Weds Sep 13, 2017 - Glenwood Springs CO to Delta CO

Well we only did 190 or so miles today but they were beauties. We needed a slow day or two so we stopped a lot, walked a bit, chatted a bunch. Breakfast with a bunch of older golf guys. This is the second night in a row where we have been surrounded by golf people. Must be lots of tournaments. We first had to backtrack toward Aspen to Carbondale where we came through last night in the dark. I think it was prettier in the dark as this road is built up a bit, but not bad. Then turn south on Rt 133 and magically the traffic disappeared and we had the road pretty much to ourselves. We are pretty pokey and usually move a bit below the speed limit, so very relaxing. Clear blue sky and not a drip of moisture all day.

We followed a mountain stream brown and green from the recent rains and saw various folks fishing or walking or camping near the stream. We stopped at a restored coke oven where they converter coal to coke starting in the late 1800's and then took it by train down the hill to be used for making steel. They are "beehive" looking things all lined up in a row next to what probably used to be the train tracks. A guy from Woodstock Vermont chatted us up and we yakked a long time. He is not retired, but takes a month off almost every year to drive out west and see the parks. Another retirement option. He burns 14 cord of wood and had to get home to split and stack.
The road climbed and then started to twist and before we knew it we were on top. The other side, which is Rt 92,  traverses the top side of a huge valley and the views were to die for.
We met a lot of motorcycle guys with various sizes and shapes of bikes (Ducati, BMW RS, Harley (of course), and a BMW S1000r crotch rocket. That last guy looked too old to be rocketing around on a bike like that, but he did indeed. Guess he lived this long... Very little traffic so we putted along the edge of the valley overlook, stopping to get one more good shot. But they never look as good when you get home.

We dropped down the other end and stopped at the dam by a large reservoir (BMW crotch rocket guy was there). Then ended at Rt 50 which takes us back north to Delta where we decided to bunk in early and do laundry (getting a little stinky). There must have been an antique race car rally going on because the whole way back we were getting passed by old race cars. Lots of people parked beside the road taking pictures of them as they went by. I can't tell you what kind they were (they go real fast), but I would guess 60's vintage.
Got the hotel about 4:30 and loaded the washer with everything we got. Nice day, and actually nice to get in early since we road after dark last night. Utah tomorrow (I think).