We made a last minute decision to ride through Colorado National Monument this morning as we headed out of Grand Junction - and what an incredible experience! 23 mile long Rimrock Drive winds, twists, goes through 3 tunnels and offers breathtaking views of the canyons and the top of the mesa.
We were lucky enough to spot 2 Desert Bighorn sheep calmly watching us from a rock outcropping.
We then headed north on CO 139, riding first past ranches and farms and then steadily climbing into the Bookcliff Mountains, topping off at 8,205' on Douglas Pass.
The BMW's odometer turned over to 46,000 miles and it was fun to reminisce about those miles over the past 6 years that we've had the bike.
We were on US 64 west for a few miles, then US 40 west crossing into Utah, and finally US 191 north for the rest of today's ride. The landscape kept changing from twisting through stunning rock formations to riding along the grassy, windswept mesas at over 8,000' elevation (the cooler temperatures very much appreciated!).
We crossed the Flaming Gorge Dam on the Green River and caught glimpses of the 91 mile long reservoir that lies in both Wyoming and Utah.
We rode 264 miles today through three states with amazing landscapes on very lightly traveled roads - a dream day on the BMW. Tomorrow we continue northwest into Idaho with more twisty hairpin turns and long sweeping curves to keep us happy.
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