Rocky Mountain High, part 1

Coloradans take their recreation very seriously.  I'm not sure how they keep the place open and businesses afloat, because apparently everyone is out for a bike ride or rafting today and every day until ski season. And who could blame them, really?  Our first taste of the state this time around was in the small town of Fruita.  The Colorado Welcome Center in Fruita is actually in a large, grassy park.  Useful interpretive signs are inside and out, and there are free, detailed state maps 24-hours a day.

Note the shape of the "Colorado" sign. That's what a cross-section of the
state would look like, looking from south to north.

We arrived in the evening, after our big Arches adventure.  We were eager to enjoy some inspiring Colorado beauty, but the thought of pitching the tent and getting dinner in the dark was a little daunting.  The Fruita Comfort Inn provided clean beds, a pool, and laundry facilities.  We saved our camping experience for the next day. And what a day it was...

In most areas, you want to leave the interstate to get beautiful scenery.  Not so in Colorado.  Although the Motorcade can attest to cinematically beautiful landscapes farther afield, the view from I-70 in Colorado is nothing short of gorgeous.  Soon after Fruita, the I-70 meets up with the Colorado River. The road and the river dance eastward together through the mesas and up into the mountains. Eventually the Colorado heads north for headwaters in Rocky Mountain National Park. By then, however, new rivers and streams have taken up the dance, and the mountain scenery dominates the view.

We were again amazed at the postcard-worth scenery that occurs in even the most run-of-the-mill places.  At a rest area along I-70, we had a chance to stretch our legs and get up close and personal with the Colorado River.










The fellows who took the photo of our us pedaled off on a tandem bike.  We were at 7200 feet.









Meanwhile, folks were putting in for a raft downstream as if it was just typical lunchtime fun for a Wednesday. 

Okay.  This beats even the best DC food trucks.

Speaking of lunch, Moe's Original BBQ in Eagle was just what we needed. Moe's is a pretty big chain out here, but with a totally local feel:  each location is tailored to the neighborhood.  In Eagle, it's a roadhouse that hosts regular live blues.  Very family friendly, though.  It has a kids' corner with toys--including a tot-sized barrel barbecue.

Eat at Moe's

Now that we'd had feet in the Colorado river and eaten some great local food, the need to recreate had taken hold of us.  It was time to do some real camping.  Off to the Ranger Station...