Jennifer’s Blog

We are back home. Home sweet home! Looking forward to sleeping in my own bed tonight! We stopped and had dinner at Patti’s 1880 Restaurant in Grand Lakes, KY. It is a top 20 small-town Southern Living restaurant. It has been about 19 years since I last ate there. It looked quite different, but I learned it burned down in 2018. They made it much nicer when they rebuilt it. It is part of Patti’s 1880 Settlement. An old-timey shopping area that reminds me of a small Gatlinburg in the 70s. If you ever drive on I-24 near Land Between the Lakes, it has great food, is interesting, and is worth a stop. I took a few photos as we walked around.

Click here for photos of Patti’s Settlement

Today, I didn’t take a single photo. We rode our bikes on the greenway in Bentonville and Rogers, AR. We also rode a few off-road trails. Then we had dinner at our all-time favorite sushi restaurant, The Sushi House. We have rain coming in again. We plan to head east from here via southern Missouri. We have always taken I-49 down to I-40, but we want to explore the Ozarks through Missouri. We may stay in Poplar Bluff, MO, tomorrow night if we can get back ahead of the weather and it is nice there. It looks like it might be a fun place. We hope to explore that place. After that, we’ll head back home. It looks like we will be bringing rain with us.

Day 22 – Sept 29 – We woke up to rain again. Hurricane Polo caught up with us. We stayed at the Best Western in Pampa, TX. I have stayed in some nasty places, and this is right in the top 3. I will avoid “Worst Westerns” 😉 if at all possible. Even if it is a good one, on principle, that company doesn’t deserve my business again. Dane said they made Motel 6 look good. I will be happy to never visit the TX panhandle area again. 

The day got better. Again, we got ahead of the storm. When we got to Oklahoma City, we decided to take Route 66 to Tulsa. The first thing we came to was a huge soda shop. It also had old-timey candy. We saw Pop Rocks and the little wax soda bottles that you bit the top off to get to the liquid.  We also saw a famous round barn. We passed through many cute towns, saw nostalgic buildings and places. The highlight, though, was where we stopped for Lupper (Lunch/Dinner). We ate at the Rock Cafe, which is a legendary historic cafe. It has been there since 1939 and still has the original grill. The food was terrific. We cleaned our plates. The owner was the inspiration for the character “Sally Carrera” in the Disney/Pixar film Cars. Dane says he has seen Cars many, many times, second only to the number of times he has seen Mary Poppins. It is off the beaten path, but I recommend eating there if you happen to be in the area.

When we got to Tulsa, we unloaded our bikes and rode on their greenway. They have a very nice greenway system along both sides of the Arkansas River. I don’t know if all of it is this way, but their greenways are twice the width of any I have seen anywhere else. One side is for walkers and runners, and one is for cyclists, skateboarders, skaters, etc., and sometimes they are separated by a grass median. That is a lot of extra pavement and space, but it was nice not having to worry about pedestrians. And I am sure they enjoy not having bicycles whizzing past them. We can now check off OK as a place we’ve ridden. We did not ride in TX. I have ridden there previously. Maybe another time Dane can too. We went there last year and had our bikes but got busy doing other things.

We left OK and made it to Bentonville, AR. It was not on the original itinerary. We would have spent more time in Colorado, but Polo said no. Bentonville is one of our favorite places and the first place where we really got to know each other. So we are content and looking forward to being here once again.

Click here to see today’s photos

Sept 28 – Day 21 – We woke up to rain. It was running ahead of schedule. Fortunately, our car was about 10 feet from the cabin door and 2 feet from tree cover that had kept the ground dry so far. We hope to beat it to the Great Sand Dunes NP. We love this area and wish we had more time. They have a place for rail cycling here. That would combine two of Dane’s favorites. There were also many great places for regular bike riding.

We really have enjoyed staying in these little cabins and remodeled older motels. Websites like Vrbo, Airbnb, and Booking.com have made it easy for these places to find guests and for us to find them. In most cases, you are dealing directly with the owner and, for the most part, they take great pride in their facilities. As a general rule, they are cleaner and nicer than hotels, and very distinctive with character. And when traveling like we are, with a car full of stuff and things stuck in every nook and cranny, it is great to have the car parked so close. We were pondering how difficult a trip like this would have been before the Internet. GPS is handy too. Although I love a map, in some cases we have taken slightly different, more scenic routes. If you only follow GPS, you will miss out on some sweet areas.

The rain beat us to Great Sand Dunes NP. We got a photo with the park sign before the rain started, though. At first, I had it on a timer and got a funny one with me running and Dane acting silly, yelling hurry, hurry Then someone else pulled up and took a photo for us. We enjoyed the visitor center. Then I put on my rain gear and climbed about ⅓ to ½ the way to the top of the dunes. It is hard to judge distance in these wide open spaces. Dane chose to sit that one out. Here is a quick video I took when I decided to head back due to strong winds.

Then we took off again. We got ahead of it in New Mexico. We learned of a volcano, the Capulin Volcano National Monument. They closed at 4. We got there at 3:55 and spoke to the Park Ranger. She said the Visitor Center was closing and the road would close TO CARS. Pedestrians and bikes could go until dusk. So they made all the cars leave and locked the gate. We had the whole place to ourselves. It was just over 2 miles to the top. Wow! What a view! Then we rode back down and rode to the gate for a photo with the park sign. That volcano was a nice surprise and a fun ride. We can check off that we have ridden in NM now!

We are staying in Pampa, TX tonight. We want to be in Oklahoma City tomorrow. We have not driven at night on this trip, but the TX panhandle is nothing to see. We are not missing anything, and we lost an hour going back to Central Time. However, the moon was spectacular. I took a photo with my phone as we drove that turned out not half bad, all things considered (i.e., phone camera, from a moving vehicle, through a bug-splattered windshield).

Click here to see today’s photos

We visited Mesa Verde National Park. It was amazing. We hiked to see the Cliff Palace area. It was cool to see such old historical buildings in America. We chose the easy hike, but it was still a bit of a challenge, with narrow, steep steps and ladders. 

We also had a picnic while we were there. We were having cheese and crackers. The end of the cheese had turned a funny color, so I sliced it off and set it aside. A blue bird came, and Dane threw it some crackers. I put out a piece of cheese and was surprised the bird took it. Before we left, we put out all of our cracker crumbs and the two remaining pieces of cheese on a rock. That bird immediately flew down and scooped up both pieces of cheese in one swoop and mouthful. AI says it is okay as an occasional high-energy treat for wild birds.

When we left the park, we drove east to South Fork, CO, which is about an hour away from Great Sand Dunes National Park. A lot of rain is headed to southwest Colorado, and we are trying to beat it and move eastward. They’ve been in a drought for years, so they need the rain. I bet they wish it wouldn’t all come at once.  I keep thinking about the damage Hurricane Helene caused in East TN and NC, and I realize it can still have serious repercussions far inland. Maybe we can see our last National Park for this trip before the rain makes it there.   

We crossed the Continental Divide at Wolf Creek Pass and got a photo. I was almost certain that I crossed it on a bicycle at that same place and had a photo with my bicycle there. So I dug through photos and found one. I cannot believe the mountain passes that I rode back in 2014. I put that old photo beside the one from today for fun. It was a beautiful drive going up and over that pass. But we did not have time to make lots of stops for pictures. Also, the light was dull and gray. You can’t capture the beauty adequately in good light, let alone dull gray light.

We are staying in another little cabin. Dane loves it! I took a few photos. We ate at a local pizza joint. We split a salad, wings, and a small pizza. We ate every bite. It was delicious. The TVs were tuned to the Broncos-Rams game. While we were there, Denver wasn’t doing well.

Click here to see today’s photos

Sept 26 – We went back to Silverton today. The drive was worth doing again! I did not take as many photos. It was a dull gray day. I did take one of Silverton framed by Aspen trees as we came down the mountain into the little town. I purchased a T-shirt I saw the day before and decided I wanted. And we had lunch. I had a hamburger and Dane had a bison burger. They were excellent. I included a photo I took out the window of where we were eating lunch, showing the train running right into town. Also, we tried to film the train again. This time I tried to film video with my good camera. It shoots video as well as pictures, and I have seen pros using these types of cameras for video. They use something called a gimbal to help keep it steady, though. I need to learn some more, but I’m enjoying playing with my camera and trying to take good photos and videos. I cannot share videos or pics that I have taken with it until I get home.

After we returned to Durango, we decided to bike their greenway. It is just shy of 10 miles long. We started at one end, rode to the other, then back. It was a blast. It runs along the Animas River and really connects the town. We rode past many parks with nice playgrounds, a concert in the park, a BMX track, pickleball courts, a skateboard park, restaurants, and so much more. At one point, it ran alongside the train. I tried to record a video with my phone as we rode alongside it. I will attach that. I kept having to put the phone down to hold the handlebar, so I cut those parts out. It was a beautiful day here, and many people were out enjoying it. Durango is a classy town and would be a great place to live.

Tomorrow, we are headed to Mesa Verde National Park and have reservations for a Ranger guided tour at Cliff Palace. Then we’ll head east immediately and try to get ahead of the bad weather coming here from Hurricane Polo.

Click here to see today’s photos

And here is the video of us riding alongside the train –

Sept 25 – Today was our favorite day yet!  We woke up to rain and a forecast that said it would rain all day. We had breakfast at the hotel, and by the end, it wasn’t raining. So we loaded the car easily. And we headed out of Ouray via the Million Dollar Highway. The clouds made for an interesting sky for our photos of what I believe is one of the most beautiful drives in America. Dane confirmed this is the most amazing scenic ride he has ever been on, and admittedly the best yet on this trip. Overnight, snow covered the top of the mountain we had to cross. We saw the snowplow making its way down after it had cleared the top.  Dane made some snowballs and wisely did not throw one at me. We descended into a cute old town called Silverton. This is where the Silverton-Durango train runs. I rode it years ago, and it was one of the best naps of my life. I suggested he ride it to Durango and that I would pick him up, but Dane preferred to photograph and video it. 

The drive from Silverton took us over another mountain pass with even more incredible scenery. We had to pull over a lot. The day got even better when we arrived at where we are staying tonight and tomorrow night. It is a little cabin in an RV park. We got a great deal and were afraid we would get what we paid for, but it is super nice, and it has WiFi. After we checked in, we decided to go back and try to catch the train we saw leaving Silverton as it arrived in Durango. We saw a lot of rain while the sun was shining on this trip. You can see a photo of Dane waiting for the train in the rain with the sun shining on him. I shot that from the car. When the rain stopped, I got back out, and a beautiful rainbow appeared.  It was even a partial double rainbow. I was so hoping the train would come before the rainbow went away, and it did! I had my good camera, but the lens wasn’t wide enough, so I shot it with my phone, with the train going by and the rainbow above it.  The rainbow had faded some, but I was still so excited to get the photo.  

We then headed to eat, but the restaurant was packed. So we decided to go back to our cabin and go back out later. Instead, we drove around and explored beautiful gravel/dirt roads.  Then ate at Serious Texas Bar-B-Q. It was excellent.   

Click here to see today’s photos

Sept 24 – The rain held off until the afternoon. We had the free hotel breakfast, then we rode along a gravel road called Last Dollar Rd. It links Ridgway, CO, to Telluride, but it eventually becomes very rough in places and requires a 4×4 if you drive end to end. The road was wet, which helped because when a car passed, it didn’t stir up dust. We passed Ralph Lauren’s ranch. It seems that many cars travel to see it, so beyond that, there is much less traffic. We also saw where the opening and closing scenes of the John Wayne movie True Grit were filmed. We rode about 4.5 miles before the road got too muddy, so we turned around. We still wanted to ride more, and according to Google, State Road 7 is a good gravel road to cycle. It was a long, steep climb. We climbed 700 ft in 4 miles. Dane stopped as we rode back and took a few pictures of me from above as I descended the switchbacks. Not long after, it started raining. We were thrilled to get in some good riding before that happened. Tomorrow, we are moving to Durango, CO. I don’t think we’ll have WiFi where we are going. So don’t be concerned if you don’t hear from us.

Click here for photos from today

Sept 23 – We left Moab and headed to Colorado. We could not check in until 3 or later in Ouray. We decided to visit Black Canyon of the Gunnison State Park in Montrose, CO. Despite cloudy skies and rain in the forecast, we didn’t get rained on, and we drove the entire park. We took a walk in the park, but it was no walk in the park. 😊 We did several easy short hikes to scenic overlooks and took one more strenuous 2-mile round-trip hike. This park had a terrible fire back in 2025. I included a photo of burned bushes that were everywhere. Much of the park is healing from that damage. We then drove to Ouray, one of my favorite places. The growth in the area here, and in Moab too, has been tremendous. I really hope they don’t keep growing so fast. We ate dinner at a cozy, family-run, farm-to-table eatery called Cassidy’s. The menu and the vibe were great. They had a mix of local artwork and antiques. Dane had roasted brisket with mixed vegetables and mashed potatoes. I got a roasted chicken brie panini – chicken, brie cheese, green apple, and aioli. We cleaned our plates.

The forecast is terrible for the next few days, with rain, rain, and more rain. I hope the weather men are wrong. But I think it is dry here, and they probably need rain. If it rains, one thing we can do, rain or shine, is to tour an old gold mine. A forest fire damaged it earlier this year, and it recently reopened. We keep seeing Smokey Bear signs that indicate we are at extreme risk of fire. So, on the positive side, if the rain comes, it will help with that.

I only took a few photos – click here to see

Sept 22 – As I mentioned yesterday, we headed to Canyonlands to drive down into the canyon. We met a second ranger who backed up the Ranger from yesterday’s viewpoint and acted like it was no big deal.  They gave us permits for both bicycling and driving. And off we went. THIS WAS THE MOST SCARED I HAVE BEEN IN MY ENTIRE LIFE!!! The pictures cannot capture the ledge we were driving on for three terrifying miles! At that point, we did a three-point turnaround because we knew we would never enjoy riding at the bottom, knowing we had to drive that back.  We met another couple coming down as we were coming back up. They were also terrified and looking for a place to turn around. Nothing like trying to inch by another car on a one-lane cliffside road.  

We then went to the Moab side and drove a road that went to that area from the bottom. Why didn’t either Ranger suggest that?! I had seen it when the ranger was reviewing everything with us. It was a strenuous ride, but we enjoyed it. And not once did we feel death was imminent. We saw a storm headed our way and got back to the car just in time.  

Since it was raining, we did laundry. This place had a guest laundry room.  We mainly wanted our favorite bike shirts washed. We were ok with other clothes.

After that, we picked up pizza and wings and enjoyed them on our porch. Tomorrow, we head to Colorado. This nomadic life is a bit challenging. We are staying in Ouray, CO tomorrow and Thursday, then going to Durango for the weekend. They are both about the same distance from here. Ouray is a small town, and weekend prices were crazy, so we opted to visit there midweek. Right now, Durango and other nearby options are looking good for the weekend. I think I have stayed at this hotel in Ouray before, when I was on a photography trip there. And I rode the Bicycle Tour of Colorado through there in 2014, and we camped in the city park. We also biked to Durango and camped on the high school grounds there. I am looking forward to showing Dane around these cool towns. I think this area will win as his top favorite.

Click here to see today’s photos