Denver

Our last stretch to Denver is the toughest. As we leave Laramie, we´re faced with a wall of clouds and fogs. It´s only going to be like that for a moment I think to myself. How terribly wrong I was! As we enter the fog, the already low temperature drops even more. We switch our warning signs on, incapable of driving faster than 40 km/h. With every passing second, I´m dreading that a car will run into us, not seeing us with all this fog.

Our arrival in Fort Collins is greeted with rain. But at least the fog is gone. It´s here that we meet Jenny and get asked for a feature in an online motorcycle magazine. Titine and Chaton are becoming famous!

We finally reach Denver, where we meet my friend Lena and her boyfriend Lars. We’ll be staying here roughly for a week, to explore the surroundings with them and get some rest after the last couple of exhausting days. Furthermore, we need to decide what we do from here on: drive up to Cleveland or down to New Orleans.

Lena has planned a full program for us. Our first stop is the Great Sand Dunes National Park. Although it is located roughly 4 hours away, it is one of the few places where the weather is currently better. And the drive down by car helps! The Great Sand Dunes National Park offers an incredible sight. Sand dunes rise out of the middle of nowhere, surrounded by mountains. The sight is as breath-taking as unexpected. We decide to do some climbing and are quickly rewarded with sand overflowing from our shoes. But it was absolutely worth it!

The next days, the expected snowstorm finally hits. We wake up to a world in white, although it only is the beginning of October. Snowflakes dance in the air and cover the gardens and cars. But it comes with a great advantage. It makes our hike up to St. Mary’s Glacier only prettier. The path leads us through a forest of snow-covered trees up to St. Mary’s Lake. The wind sprays water over the surface of the lake, creating instant rainbows. There’s even enough snow for a snowball fight. I won’t say who won! ?

Next on Lena’s list is the exploration of Boulder. A quaint student town, Boulder is the occasion to visit some quirky shops and to explore the main culinary attraction: The Boulder Dushanbe Teahouse. The teahouse was originally built in Tajikistan, dismounted brick by brick, transported and then rebuilt in Boulder. The interior hosts some of the most beautiful mosaics that we’ve ever seen! And the food is among the best we’ve had during this whole trip.

The afternoon is the opportunity to visit another unexpected touristy site: the tea factory of Celestial Seasonings. Celestial Seasonings is an herbal tea company which was founded 50 years ago in Boulder and now sells some 105 varieties of tea across the world.

On our last day, we visit the Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs. The garden is home to some unique rock formations all in a bright red colour. Paths lead you through rocks big and small, in every possible and imaginable shape, frozen in time. It’s like stepping back through time.

All Episodes:

Part 1: Finding the right bike
Part 2: Canada and Jasper National Park
Part 3: The Icefields Parkway 
Part 4: The Okanagan Valley
Part 5: Vancouver and the Sea-to-Sky Highway
Part 6: US 101, Washington and Oregon
Part 7: Idaho & Montana, the Lewis & Clark Highway to Denver
Part 8: Denver
Part 9: Kansas City

Make sure to follow Joanne and her Dad on her route:

Instagram WheelsOnRoadHoles: @wheelsonroadholes/
Instagram Joanne:@jo_lmk/
Instagram: Christian, her dad:@worldwidebiker/
Website: https://wheelsonroadholes.com