When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Food is good at the Diamond Belle in the Strater Hotel. Right across the street in Lady Flaconburgs. Also good food. A few blocks west of the Strater is the Old Timer. Great burgers. A couple blocks north of Main St. is Steam Works, also good food. There are many other places that have good food and drink that are not chains. Serious Texas Bar-B-Que is right next to the HD shop and it is good for BBQ.
The ride through Creede is all day, but it is well worth the trip.
I hope the weather holds out, because based on the recommendations, if we are stuck in town, I may need to air up the shocks on the Ultra to haul my enlarged **** home!
Thanks for all of the suggestions and routes, we are leaving next Saturday and I can't wait to leave the city behind.
I agree with what Eric says. If I can suggest a specific route on what Eric mentioned it would be to start in Durango - head west to Hesperus....find the short cut to Dolores (no need to go into Cortez...save a little time) and head up Lizard Head Pass from the west to the east. A really beautiful ride this way. Stop at the rest area on Lizard Head for photos.
On the way down you can head into Telluride...word-to-the-wise though this will add a couple hours to your day (you can have just as much, maybe more fun in Silverton...spend the two hours there!). If you don't head that way you can lunch in Ridgeway or Ouray. From Ouray head south to Durango. The most breathtaking part of Red Mountain Pass will be on your right so by heading south you'll be closer to everything that scares the hell out of everyone! Next time you come to Colorado let me suggest you drive the Silver Thread Roadway from South Fork to Gunnison. Probably not enough time for this trip because you'll have to spend one night in Gunnison before heading towards Montrose/Ouray again. Have fun!
I 2nd the ride over to Rico and Lizard Head of the weather holds. Awesome ride! All of the above mentioned are good rides. A couple others north of Ridgway are Colorado Natl Monument and Grand Mesa if you are up that way. FYI, the Creede to Lake City ride on 149 is a great ride but they started major construction this week which is going to last most of the riding season. Ron 😎
One other ride in that part of the state and one of my favorites is the North Rim of the Gunnison on Hwy 92 from Blue Mesa Dam to Crawford. You can add a trip over the Grand Mesa and spend a night in Grand Junction. You can see the highway on the upper left side of the canyon.
The train ride is out of this world as mentioned. If you ride the train to Silverton, take the bus back. I had read this recommendation, but failed to do it.
If you are riding through Creede and don't mind riding on a gravel road take the road north out of town to the historic mining district for a few miles. Some spectacular views of old mines. It is not a through route, just go up a mile or two, well worth it.
Whiskers was spot on. Don't waste your time in Telluride, Ouray and Silverton are much more interesting.
Another loop would be Durango, Pagosa, Chama (from here you can go to Taos, Penasco, Abique, Chama), then Dulce, Bloomfield, Aztec, Durango. Lunch at the High Country Saloon in Chama is recommended.
Thanks for the continued suggestions! I just checked the weather and it looks like it is going to be in our favor. I've heard from multiple people that the train ride is a must do, and I've also been told to have alternative transportation available for the return trip. I might make this something to do when I bring the family back .
Dharn55, the suggestion for the mining towns is great, I would love to explore some history.
Again, thanks for the suggestions. If you have others, keep them coming, with all the options, that might be the worst part of the trip, trying to figure out what we will have to leave out. Or maybe it will make next years trip a little easier to plan and we can go back and visit the areas missed?
7 Surprising Harley-Davidson Products that Are Not Motorcycles
Slideshow: The bar-and-shield logo shows up on far more than motorcycles, some of the company's most unexpected products have nothing to do with riding.
Slideshow: From the troubled AMF years to modern misfires, these bikes earned reputations for reliability issues, questionable engineering, or disappointing performance.
Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?
Slideshow: The Swiss custom shop has taken a Harley Softail and stretched it into something so long and low that it looks closer to a rolling sculpture than a conventional motorcycle.
Engraved Rebellion: Inside Bundnerbike's Glam Rock II
Slideshow: A standard cruiser becomes an intricate metal canvas in the hands of a Swiss custom house known for pushing Harley-Davidson platforms far beyond their factory brief.
