DAY 30: Cool Weather, Rainbows and NO GAS!

DAY 30:  Estes Park, CO - July 30, 2010

Remember when I told you at the beginning of this journey we were in search of two things?  The first being "Cooler Weather" and the second, "Goodwill Stores".  Well, today we didn't find the Goodwill store but we sure did find cooler weather!!

Today was an "all day kind of day" on the motorcycle.  Yep, my butt's sore, my hands calloused, and I'm still shivering a bit from the cold, but boy-howdy was it worth it!!

We started out this morning heading south out of Estes Park on what www.motorcycleroads.com claimed was "one of the best rides in the US".  Well, the part of the road they claimed was "the best" wasn't exactly the best we've ever seen, but the road to get us back home; you know, the road they "didn't" tell us about but we stumbled on by accident; now that was INCREDIBLE.

After hours on the bike and being rained on more than once, (what's new??  Afterall, its our trademark!) we find ourselves heading north through the Rocky Mountain National Park and climbing to an altitude of about 12,000'.  I did recall Chuck mentioning something about stopping and getting gas just prior to going into the National Park, but we were just a titch under half and it was only 65 miles back to Estes Park......we had PLENTY of gas, I told him......

As we're headed up, up, up in altitude, I notice our gas is going down, down, down on the gauge.  I didn't want to panic Chuck just yet, so I kept it to myself and just kept a close eye on it.   Keep in mind we're in a National Park......they don't have Shell stations behind every rock formation or herd of moose.....or is it "meese".......who knows.....anyway, we still going up, the temperature is going down, right along with the gas in the motorcycle.  I finally decide I might need to mention this to Chuck so he can share in my anxiety.....

Well, that just gave him an excuse to tell me "NO" every time I wanted to pull over and take a picture....so I had no choice but to put it on "cruise" and take the picture while driving.....

We finally make it to the summit, which by now, we are FREEZING cause the wind is blowing like 150 mph, which makes this 55 degrees feel like 20 degrees.  I'm thinking to myself, "Well, at least we'll be heading downhill from now on and I won't have to use much gas.....I can just coast on down this 12,000' mountain...."  which I pretty much did......UNTIL.....I saw the beautiful rainbow (after all, remember ....we are the rain-makers!).  I quickly start snapping pictures again and then we see it........."it" being the Garden of Eden......Yep, you heard me right.........the Garden of Eden is actually in America and not the Middle East as originally suspected.

It was the most beautiful site I've ever seen.......we're "coasting" along when we round a corner and see this huge rainbow over this valley of green with mountains in the background...........this prompted a quick U-turn (I vaguely remember hearing some moaning going on from my passenger....); put the bike in neutral and sit in awe at the sheer beauty of what lay before me.......It seriously was the exact vision I have always had of the Garden of Eden..........and then I hear, "Ok, thats enough....lets go...." from my backseat passenger named Chuck.  Moment ruined......I know you ladies completely understand what I'm talking about.....

We "coast" the rest of the way down the mountain and land in a Conoco station just in the knick of time.

While I'm filling up the motorcycle, I see I'm actually paying $3.15 a gallon....errrrrrrr......and I see this sign on the pump......  I think it was pretty cute.......doesn't really apply to us since it always rains when we ride, but cute anyways.......