to go downtown Golden if you can. Nice river, shops, restaurants. Also, about 200 yards from Slee is Spyderco knives, so that's a neat stop if you are into that. Take the Coors tour if you have some time.
Boulder has the Pearl Street Mall for your wife's shopping. If you like funky restaurants, we enjoy Half Fast Subs up on "the hill" in Boulder. Atomic Burger in Golden is kinda neat, too.
Drive up Flagstaff Mountain in Boulder - Baseline Road and head West. (or Lookout Mountain in Golden) if you have time. Just be careful of bicycles. Do NOT cross the centerline.
I personally avoid the 16th street mall in Denver. Used to be great. Now... a bit scummy, IMO.
Boulder has the Pearl Street Mall for your wife's shopping. If you like funky restaurants, we enjoy Half Fast Subs up on "the hill" in Boulder. Atomic Burger in Golden is kinda neat, too.
Drive up Flagstaff Mountain in Boulder - Baseline Road and head West. (or Lookout Mountain in Golden) if you have time. Just be careful of bicycles. Do NOT cross the centerline.
I personally avoid the 16th street mall in Denver. Used to be great. Now... a bit scummy, IMO.
Yeah, fly into Denver, hit up Slee. Been there a couple times. It is "just a shop" yet still I came away wishing I had deeper pockets.
From Slee, Red Cone trail is good for a run. All you after that.
Good luck and happy trails!
edit:I'm at Wyotech if you wanna swing thru while in Wyoming. Laramie to be exact. We're actually headed out this weekend for trail runs and camping over the weekend.
At school or instructor? I went there in 2010.. been a minute. Be going right through in a few weeks.
Only random bar I know up there is now called the Last Shot off of hwy 119.