Short day in a paradise with a brief run in the rain to Pueblo to get free government information...just kidding, but why else come to this town. Great Sant Fe Trail fort visit with pictures. Check it out.Day 5

Lamar, Colorado to Pueblo, Colorado

128 Miles

1505 Total Miles

It was a late start today as the Cow Palace Inn was too comfortable to leave. Actually, we were beat and decided to make it an easy day.

We departed Lamar at 12:00 and drove a total of 128 miles. But they were good miles.

As we mentioned in our last post, rain was in the forecast. And for once, the weatherman was right. We've got the right gear so it was no big deal.

Bill unpacking at the fort. Note the rain gear.

Once underway, we resettled into our on-the-road routine. Bill loves to navigate, so he takes the lead. Bo serves as wingman, which means he does little but enjoy the drive.

Shortly after leaving Lamar we saw a sign for Fort Bent, a reconstructed fort from the old west run by the National Park Service. We were spoiled by the Dalton Gang Museum but knew this would be a letdown. But we decided to make the detour anyway and check out the fort. To our great surprise, it was great. Apparently, it was a privately run fort that served as a trading center and, according to the guide, "the western version of a five-star resort." Complete with billiards table, casino, bar and restaurant, it may well have been the inspiration for today's Ritz-Carlton.

Room service is a bit slow here.

If you want to know more, then click http://www.nps.gov/beol/home.htm

After Fort Bent, it was clearly time for food. La Junta, Colorado, boasts a genuine chinese restaurant on the court square. It was....ok. Road food has been a disappointment. You pretty mcuh have to take what you can get and pickins' has been slim at times.

We've been saved by vending machines more than one time!

As we approached Peublo, CO we raced an incredibly ugly thunderstorm off ot our east that kept getting closer and closer. THe mood was tense. At the last minute the road turned west and led us away from the storm as the foothills of the Rockies began to appear on the horizon. It truly was an omen of good things to come. We offer thanks tonight and plan some type of sacrifice.

Back to the luggage picture: we have too much stuff. Tonight we decide what we each can live without and tomorrow we mail it home.

We're in the Wingate Inn tonight. Much to our pleasure, it has a broadband internet connection in each room. That makes the task of writing and posting this much easier.

Tomorrow, after a short trip to Mailboxes, Etc., we depart for Gunnison, Colorado. On the way we plan to take a detour over some fine scenic, twisty Colorado roads. After the Ozarks, the straight roads of KS have us longing for curves and dips again. Several weeks before we left we took a motorcycle racing/riding course at Road Atlanta. It was very challenging and helped both of us tremendously in terms of our riding skills. Motorcycling is a blast on the twisties. We are in a fabulous place for that.