Canon City to Sweetwater Motel near Texas Creek, CO Fri 7/10/2015

     Uphill for quite a ways over the first mountain.  Then a good downhill run to the Arkansas River.  Now the road just follows the river almost to the Continental Divide and the headwaters of the Arkansas River.  Before I get that far up the mountains there's a couple of stops first.  I wasn't sure about any motels in this area and was preparing myself mentally for a campout.  But I stopped for lunch at the Texas Creek Cafe and learned about the Sweetwater Motel just a couple of miles further on down the road.  When I got there it was a four room motel and I got the last room.

Leaving Canon City

Rockslide from yesterday's thunderstorm

Elk on the horizon.  Statues.

Ranch entrance

Top of a hill now it's down down to the Arkansas River

Now we're starting to see the color in Colorful Colorado

The Rockies

Lots of river runners on the Arkansas River

More river runners

Whitewater

Interesting outcrop of rock

Another scene

I like river and mountain scenes

Another beautiful scene

Suspension bridge across the Arkansas River to a camping area along the banks of the river 

Looking downstream from the bridge

The Sweetwater Motel

Pueblo to Canon City, CO Thu 7/09/2015

     Shortly after I arrived at the motel a cloudburst hit.  It rained hard, I mean hard for about thirty minutes.  I was sure glad I was already checked in at the motel.  Shortly after the rain I was soaking in the hot tub.
      It was a hard ride today as I was heading up into the Rockies.  I had to walk and push the bike a couple of times.

Divided highway up to Canon City.  Nice riding, except when I had to walk because the grade is too steep

Military facility along the way with these aircraft displayed

Display #2

Display #3

La Junta to Pueblo, CO Wed 7/08/2015

     Got caught in a hail storm as I was entering Pueblo.  Could see it coming so I was able to get my rain gear on.  Just small hail and didn't last very long.  Came down hard and fast though.
     My flags and pole were stolen in Missouri.  I found a motorcycle store in Pueblo and bought a new pole.  Then called my daughter-in-law, Denise, and asked her to buy me new flags in Arizona and send them to a friend in Montrose, CO and I will pick them up there.  That all happened.  Those flags waving behind me make it easier for drivers to see me, I think.  At least it makes me feel somewhat safer.

Near Pueblo and seeing the Rocky Mountains

Another section of the Rockies

Another view

Holly to La Junta, CO Tue 7/07/2015

     Not much happening today except classical music and steady pedaling to make sure I make it to La Junta before dark.

A railroad runs thru it (Eastern Colorado)

Diversity among horses

It's green out here

I like the wide shoulder. Much safer to ride a bicycle on

The Arkansas River in Eastern Colorado

Garden City to Holly, CO Mon 7/06/2015

     Finally made it to Colorado. Lots of biting flies here. Left the Central Time Zone and entered the Mountain Time Zone. A few miles from the border and I rode into Holly, Colorado. Got a problem. Only one motel in town and its sign says no vacancy. There was a park near the motel that had an octagon shaped Ramada with several tables underneath. There was the threat of rain so I decided to sleep on the table in the middle of the Ramada.  Around midnight I heard rain. But it wasn't rain. The sprinklers had come on and were spraying underneath the Ramada on me. Fortunately, I had inserted my bedroll into a waterproof bivvy, so I just let it sprinkle me as it made it's circular path.

Toto reincarnated but still in Kansas

Lonesome windmill

Getting closer to home

Won't really see the color until the Rocky Mountains

Innocent little Holly.  Does it have a couple of surprises for me

A most unwelcome sign

My bed on the table under the ramada that protects one from rain but not sprinklers

Sunday in Garden City, KS July 5, 2015

Attended church.  Did laundry and rested.

The meeting house in Garden City

Armando and Ann Caballero with their children Paul, Joseph, Isabelle, Rebecca, and Sam.  It was their first Sunday in Garden City.  He is going to manage a very large cattle feeding operation about 20 miles from Garden City.  He was just transferred here for that job.  Anyway, I had noticed them at church and when I sat down in a booth alone at the Lone Star Restaurant, Armando came over and invited me to join their family for dinner.  We had a great time visiting.  Their kids were getting restless and they excused themselves before I had finished my dinner.  I asked the waitress for my check and she told me my meal was paid for.  Really great people and a beautiful family.

Met David and Sissy White at the motel.  They were providing Pilot Car services for the movement of Windmill blades that generate electricity from Garden City to somewhere in Colorado.  I had seen the blades in a lot near the highway as I entered Garden City, but I couldn't figure out what they were.  I was amazed at how long they were.  David told me they were 193 feet long and when they move them down the highway they have a another driver that steers the back wheels of the trailer so they can make turns without having a "curb check ".

Greensburg to Garden City, KS Sat 7/4/2015

     Independence Day.  They really celebrate the 4th of July big here in Kansas.  I have never seen so many fireworks tents set up.  One tent had five 53' trailers behind it loaded with fireworks.
     I nailed that 103 miles today and it really felt good to do that, although I was really tired.

Looking back at the sunrise in the east as I'm heading west.

More cattle feeding pens

Huge grain elevator in Dodge city.

This is just one little section of this large feeding yard.

The only time I saw netting over a crop.  Must be protecting the crop from the birds.

The hanging flag pole greeted me in Garden City