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Although I prefer to steer clear of cities; sometimes you have to ride into the cement jungles. This is one of those times. We rode direct through DC and on out to the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center located in Chantilly, Virginia; just minutes from Dulles airport and easy access from the freeways. Museum hours are from 10AM - 5:30PM.  Be sure to plan your ride to arrive early for it is easy to spend all day; but I advise not arrive hungry the eating is far from gourmet. The exhibits are magnificent! 
The collection encompasses Sport aviation, Commercial, Ultralight, the war years from World War I through World War II and Vietnam  And if you have never been up close with the Space Shuttle, here you have your chance. Enormous!  For more information on both the Air and Space Museums visit the re website. Since we were in the area stopped at Arlington National Cemetery.   Tomb of the Unknown The cemetery’s brochure can be found here . Memorial Day - Let us honor the sacrifices of our warriors. See You Down The Road
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Continuing the ride; we pick up the Million Dollar Highway - |
  | Silverton is another great place to stage out of. There are some old Victorian hotels, a couple of motels and campgrounds/RV campgrounds. Silverton is the end of the line |
time to ride the DRGRR. I have been on it so often, feel as if I should be a conductor. Just a great ride and scenery you will not have elsewhere.
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Here I am on the shoot
Back to Silverton. Silverton is a wonderful old Victorian mining town. Several restaurants and |  |
Handlebars has a fine selection of food and a bar with a wide selection of beer. Don't miss the |  Handlebars above |
Interior of Brown Bear Cafe
Now that we have had a fine meal, lets ride!
  On the road to |    |
Along the Animas River
Durango is just an hour away. Up and over Molas Pass.
Whether you are riding to Durango or wish a beautiful place to have
a picnic Molas Lake has camping available and a stunning place to
spend some quiet moments. Located on Highway 550 just a few minutes out of Silverton on the way to Durango.
One of the best, and easiest passes to ride/drive is Ophir Pass. |  |
Ophir Pass is a high mountain pass at 11,789 feet in any case don't know if I would drive it in vehicle other the a 4x4 or higher clearance
bike.
About midway up from the Silverton side.
The pass is generally open June through September. Check the local
weather for it can snow anytime of the year. The Silverton side is not to exciting - beautiful but no "pucker factor" - Not so for the west side!
As you descend from the top of the pass you are presented with a gorgeous view of the valley; but it is a steep and narrow road. And a rather steep drop off!
Video of the assent from the Silverton side:
To Hell You Ride thats what they said about Telluride in the old days.
Seems the name came about from the miners warning of the treacherous mountain journey they had to take to get there.
I remrember it wasn't to many years ago when you could buy a nice little home there for cheap - I mean next to nothing and that was in the early 1960's. Then it was "discovered" and only the pretty boys from
Hollywood or the tech gurus can afford it now. Telluride remains a destination not to be missed. The ride, be it up and over Ophir Pass or the long way around it is worth the ride.
 LIte lunch. |  |
,Floradoras is a small restaurant, good food. If you can get the window
table and watch for the "stars "to walk by. Yeah, me either; but I did want to run into Tom Cruz. Figured we could talk about his P-51's.
At one time he had two. Must be rough.
Silverton to Durango is a nice ride of about an hour. As mentioned above do take a moment or an overnight at Molas Lake. If you are camping there, hope you brought you down bag, at over 10,000 feet
the published average lows during the summer is around 30 degrees at night. AAA rates the Molas Lake campground the most beautiful
campground in Colorado. I believe it.
Durango is the pace for fine dinning and some exquisite lodging.
The locals and the informed visitor will often go to the Durango Diner.
 |  Always a breakfast favorite of mine is the Green Chile Burrito. |
For a fine Italian dinner with an excellent wine list try Mutu's located downtown and just minutes from the train station.
If traveling to Durango in the peak summer months don't forget to
make reservations for the DRGRR train. This is a must do. The
ride is a couple of hours from Durango to Silverton. My first rides
was in the 1950's and I still ride it everytime I am in the area. Someday
I will transfer the 16mm film my father shot of the train in 1941. Then
it was only a work train. His film shows the sheep being taken up from the low pastures to the high pastures for summer.
So there you have it, Dolores to Durango. A wonderful ride. Beautiful
scenery. Great ride. Good eats. So wonderful I go back just about every year. Love Southwest Colorado - God lives there!
See You Down The Road
Should not be a surprise that I spend a lot of time in the saddle. Be it a day ride or a cross country journey I always carry my camera gear. For years I have toted around a rather extensive Nikon system, consisting of a D800e to more recently a D810 and a bunch of lenses, ranging from 10-24mm, 24-120mm, 70-200mm, 200-400,mm and the 200-500mm. Now throw in the filters, monitor, mic, laptop, external drive, and a tripod; you can see even the sidecar is full!
So I looked around and there it was; a camera that just might do all I ask in one package. The release
date was May 4th and I received it a couple of days later. All in all, rather impressed with it. What used
to fill more then half the sidecar, now fits in my hand. Well the camera does. Still have other "stuff" to
haul around. Below is the "field test on the Sony RX10 Mark 3.
So I looked around and there it was; a camera that just might do all I ask in one package. The release
date was May 4th and I received it a couple of days later. All in all, rather impressed with it. What used
to fill more then half the sidecar, now fits in my hand. Well the camera does. Still have other "stuff" to
haul around. Below is the "field test on the Sony RX10 Mark 3.
So there you have it. Pretty nice camera in my opinion. It is about to get quite the workout.
Stay tuned for some exciting posts!
Stay tuned for some exciting posts!
Wasn't meant to be but it was a rather "cool ride". My travel plans
required an early AM departure from Dolores, CO. I was going to
Ouray, Silverton and on into Durango that day. Although I encountered a fair amount of snow; not much was on the road and that was only at the higher elevations. Of course all of the aforementioned towns are at "higher" elevations Ouray is 7,792 feet, Silverton is 9,308 even Durango is 6.512.
The ride from Ouray to Silverton is one of the most beautiful rides
you will ever take. Anytime is great; but in the Fall it is the true meaning of the "Million Dollar Highway" for the Aspens are a glow
in their yellow splendor.
Million Dollar Highway, Hwy 550
This ride however was in the early Spring and I ran into snow. As I climbed out of Dolores via Highway 145. It was magic. Wasn't to long that the fields went from emerald green to white.
Horses in the early morning light
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Outside the town of Rico
 | Thankfully the road was mostly clear of snow. the scenery was one of the most beautiful I have had in the area. As you climb up you will come to the town of Rico; really a wide spot in the road. |
Aspens in Fall Colors |  Couple of homes in Rico Downtown Rico |
Few Miles up and the river had a different look | Rico was settled in 1879 to support the the silver mining. Today it is a quaint little historic town and a good stop for the tourist on two, three or four wheels. |
Ouray, Colorado.
First time I was in Ouray was with my folks when I was two. That was back in 1948.
 |  Left is me riding in 1948 the mountains of Ouray, My, father - right with an Elk taken in the area sometime in the early 1940's |
My father hunted the area for deer and elk many times during the 40's and into the 60's.
Today Ouray is a mecca for 4 wheelers of all types jeeps, ATV's and some of the dual sport adventure riders. Not all trails are technical, many in the area like Engineers Pass, Ophir Pass and more can be done with any dual sport bike or 4x4 with decent clearance. I'll save these rides for another posting.
Ouray overlook on the road to Silverton
You can find a bit of Jolly Ol' England in Ouray; for a great lunch and a pint of Guinness pop into O'Brien's Pub.
 |  O'Brien's Pub. Nice selection of |