Time to pack it up and head home

Sunday morning.  Had to head out early for a long ride/drive back home.  Here you can see the Black Bridge tasting room and gift shop (right) and the cabin where we stayed (center).

Took CO Hwy 92 South (past the North side of the Black Canyon of the Gunnison) to US 50.  Another amazingly beautiful drive that is best experienced on two wheels. Oh, and there were a lot of critters, too.

The drive along US 50 was the same route that we took on Thursday. Very pretty, as always.  Stopped for lunch at Mr. Ed's in Cañon City.  I could've sworn it was horse...

Interesting history, OK food, cheap - not so sure about the rest.
 

3rd Annual West Elks Wine Trail

Friday night we had dinner at the Black Bridge Winery, which is also where we stayed for the weekend.  Awesome, as always.  The owners, Kathy & Lee are really great people, as are all the others there, Rob, Ashley, and all the rest.  Oh, and the wines are great, too!

Saturday we visited most of the wineries on the "Wine Trail" Here's the map:

S. Rhodes (all good, especially Clarets & Cab Franc):

Terror Creek (fantastic views, Swiss/Burgundy style wines):

Stone Cottage (excellent food pairings, very good wines):

Delicious Orchards (great produce, cafe, hard cider):

Azura (Good wines, great art gallery, amazing views):

We also visited Liliputian, and Alfred Eames.  Both have great wines.  Eames is probably our favorite overall.  Eames is a very down-to-earth, friendly guy, and a fantastic wine maker.  His cellar is really cool, too.

Palisade

Arrived in Palisade close to 7 pm on Wed. We were about an hour too late for the wine reception at the Wine Country Inn, where we stayed. Met friends and family there, and walked to the Palisade Cafe for dinner, followed by The Peach Street Distillery for a couple local specialties. There were some interesting people and conversions to overhear at the distillery.

Rawlins

2.03 gal. 116 mi.
Right by the state pen. I think this truck stop is where they all go for lunch. Subway.
Again, not much to see.
(35123/330)

Hypothermia

Damn, that was cold!
Stopped in Evanston, WY for breakfast, and to try to thaw out. This could take a while. Got the breakfast buffet at JB's. The food is cold, but at least the coffee is hot. When I got to my booth, I was greeted by a gentle looking older man with a big bushy beard. "Beautiful morning, isn't it." ... "Are you traveling?" ... "I bet gas is costly." ... "Do you have enough in your tank to get to your destination?" Freezing my ass off, weird people... Yep, I'm definitely in Wyoming.
Saw a balloon near US 40 along the way. Looked it was going to land on I-80 for a minute there.
(34904/111)
2.57 gal. 111.6 mi.

No Name Saloon

Park City, UT.
Cool place.
(34720/67)

Food & beverages

Well, I had heard there was a winery in Steamboat. It turns out it closed years ago. But there is a brewery that serves food... next best thing. That's Mahagony Ridge. But, they don't open 'til 4. So, I picked a cool sounding place nearby... The Boathouse Pub, with a patio on the river. Having an Easy Street Wheat (seemed appropriate) and a natural beef burger. Pricey, but nice atmosphere.

(update: the food was very good)

Empire, CO

Utah bound via US 40. Stopped at "The Original Hard Rock Cafe" in Empire, CO for breakfast.
(34191/60)