A World Of Its Own...Colorado + The Rockies

glitch

Mapping the next ride...
Staff member
Edit:
Since the topic has been split into various threads, here are the links to all the parts, in their chronological order.

Checking on Uncle Sam....travel notes, beer and aspen-gold


Peaks + Perks....New England (US) picture book


A Touch Of Quebec (Canada)


Lobster-Tales (Maine, US)


A World Of Its Own...Colorado + The Rockies



Enjoy! :scull:

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There ain't nuthin' better than a cheerful Welcome....hello, Colorado!!
:gday:


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Just add the PA-system with cracking whips, whinnying horses and banjo-riffs and you know you've arrived at Denver.

Don't mention the sea of orange+ dark-blue in any way and shape....the Broncos, home team, have just demolished the Cincinnati Bengals and Denver
International is pumping...PUMPING, MAAAN!! :thumbs: :kna
 

glitch

Mapping the next ride...
Staff member
Have to admit, I LOVE Denver Airport. It's exactly how an airport should function, easy to navigate and find whatever is wanted or needed, the loop-train servicing the 3 terminals and central baggage claims runs every 2 minutes, all with excellent hookups and well thought-out connections.

It certainly shows up how 3.world Melbourne's Tullamarine is...hell, they even have a dedicated railway line between the airport and Denver Central :eek::doh:

Rental-Central is a few k's west of the airport and right on the freeway with its own on/off ramps....huge parking lots with offices out front, all under tall sodium lamps which continuously fry+sizzle the frantic insect-swarms.

Adding another 2 bods+gear to the traveling party (the kids came up from Florida) something bigger than a Prius was needed. The snow-job doesn't take long...

"You want a tollway-unit, sir? Only $15/ day..."
"You might want to think about changing your choice of vehicle, sir...going into the National Parks, you say?...how about a 4WD, it's been snowing up there for the last few days....only $25 extra/ day"
"You want? You want??"
We'll stick to what was booked, some sort of mini-van with plenty of space in the back for 4 lots of luggage plus all the extras, the esky, lunch, drinks, boots...should've booked a trailer, too, by the looks of it.:doh:


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"Out to the car lot, people-movers on isle H on your left... pick any vehicle you like, keys are in the console". Easy :thumbs:
There's a nippy breeze out there, the bugs are buzzing above..."she said: snow, right?"
A huge asphalt apron in the middle of the high desert, rows of minivans, 2 people dragging luggage on tiny wheels around...another check on profile depth of the hoops on the Toyota ("rears good, front crap)...another grapple and feel in some black wheelarch ("bugger that one, pretty skinny everywhere") until something black and big is found which sprouts the required profile depth of rubber all round to maybe tackle some snow and sleet up in the mountains.

Another spaceshuttle set of buttons on a 42" display :doh:W-)

The next morning shows up a near-new, all-singing, all-swinging, bleeping +beeping, flashing + dashing Kia Sedona (Carnivale in AUS??)... no surprise the hoops felt good while groping around in the dark. In hindsight, it turned out a lucky pick...but half the buttons and switches would still make for a Mars-probe.:???:

Quick stop on the Boulder Turnpike the next morning...the bike-path runs parallel and has fixed-installed service + repair facilities for the hordes of peddlers...all S/S gear, from bike-stands to tire-pumps and a whole bunch of tools/spanners on long s/s cables. Awesome stuff!! :bow:

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Pretty spot to repair a flat, too....:drool:


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Out of the whole 3 weeks... if there was ONE PLACE where the heart really cried out for a motorcycle (and a D/S type bike at that!!)...it'd HAVE to be Colorado.
Just stick around...and you'll agree



3 minutes out of Boulder....

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10 minutes out of Boulder...(and on the first bit of gravel)


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Chapel-On-The-Rock along the Peak-to-Peak Hwy


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Not a bad view over the other side, too...


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Quick map: (as it's currently November and many of the roads used are closed for the winter, Gmaps doesn't allow continuous routing loops, therefore maps have to be split)
Part 1 ....about 100miles worth.
Up the Boulder Canyon Drv....the little rt.122 (just above the 119) for some first-dirt...then the Hwy towards Estes Park (bypassing that tourist-trap via Marys Lake)
...then into the Rocky Mountain Nat. Park!!... and here....then a cracker gravel road :slobb through a narrow valley to the highest point of the main tourist road and the Alpine Visitor Center at just on 12.000ft. (3600m) asl.


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John_Johnny

Long Timer
The Sedona looks a little different to my Grand Carnival bit I think they're basically the same. They used to have 4 cyl motors that kept blowing up, but the fix was overkill with the 3.5l V6 providing shiploads of power at the expense of fuel consumption. Best car I've ever owned even if it does chew through 17l per 100k when we're fully loaded..
 

glitch

Mapping the next ride...
Staff member
The Sedona looks a little different to my Grand Carnival bit I think they're basically the same. They used to have 4 cyl motors that kept blowing up, but the fix was overkill with the 3.5l V6 providing shiploads of power at the expense of fuel consumption. Best car I've ever owned even if it does chew through 17l per 100k when we're fully loaded..


Most probably just different lights/ trims and plastic tack-ons.
This one was a '16 model (with barely 5000mi on the clock).
It had some nice punch off the line and was pretty quiet with it...but you're right, it sure gobbles some juice! :shock:
With 4 of us plus a fairly stacked luggage area, endless mountains and lots of slow going (gravel roads + plenty of stop/start etc) I still thought it was reasonable overall.
But going from USD 7-8/day in the Prius to USD 25-28/ day was a bit of a shocker. W-)
Did a bloody good job though, even on some of the gravel.

Just waaaay too much electronic shyte...who needs a set of buttons for the rear sliding doors in the drivers door armrest, another set in the center console, another set in the roof-panel above before the individual buttons at each door plus another sensor switch for the door-motor to take over if the door is forced manually. That's 5 sets of switches for one damn function and a mile of wiring plus 3 weeks of extra coding for the ECU not to get a fit if 2 triggers are activated at once...which results in a warning beeper going off :doh::doh::doh: :bs
 

John_Johnny

Long Timer
It also takes a bit of getting used to the fly by wire accelerator. No feel. No feedback. Just a pedal connected to a potentiometer.
Anyway, back to topic, show us some food. Scenery is nice but local food pics are good too. :glu

I absolutely love that photo of the chapel on the rock. :clap:
 

glitch

Mapping the next ride...
Staff member
Anyway, back to topic, show us some food. Scenery is nice but local food pics are good too. :glu

Sorry, this place is ALL about the scenery, food is decidedly....hmmm, secondary.
And after the "froggie" stuff in Quebec Province...not much of the Yank fare comes anywhere close.W-)
 

glitch

Mapping the next ride...
Staff member
Up the Old Fall River Rd. ...


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Eeeks...there IS snow up on the peaks!!


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glitch

Mapping the next ride...
Staff member
:slobb:slobb


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Milner Pass...and the Continental Divide



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It's a magic place!!
:glu




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