Del Norte, CO - Antonito, CO: Did I say climbing? How flat can you get?
Aren't her peaches nice? She gave us each a Palisade peach to eat down the road. Doug had his with oatmeal in the morning and said it was the best peach he had ever eaten.
Jacinto complained multiple times this day about how difficult it was to bicycle such a flat road with a single speed bike. He said he felt like a hamster with his legs going round and round with slow forward progress.
This house had obviously burned many years ago as the trees were growing inside of the foundation. It must have been quite a palace, based on the extensive rock work on the chimney and walls. I always wonder what tales old buildings could tell.
We stopped for a snack in front of these work horses. Soon four little Mennonite boys came out of the house to talk to us. The big horses are Belgiums and are for field work. The smaller horses are Morgans and are for pulling the buggies. The boys were soon joined by their two sisters who wore long dresses and bonnets. I wanted to photograph them, but didn't think it was appropriate.
We stopped in La Jara at Glory Days. This lady ran right over and offered us a sample of her Schwann's energy drink. It was very sweet. We stayed for a brisket sandwich and to watch the Chihuahua races. Jacinto and I agreed La Jara should start having jalapeno eating contests and our hometown should start having Chihuahua races.
Would you guess I am packed for a four day tour? My red seat bag carries all I need. My clothing and toiletries takes up a bit more than half of a gallon size ziplock bag. I even brought an extra long sleeve top and some tights in case of cold weather. My raincoat, long fingered gloves, and Earbags are in a bag under my seat. Never to be opened. Hurray!
The mural on the adjacent building. Both buildings appeared long deserted. The San Luis Valley is the poorest area of the state. This was obvious as we passed building after building that was abandoned and falling down.
Just outside of Antonito we took a side trip to the oldest church in Colorado. A wedding was in progress. I was confused by the fact the guests were arriving, yet the bride was outside. In our area everyone is seated and the bride makes a grand entrance. A woman entering the church yard said that the area custom is for the bride to greet people and the door and the groom is inside greeting people, but they don't see each other until the ceremony starts. I don't know what happens if it's raining outside. The opulence of the church was significant compared to the surrounding area.
Another guest sent us down the road to see the town of Guadalupe. "A place tourists don't typically see." The town park was as large as the town, covering both sides of the road and being very well manicured. It had several covered picnic tables and several Lady Guadalupe portraits. The caretaker was outside in no time to chat with us. He said anyone is welcome to use their park or camp there overnight (no restrooms).
In front of the grotto of the Virgin of Guadalupe. The caretaker was a retired military man with 20 years, one month, and some days in. He had traveled the world and couldn't wait to get back to the best place of all - where he grew up.
We sat outside and ate our peaches from this morning at our evenings accommodation - the River's Inn B & B in Antonito. One disadvantage to riding off of the beaten path is the lack of accommodation choices. In Antonito there was a run down hotel that had terrible reviews, this B & B and (we discovered after we arrived) a new hotel built upstairs in an old downtown building - the 1911 Hotel. We went by the 1911 Hotel twice to check it out. Once we sat in their outside chairs eating ice cream and waiting for someone to unlock the front doors, only to be chased away by rain. We never did see the interior.Edit: While looking for a link on the 1911 Hotel I found this - great price: http://www.indianajoneshome.co... Also, seems the 1911 Hotel is also/instead going by the Steam Trail Hotel. Still no direct website, but there is a link from the Indiana Jones Home site. 2011 Edit: We had booked the Indiana Jones house for this summer, only to have the new owner raise the price substantially on our booking. She also owns the 1911 Hotel. On principal, we stayed at the run down motel with poor reviews. We found it satisfactory for the money - it's a 50's style motel with good beds. It has air conditioning - which none of the other lodging choices in town have. We will stay here in 2012.
