Colorado Cruiser: Heading Home

Days 7 & 8 - Driggs Id to Vernal UT to Colorado Springs

OK, so I lied. I did have the energy for a few more photos and a final blog.

Sunday morning in Driggs Idaho, we all got up, ate breakfast, and headed to the local LDS chapel for church at 9:00. We took up a whole pew for the 8 of us. I don't think we were the only visitors this morning because they hurriedly opened the cultural hall curtains and setup extra chairs for the stream of people coming in.

As we sat there waiting for the services to begin, I felt my nose running just a bit and felt a tiny tickle at the back of my throat. I coughed a bit, then a minute later I felt it again but stronger. Within a few minutes I was coughing and hacking so bad I had to run out to my bike for some tissues. I blew my nose, drank some water and headed back in.

But as I walked in, I noticed the walls were covered with a rough burlap like covering. I had developed an allergy to a building in Colorado Springs a few years ago and it had the same wall covering. I stood out in the foyer coughing and blowing my nose every few minutes as the opening hymn was sung and the sacrament was passed. Several people asked me if I was OK and said my eyes were puffing up and my nose was bright red.

I stuck it out till after the sacrament, then dashed outside. I texted the others saying I was heading back to the hotel. My doctor had given me some nasal antihistamine when we met in the other building, but I had none of it here.

I figured since I couldn't stay for church I might as well get on the road and do some meandering. I made myself a sandwich from yesterday's lunch leftovers, filled my water cup and headed off.

As I rode, I stopped at every historical marker and scenic overlook on the road. Not so say the other guys are a bit road happy, but they never would have stopped every 10 miles to read a sign, and I enjoy doing that sometimes.

I crossed the Teton pass back to Jackson Hole, then took the highway South towards Rock Springs. Once I left the mountains there weren't many scenic views. I stopped for gas just outside of Pinedale, then sat on a bench to eat my sandwich and chips. It was a bit warm and I'd hoped to find a nice park to eat in, but this would have to do.

I gassed up again in Rock Springs, then headed south along the eastern side of Flaming Gorge. There were some nice scenic overlooks again and I stopped at them all.

Off in the distance I began to see a puff of smoke, and as I drew nearer it turned from a puff to a full billowing cloud of smoke. Someone had thrown a cigarette butt from a car and it had lit the grassland on fire. When I passed, it was several acres in size.

I stopped at the Flaming Gorge damn visitor center to read a bit about it and enjoy some air conditioning. The temperature was in the 90s, and this heat wimp was certainly hot.

I arrived in Vernal Utah at about 5:30, but because I'd piddled along so slow, the read arrived within an hour of me. We all went to dinner together one last time (for us). We tried picking out all of our favorite things.

Favorite day was riding around the black hills.

Favorite hotel was in Deadwood where we had a veranda and a picnic table we could sit around and chat.

Favorite meal was in New Castle Wyoming where they had tomato and bacon soup.

Favorite joke was when Drew miss-remembered a 20 year old trip that he swore he drove to the top of Devil's tower. That turned into a running gag where we talked about driving to the top of Rushmore and every other thing you can imagine. Poor Drew.

Favorite surprise was Little Bighorn Battleground. It was much more impressive and powerful than we all thought it would be.

Favorite road was Iron Mountain road near Rushmore.

After the meal they helped me load my motorcycle up on my collapsible trailer. Tomorrow I would drive both Nan and I home so she could rest and recuperate from our vacation.

We hugged and said our goodbyes, then Nan and I left. We stayed the night with my cousin Holly and her family. We stayed up way too late catching up on whose kids were doing what and looking at old pictures. It was a fun evening.

The next morning we ate breakfast with them, then got on the road just after 7:00. I drove pretty slow on the way home so that I wouldn't over stress the highlander on those steep mountain passes on I-70.

As we approached Denver, we were reminiscing about the whole trip and all of the fun, then we got to talking about Buffalo Bill and remembered that he was buried not far from us. We left the freeway and drove up Lookout Mountain to Buffalo Bill's grave site. We paid to go in the museum, watched the movie, wandered around, then went up to the grave.

It was a little disappointing because the view is now dominated by a massive radio tower. But at one point it must have been a majestic view.

Now we've gotten home, unloaded the bike and all our gear. I'm about done with this blog and Nan is off washing the car and buying some groceries.

If I could do anything different, I'd probably stay 3 days in the Black Hills. Do Rushmore, Crazy Horse, and some roads one day. Badlands one day, Custer state park and re-ride my favorite roads the 3rd day. Going to Yellowstone felt rushed and very tiring although we got to see Little Bighorn. We just blasted through Yellowstone without stopping at a single scenic view.

The famous antler arch in Jackson Hole