I slept in this morning. It was nearly 7 before I woke up and couldn't go back to sleep.
This morning's plan for breakfast was crepes, so I started getting things ready. I didn't have butter, milk, or a good pan to cook them in. But it seemed to work out eventually. When cooking crepes, I'm always looking for that sear pattern that looks like lace when I flip them. It's a tricky combination of batter thickness, pan temperature, and a good pan. It usually takes me 4 or 5 tries before it starts to work right. I'm always disappointed in those first few "ruined" crepes, but funny enough, no one ever hesitates to eat them so maybe I'm just being fussy.
We still had a lot of black berries and raspberries left from the wedding to fill the crepes, but, we needed whipped cream so John and Angela ran to the store for some. Nan also wanted peanut butter and jelly to fill hers so they got that too.
I cooked the crepes while they were gone, so that by the time they were back, we actually had the table set and we sat to eat a meal like civilized people around a table. It was nice because no one was in a rush today and we ate till everyone was finished before clearing and cleaning up.
The Gaggle is headed toward Mesa Verde today, then home tomorrow. So we said our goodbyes to them, then set about getting ready for our own day trip.
Today's plan was to ride to Durango, then turn North on the Million Dollar Highway stopping in Silverton, then Ouray for lunch. Nannette wasn't riding with me this time, she would be driving her Toyota Highlander.
It started out well with a nice drive to Durango where we stopped for gas, a drink, and a stretch. The owner of the gas station we stopped at was very chatty. John and Angela kind of ignored him and walked outside, but Nan is way too nice and actually engaged with him. When she walked outside, he followed and kept talking for 15 minutes while we all tried to get on our bikes and leave. Nan finally just got in the car, closed the door and drove off. He didn't seem to be offended in the least and just kept talking to us as we started the bikes and followed.
I've ridden the Million Dollar Highway many times but it's always a thrill and never fails to awe me. This was an especially good ride with clear skies, cool but not cold, and nearly empty roads. We stopped at the first pass to take pictures and maybe a bio break, but the bathrooms were still closed for the season, so we just took pictures and motored on.
The next pass was likewise closed for the season. While we were taking pictures we chatted about how empty the roads were and how nice but odd it was. I expected to see streams of motorcycles riding the highway but we only saw a very few bikes. We finished taking pictures and as we left the parking lot, there was an electronic highway sign that said the road was closed North of Silverton. That would explain why the roads were empty.
We parked in Silverton and started looking for someplace to eat. We wound up in some "1912" restaurant right by the train. The train was sitting there as we parked the bikes, but when I got all my gear tucked away and turned around, the train was gone. I'd heard the bell clanging, but I hadn't heard anything else. It was kind of spooky that the train left so quietly.
Lunch was just ok. I think the restaurant was so close to the train that it was more about speed and convenience than making good food.
After lunch we walked around town for a bit. Nan found a nice bracelet and some earrings. John got a T-shirt from the Harley shop. Angela just got a headache.
Over lunch we had double checked the road condition. It turns out there was a major rock fall on the highway in January, and it was still very dangerous to drive, so they only open the road for a few hours a day. We were out of luck getting to Ouray.
By the time we were ready to head home, Angela's headache has gotten worse despite a few Advil, so she opted to ride in the Highlander with Nan rather than riding with John.
In most of our riding together, John and I have the tendency to ride harder when headed home than we did on the way out. Faster speeds with fewer stop, and today was no different. We zipped back toward Durango much quicker than when we came out.
As we got to Durango, Nannette and Angela decided they were going to visit the local Ute tribe cultural center for a while. Neither John nor I cared to go with them, so we waved goodbye and twisted the throttle even more as we headed to the timeshare.
For my fourth time and John's fifth, we traveled the road between Durango and Pagosa. Its a well paved road through some beautiful hills, but it's also crowded with cars, and because of all the traffic, I don't much enjoy riding on it.
Back at the timeshare, I started uploading pictures and working on the blog. John did more realtor work, and we waited for the wives to get tired of native american hospitality.
When they called to say they were on their way back, we agreed to meet them at Boss Hogs restaurant. The food was ok but a little expensive. My mussles were very good, but about half failed to open so the waitress took them off the bill.
After dinner we played games till 10:00. It was a very relaxing evening.
Coal Bank Pass
Molas Pass
Silverton
Silvereton
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