25th August
Another good night’s sleep . My leg’s still sore - and getting more colourful every day – but resting it each day and taking ibuprofen seems to be doing the trick.
I pack the bike and I’m on the road at 1100. I start off riding west along Interstate 80, turning south after 24 miles, heading towards Baggs, on the Colorado border. It’s a beautiful day, windy, with a vivid blue sky…
I ride through Baggs and continue south into Colorado. Almost immediately, I see a Colorado Highway Patrol vehicle parked on the left of the road - the trooper pointing a hand held radar at me. I’m happy to be doing just under 70 – this is a 65 limit, reasonable in the weather conditions (the wind is quite gusty) – so I don’t get a ‘pull’. However, between there and Craig (49 miles), I see four more police cars – 3 Colorado State Troopers and a Sheriff – all heading north.
Perhaps there’s a doughnut sale on in Baggs…
At Craig, I turn left and head west towards Dinosaur. The road’s straight, but the countryside is getting more interesting – less like the high desert of the last couple of days – on the horizon are the beginnings of the rock formations I know I’ll be seeing soon in Utah…
I stop in a Tourist Information Office in Dinosaur, and pick up a free road map of Colorado – I intend to put it to good use in the next week or so…
Continuing west, I enter Utah…
…and stop at the Utah Tourist Information Office at Jensen, where I meet Ann…
Whatever Utah State are paying her, it isn’t enough. She gives me an excellent run down on what to do in the Vernal area, as well as tips on good restaurants, bars, Internet cafés and motels. People like Ann are worth their weight in gold to the tourist industry …
I get a room in Motel 6 in Vernal and spend the evening looking at maps…
Another good night’s sleep . My leg’s still sore - and getting more colourful every day – but resting it each day and taking ibuprofen seems to be doing the trick.
I pack the bike and I’m on the road at 1100. I start off riding west along Interstate 80, turning south after 24 miles, heading towards Baggs, on the Colorado border. It’s a beautiful day, windy, with a vivid blue sky…
I ride through Baggs and continue south into Colorado. Almost immediately, I see a Colorado Highway Patrol vehicle parked on the left of the road - the trooper pointing a hand held radar at me. I’m happy to be doing just under 70 – this is a 65 limit, reasonable in the weather conditions (the wind is quite gusty) – so I don’t get a ‘pull’. However, between there and Craig (49 miles), I see four more police cars – 3 Colorado State Troopers and a Sheriff – all heading north.
Perhaps there’s a doughnut sale on in Baggs…
At Craig, I turn left and head west towards Dinosaur. The road’s straight, but the countryside is getting more interesting – less like the high desert of the last couple of days – on the horizon are the beginnings of the rock formations I know I’ll be seeing soon in Utah…
I stop in a Tourist Information Office in Dinosaur, and pick up a free road map of Colorado – I intend to put it to good use in the next week or so…
Continuing west, I enter Utah…
…and stop at the Utah Tourist Information Office at Jensen, where I meet Ann…
Whatever Utah State are paying her, it isn’t enough. She gives me an excellent run down on what to do in the Vernal area, as well as tips on good restaurants, bars, Internet cafés and motels. People like Ann are worth their weight in gold to the tourist industry …
I get a room in Motel 6 in Vernal and spend the evening looking at maps…